WTTC: Nearly 50,000 Travel and Tourism Jobs in Portugal Will Remain Unfilled

The research also looked at power shortages in other major travel and tourism destinations, such as the United States, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Italy, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.

According to the data, Portugal is expected to see a shortage of 49,000 workers in the third quarter of 2022, with one in ten vacancies expected to remain unfilled this year.

Before the pandemic started, more than 485,000 people were employed in Travel and Tourism in Portugal. However, compared to 2020, it saw the loss of over 80,000 jobs.

Though in 2021, Portugal saw the beginning of recovery with a 32.6 per cent increase in the sector’s contribution to the national economy, staff shortages have been widespread in the country, with thousands of vacancies remaining unfilled, putting the sector under pressure.

Based on the WTTC analysis, the hospitality industry in Portugal is expected to be the most affected, as both the hotels and food and beverage segments are projected to account for 13 per cent (one in eight) and 12 per cent (one in eight) of jobs incomplete, respectively.

In this regard, President and CEO of WTTC Julia Simpson said that the Portuguese Government has always seen Travel and Tourism as the main part of its agenda and is already addressing this issue with strategic measures.

“The Ministry for Tourism in Portugal is very proactive and has introduced a flexible visa policy to attract talent. They are doing a great job,” Simpson also noted.

According to her, the future of Travel and Tourism in Portugal looks bright, and to ensure full recovery of the economy and the sector, it must also fill these vacancies to ensure that the country meets the long-awaited demands of travellers.

Previously, WTTC also revealed that up to 1.2 million Travel and Tourism jobs across the EU would go unfilled, with hospitality, aviation, and travel agencies being the most affected.

In 2020, the Travel and Tourism sector across the EU suffered a loss of nearly 1.7 million jobs.

This year, the WTTC predicts that the sector’s recovery will continue to accelerate and simultaneously reach pre-pandemic levels with an expected 32.9 per cent increase in its direct contribution to the EU economy.