Work alarm: staff shortage for Easter to welcome a tsunami of tourists, +11,2% compared to 2022

Great again job opportunities. Again lack of employees. The sector this time is the : in theory the so-calledItalian oil".
The forecasts of Demoscope talk about the arrival in 2023 of a wave of 126,6 million tourists who, in turn, should generate almost 442,5 million admissions, with growth of 11,2% and 12,2% respectively compared to 2022. But the increase is even more evident when compared to 2021: +60,9% for arrivals and +53% for overnights, now also in line with the pre-pandemic period. Translated into revenue: 89 billion euros of tourism spending, 2,8% more than last year.

Over 50.000 employees would be missing for Easter and various bridges

But is the tourism sector prepared to face the army of trolleys and sun umbrellas? According to the estimates of Assoturismo Confesercenti for Easter and the spring months of the Bridges in tourist companies are missing beyond that 50 workers.
For the February-April quarter, i.e. the period of the recovery of tourist flows in Italy, a needs of about 210.000 workers in tourism businesses. On average, however, companies report difficulties in finding professional figures in 34% of cases, not only due to inadequate preparation but also due to lack of candidates. A percentage that even rises to 52% in catering.

The risk of an average loss of turnover of 5,3%. Foreign competitors are ready to overtake

"The lack of personnel will lead companies in the coming months to deal with a complex and unpredictable situation from an organizational point of view of production processes, without neglecting that the destinations competitors of Italy are already ready to improve the volumes of tourist arrivals in 2022” says Assoturismo. “In particular, for companies that will not be able to find all the necessary workers, it is possible to estimate an average loss of turnover in the period of -5,3%, with consequent lowering of quality standards and impacts on productivity. "The matter has now reached the dimensions of a real emergency," he says Victor Messina, president of Assoturismo Confesercenti. “So it is impossible to manage the peaks of activity, especially in some areas such as the Romagna Riviera. But problems are also found in Sicily and Sardinia”.

All Italian regions will see an increase in tourists, in 9 above average

At a territorial level, reads the scientific note by Demoskopika, all regional destinations should record a positive trend in tourist flows. In particular, nine regions are above the Italian average: Trentino Alto Adige with 52,6 million overnight stays (+15,4%) and 12,1 million arrivals (+11,8%), Veneto with 73,3 million presences (+14,8%) and 19,1 million arrivals (+11,0%), Marche with 13 million presences (+13,4%) and 2,7 million arrivals (+13,8%), Molise with 584 presences (+13,4%) and 182 arrivals (+14,3%), Toscana with 49,8 million presences (+13,4%) and with 14 million arrivals (+13,5%). It's still, Lazio with 33,8 million presences (+12,8%) and 11,5 million arrivals (+12,8%), Sicilia with 15,9 million presences (+12,7%) and 4,9 million arrivals (+8,9%), Campania with 20,8 million presences (+12,3%) and 5,7 million arrivals (+13,1%) and Emilia Romagna with 42,8 million presences (+12,2%) and with 11,4 million arrivals (+7,4%).

Tourism spending of 89 billion, up 23%. Here are the regions that will be better off

The research institute also highlights, region by region, how much tourism spending could be on an overall estimate of 88,7 billion euros, +22,8% compared to 2022: the Basilicata would see revenues of 457 million euros (+27,7%) compared to 2022), the Molise with 117 million euros (+27,2%), Abruzzo with 1.142 million euros (+26,8%), le Marche with 1.676 million euros (+26,6%), the Friuli-Venezia Giulia with 1.038 million euros (+26,5%), the Toscana with 14.262 million euros (+26,3%), Umbria with 2.137 million euros (+26,3%), the Campania with 5.211 million euros (+25,9%), the Lazio with 9.612 million euros (+25,5%), the Lombardia with 10,308 million euros (+24,8%), the Trentino Alto Adige with 6.297 million euros (+24,5%). And, again, the Veneto with 12.615 million euros (+23,5%), the Puglia with 2.326 million euros (+23,1%), the Sardinia with 3.018 million euros (+22,6%), the Piemonte with 3.269 million euros (+22,5%), the Sicilia with 3.765 million euros (+21,1%), the Liguria with 3.208 million euros (+20,2%), the Calabria with 1.563 million euros (+19,6%), l'Emilia Romagna with 6.981 million euros (+19,5%) and, lastly, the Valle d'Aosta with 624 million euros (+17,2%).

Professional figures sought

A paradoxical situation: on the one hand an increase in the volume of production and jobs created is expected, on the other the companies in the sector continue to experience a shortage of workers. The difficulty in personal research on the contrary, it has taken on a now structural outline, which has already manifested itself regularly since the pre-pandemic years, but which is becoming increasingly serious with the restart of the sector, says Assoturismo.
I necessary profiles they are for 2,6% of professions with high specialization, the 81,5% skilled professions, 1,3% of specialized employees and 14,6% of unskilled professions. But it is precisely these last figures that are the most difficult to find, in particular porters, camsimple yesterdays, dishwashers and cleaners. For a simple waiter we start from 1560 euros gross per month, for the head chef or head bartender we start at over 1.740 euros per month, the same for a first goalkeeper.

Assoturismo recipes: active policies are needed

“We need di find a solution, also using the resources of the PNRR. They serve active policies, now almost completely absent” says Messina of Assoturismo. “We need to strengthen the regional professional training of tourist figures and open up to pensioners and school-age children by providing for temporary jobs with total tax exemptions. And then think of special regulations to guarantee a 'relay' between workers in seasonal activities”. Finally, for Messina, “even the management of Citizenship Income and immigration flows needs to be rethought, linking it to training opportunities. But it is also necessary to solve the problem of worker mobility: concessions are needed for contracts that guarantee not only training but also room and board, a burden for companies of at least 600 euros per month per worker".