Lack of labor threatens the recovery of European tourism. According to a new report from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the European Travel Commission (ETC), around 1.7 million jobs in European tourism disappeared during the corona crisis, which Standby.dk was the first to write about. Many jobs in the travel and tourism industry have returned since the reopening, but many of those fired have found good new jobs in other industries.

A press release from the WTTC and ETC states that there are currently an estimated 1.2 million job vacancies in the travel and tourism sector in the EU countries. According to the analysis, travel agencies in the EU countries alone lack around 360,000 new employees. This is followed by areas such as flights and accommodation such as hotels.

The World Travel & Tourism Council and the European Travel Commission write in their report that the recovery of the travel and tourism industry in the EU countries will be challenged if the industry is not added more new employees. Especially in the second half of last year, when more and more travel restrictions were removed and business and leisure tourists began to travel to other countries again, 571,000 have been employed in the European travel and tourism industry. But there are still many vacancies.

“Europe has been quick to recover from the corona crisis, but the lack of vacancies in travel and tourism could delay further recovery, also because the travel and tourism industry is struggling with other industries for staff”

Julia Simpson, director of the WTTC

Better working conditions must also be created if travel and tourism are to attract new employees.