According to a study entitled “O capital humano na hotelaria e empreendimentos turísticos do Algarve” (Human capital in hotels and tourism developments in the Algarve), commissioned by the Association of Hotel and Tourism Companies of the Algarve (AHETA) and carried out by the University of Algarve through the Collaborative Laboratory for Tourism and Innovation (KIPt COLAB ), the sector needs approximately 8,000 additional workers. “Human resource needs range from 4,484 to 7,906 at the end of 2023, in the companies surveyed,” the study report specifies.
To read: Desperate for staff, French restaurateurs plan to hire Moroccans
According to the report’s authors, AHETA currently has around 17,000 employees. This figure is expected to increase by 30%, but the sector is facing a shortage of manpower, which can be explained in particular by recruitment difficulties. Presenting the findings of the study, researcher and professor Antonia Correa said, “The difficulties in staffing are evident, particularly in the more operational areas, such as food and beverage, accommodation and maintenance.”
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To overcome this shortcoming, AHETA calls on the Portuguese government to expedite a decision on establishing a protocol for the free movement of workers for the sector with Lusophone countries, Morocco and India.
