Travel and tourism sector faces skills shortage

The travel and tourism industry has a strong demand for well-qualified staff and expects a skills shortage in the longer term, said Sir Ian Prosser the Chairman of the Six Continents Group that owns 3,200 hotels across the world.

Speaking at the opening of the Hospitality Careers Fair in London on Thursday, Sir Ian, who is Chairman of the World Travel and Tourism Council, said that research by the Council indicated that the hospitality industry with around 200 million jobs in 2001 probably created more jobs than any other comparable sector in the UK.

Sir Ian said: “The ability of the tourism sector to maintain high levels of job creation was brought sharply into focus by the terrorist atrocity in New York last month. But while recent events have impacted on consumer confidence and on corporate travel policies, hospitality is by its very nature a peaceful and a social enterprise; it extends the hand of welcome and friendship to all – it broadens horizons, spreads understanding between people and enhances cultural exchange”.

However, Sir Ian called on the UK Government to tighten transport security so that the public could have the confidence not to let the threat of terrorism disrupt their business, their travel plans and their career choices.

He said that the travel and tourism industry could offer international careers with great travel opportunities and with a few year’s experience the right recruits could find themselves in charge of businesses with turnovers in excess of £1 million-a-year.

“Tourism has a vital roles to play in generating jobs across the economy,” said Sir Ian. “Successful hotels and restaurants are not only big employers in their own right, but they also maintain growth for supplier companies in manufacturing, agriculture, transport and other sectors.”

The Six Continents Group employ more than 85,000 people around the world and is considered to be the most global of the world’s top hospitality companies.

The Group operates such well known brands as Inter-Continental, Crowne Plaza, and Holiday Inn. (SP)