“The minor concern is whether there will be enough guests. The employees cause more headaches! ”Statements like these from the Tyrolean tourism industry are unfortunately typical at the moment. There is a shortage of 3000 workers from abroad alone, but that is only the official number of the Tyrolean Employment Service (AMS).
Cooks, waiters, dishwashers, housekeeping staff – there is hardly a company that has the entire team for the winter season. “Various vaccines are a problem because not all of them are approved in the EU,” says AMS country manager Alfred Lercher, referring to vaccines such as Sputnik, with which employees from Eastern Europe were vaccinated.
The AMS figures only hint at the misery: In the Tyrolean “accommodation and gastronomy”, unemployment fell by 49.6 percent compared to the previous year to 2,660 people and is well below the level of September 2019 – i.e. before the Corona- Pandemic.
Numbers on Tyrolean tourism at a glance:
- In August the summer tourism was still with 15.6 percent in the red, including September with 11.7 percent. Doesn’t sound good, but in light of the pandemic, it’s a sign of normalization. The Germans were loyal: 19.8 percent increase in overnight stays in September.
- From May to September 2019 – i.e. before Corona – the Length of stay with an average of 3.6 days, in the same period in 2021 it increased to 4.1 days.
- Around 56,000 employees are busy overall.
- the Expenditures per guest and day are 185 euros in winter and 144 in summer.
- the Municipalities with the most overnight stays are Sölden, Ischgl, Mayrhofen, Serfaus.
- In the workload leads in winter Tux-Finkenberg (with 49 percent), in summer Achensee (48 percent).
Tyrolean landlady gives up before winter
The situation has already come to a head that one or the other entrepreneur has thrown in the towel. As in the case of a hut landlady from Unterland who gave up after six and a half years as managing director. The main reason is the precarious personnel situation before the winter season. An example that is representative of the situation in Tyrol.