site.btaSolutions to Workforce Shortage in Tourism Discussed at Seminar in Golden Sands Resort

A seminar on "The Lost Generation in Tourism? Urgent Measures to Attract Young Staff" was held in the seaside resort of Golden Sands, the Ministry of Tourism said on Friday. The event was organised by the Bulgarian Hotel Association. It was held just before the peak of the summer season and aimed to offer specific solutions to tackle the dramatic shortage of workforce in tourism through educational solutions and partnerships. 

The seminar was attended by representatives of institutions involved in the topics discussed, representatives of the hotel industry, representatives of universities and tourism schools, as well as experts in the field.

Minister of Tourism Miroslav Borshosh said that tourism creates real opportunities for keeping young people in the country and is part of the answer to the demographic crisis. If young people have the opportunity to work, start families and own their own businesses in their home countries, this will help to keep them in the country, he argued. The sector has the potential to offer long-term solutions by providing opportunities for professional development, family entrepreneurship and stable employment in the regions, he went on to say. "If young people see a reason to stay and develop in their own settlements, to start a family, develop a small business, work in a safe environment, then the demographic picture will change. Tourism can provide this perspective, but only if the professions in the sector are perceived as decent, modern and promising," the Minister argued.

During the discussion, he recalled that an inter-ministerial working group, headed by a deputy prime minister, has already been set up to ease procedures for hiring workers from third countries. In the state budget for this year, funds have been earmarked for the creation of new additional posts in the consular services, which will speed up the visa process, he added.

Minister Borshosh also focused on the need for specific policies - new educational programmes and vocational courses, better career guidance, internship programmes in a real working environment and active partnership between the hotel business and educational institutions. The need for a targeted enhancement of the prestige of tourism professions, not only through higher pay but also by providing opportunities for growth and stability, was also highlighted.

"We need to move beyond seasonal employment and offer a stable outlook. We need a long-term vision where young people see tourism as a personal path, not a temporary solution," the Minister noted. 

The seminar also highlighted a number of good practices from other European countries where tax concessions and incentives are used to encourage the employment of young people in the sector.