Portugal’s tourist industry lacks 85,000 staff

A World Travel and Tourism Council study into a lack of staff in the sector has revealed that Portugal has a shortfall of 85,000 up and down the country.

The WTTC numbers, which represent the private global travel and tourism markets, including the US, Spain, UK, Italy, France and Portugal, reflect the period July-December 2021 and 2022.
It is the first time that a study has revealed the significant impact that a lack of staff could have on Portugal’s economic recovery.
All of the countries in the study showed a significant lack of staff, with the demand for staff outstripping the available supply of manpower.
As unemployment rates have fallen, demand has increased, and travel and tourism companies have been struggling to fill the vacancies in the sector. In Portugal, one in every six vacancies has yet to be filled.
Julia Simpson, CEO and President of the WTTC states “Portugal’s economic recovery could be put at risk if there are not enough people to fill these posts as people begin travelling again.
The Portuguese Government has put in place a job protection scheme and has offered financial support and incentives for those companies in the sector that have safeguarded jobs”.
However, despite this state aid, 92,000 people working in the Portuguese travel and tourism industry lost their jobs last year, according to the WTTC.