Following massive job losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global travel and tourism industry is still currently struggling to draw the requisite talent – and this may remain a reality for 2023.

The majority (70.5%) of decision-makers taking part in the WTM Industry Report 2022 – unveiled at WTM London this week – believe travel is an attractive sector to work in but admitted that recruitment was a challenge.

The remainder (14%) answered “maybe” and 13% said it was not an attractive industry to work, but qualified their answer by saying it wasn’t an attractive industry to work in “at the moment”.  

The report is based on research carried out among WTM London’s senior buyers, exhibitors and visitors. 

Attracting talent

When asked: “What is your biggest issue in attracting talent?” industry executives were split equally on uncompetitive pay (22%) and lack of suitable candidates (22%). Reputation of the industry, working hours and the loss of staff to other industries were further highlighted.

According to the report, tourism recruiters are trying to overcome these challenges by offering flexible working to attract more staff; offering more incentives and greater career prospects.

Others have said they’re   more open to recruiting people from outside the industry; paying higher salaries and offering more holiday entitlement. 

The WTM report noted that, in a bid to retain existing staff, 45% of travel companies had already started to offer better conditions, with a further 22% preparing to offer better conditions/incentives soon and another 17% considering doing so. 

Only 10% said they did not intend to offer any improved conditions/incentives as a way to retain staff, with the remainder unsure at the present time.

Benefits

When asked: “What sort of conditions/benefits are you offering?” 57% of respondents say they are offering training and progression opportunities to try to keep current staff; 48.5% are offering flexible working; 38% are offering a pay rise, while 37% are offering ‘enhanced benefits’. 

Other ways in which companies are hoping to retain staff are by offering free food (offered by 21% of respondents); free travel (20%); discounts (16%) and sabbatical (3%). At the bottom of the list is free or onsite childcare – offered by just 1% of respondents. 

Juliette Losardo, World Travel Market London Exhibition Director, said:
“Although it’s great to see companies offering more incentives and benefits to retain existing staff or to attract new recruits, the fact remains, the industry is still understaffed and the public doesn’t currently see travel as an attractive industry to work in. Could it be that travel companies need to be more proactive and innovative when it comes to offering attractive incentives that people really need?”

Recruitment challenges to continue

The Tourism Outlook 2023 report by the Economist’s Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) concurs with the WTM Industry Report, highlighting that there are labour shortages across Europe and in the US, where employment in the leisure and entertainment industries is still nearly one million short of 2019 levels.

Many in southern and East Africa’s tourism industry have confirmed the same challenge in this region to Tourism Update, highlighting that many in the industry were forced to pursue other careers outside of tourism and were unlikely to return to the tourism fold any time soon.

The EIU report revealed that the economic slowdown should make recruitment easier if job losses mounted elsewhere.

Even so, an EIU spokesperson pointed out, it will take time to replace skills lost during the pandemic. “Moreover, this labour-intensive industry is also likely to see more disruptive strikes in 2023 as workers themselves demand higher wages to cope with the higher cost of living.”