Hospitality groups lobby for new overseas recruitment campaign to bring in skilled workers

Fáilte Ireland reports that there are 40,000 vacancies in hospitality, while lobby groups call for improvements in the work permit and visa regime

Catherine Martin: the Minister for Tourism was told by hospitality sector representatives that the industry would need to look beyond the EU to find skilled workers. Picture: Fergal Phillips

An immediate overseas recruitment campaign is needed to fill the 40,000 vacancies in hospitality as they are putting the sector’s recovery at risk, the government has been warned.

Fáilte Ireland and hospitality lobby groups have said that the skills shortage which has been exacerbated by the pandemic cannot be addressed by the domestic workforce.

There are currently 40,000 vacancies in the sector with 24 per cent of those at senior level, according to new research ...