Employers in the travel sector are being encouraged to take part in a survey as part of a global initiative which is supporting the recovery of tourism jobs.
The poll is being carried out by Project Teem [Travel Employment Expansion Mandate], which was launched in November 2022 by the Jamaican tourism minister Edmund Bartlett.
He said more than 44 million workers in travel and tourism workforce had not returned after the pandemic – and the workforce must come back in greater numbers to help the sector recover fully.
The survey asks business leaders and HR bosses about their views on recruiting and retaining talent. Responses are particularly welcome from those in the travel agency and cruise sectors.
The survey organisers point out that the need for talent in the global travel and tourism industry is expected to rise significantly over the next five years.
According to IBM ThinkForce, the sector will require 8.4 million new recruits by 2025 – with more demand for specialised skills such as data analysis, digital marketing and advanced customer service.
The survey can be found here. It will close on February 8.
Bartlett has also created a cross-sector group to address the employment challenges, spearheaded by the Global Travel & Tourism Resilience Council (GTTRC) and the Global Travel and Tourism Crisis Management Centre (GTTCMC).
The GTTRC was set up by Travel Weekly’s parent, Jacobs Media Group, and Bartlett is co-chair.
Others in the cross-sector group are the Energy and Environment Alliance (EEA); the Global Travel and Tourism Partnership (GTTP); the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance; A World for Travel (AWFT) and bosses from leading industry brands.
Bartlett said: “The tourism industry needs to recover its attractiveness to workers and should undergo a deep and thorough analysis.
“Tourism, pre-pandemic, has not been the best employer and many view our sector as low paying, low skilled and seasonal, offering little job security and social security.”
The Teem project is part of an international effort consistent with a robust human capital development approach presented by Ibrahim Osta, chief of party USAID Developing Sustainable Tourism in Bosnia Herzegovina at the Resilience Council’s A World for Travel event in Nimes, France, in October.
Picture: GaudiLab/Shutterstock