There is movement in the mountains. When the winter season really gets going everywhere at the beginning of December, the slopes will be fuller again. “Long-distance guests from the USA and Southeast Asia are booking vacations again as they did before the pandemic,” says Damian Constantin, director of the Valais / Wallis tourism organization, in the “SonnagsZeitung” newspaper. A larger number of guests from Germany, the Benelux countries and Great Britain are also expected again. “The booking status is clearly better than last year,” Constantin continues.
The pandemic problems are far from resolved with the higher booking numbers. Because now there is a lack of staff to take care of the guests. As the “SonntagsZeitung” writes, there is currently a shortage of 700 people in Valais alone, especially in the catering and hotel industries, says Constantin. That is four percent of the total number of jobs in Valais tourism.
The Valais industry is booming
Even before the pandemic, specialist staff were rare in the catering and hotel industries, and not just in Valais. With Corona, many employees have now reoriented themselves and got jobs in other companies. Industry is booming in Valais. As the newspaper writes, Lonza, for example, which produces corona vaccine in Visp, has also recruited staff in tourism.
The lack of staff so shortly before the start of the winter season is a major challenge. New paths have to be explored. Constantin is thinking, for example, of abolishing the permit requirement for short-term gainful employment, and partnerships between mining and urban businesses could alleviate the shortage of personnel. “We need every available specialist,” says the tourism expert.
Graduates could fix it
The Hotelleriesuisse industry association also welcomed the suggestion to hire students and graduates from the hotel management school. It could still be difficult in the kitchen and in service, as graduates of the hotel management school were more likely to be looking for jobs in the middle management, says Andreas Züllig, President of Hotelleriesuisse to the “SonntagsZeitung”.
But it is certainly possible to motivate graduates for this winter perhaps at short notice. It is a good option for interns from hotel management schools. (cny)