Tourism to witness skill shortage, says GlobalData

Friday, April 2, 2021

With a speedy vaccination program in progress, in the UK, demand for international tourism has increased. Travel companies are all set to embark upon this pent-up demand by taking in people for the number of posted job advertisements within the sector. This has increased by approximately 38% in Q1 2021, according to the Job Analytics tool by GlobalData. However, to handle with this ‘new normal’ and ever-changing layers of complexity within tourism, there is an immediate requirement for travel professionals who are experienced and skilled. This may be particularly tough at a time when such workers have moved on to other sectors.

To quote Craig Bradley, Associate Travel Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, “Interest in working in the travel industry will be impacted due to job security fears – with redundancies and high-profile job losses reported throughout the pandemic. This poses a problem for travel sector recovery, as expertise and knowledge are now needed more than ever in the current challenging climate. Understanding booking conditions, value-added services, visa regulations and travel restrictions is essential to effectively advise travelers.”

While a huge demand is there to make bookings, consumer trust in tourism has become unbalanced, keeping in mind the varying travel restrictions and the number of trips canceled that have occurred in one year. Around 46% of UK respondents were concerned over international travel, as per a GlobalData survey.

To quote Bradley, “Ultimately, knowledge and expertise are required to market, sell and advise on the right products if confidence is to be restored. It is clear that consumers are wary of international travel – and for good reason. Conflicting messages from travel authorities and ministers has added fuel to the fire. Travelers need reassurance, fast.”

Sourcing and training employee takes time as well as money, and this will become even tougher for some travel companies to handle with an expected surge in demand. In various travel companies, high levels of competition for experienced travel sector workers and economic restraints could result to employ entry-level staff on lower-paid contracts.

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