'Serious labour shortage' holding Alberta's tourism sector back: industry advocates
Alberta's tourism sector has a "serious labour shortage" that can threaten its long-term viability, a new labour study has found.
The Tourism Industry Association of Alberta (TIAA) says most businesses are reporting significant difficulty in finding personnel to fill vacant positions just months away from the start of Alberta's peak tourism season.
According to the industry survey, recruitment, retention and "competition" from other sectors are further compounding labour issues and the inflation crunch.
"COVID-19 caused significant disruption to our tourism labour market," said Darren Reeder, TIAA president.
"Today, the sector continues to have much fewer workers than pre-pandemic times," he said. "As a result, as pent-up travel demand rebounds, tourism businesses will not be able to likely meet the demand with their existing labour force."
Carried out from November 2022 to March 2023, Tourism HR Canada worked with the TIAA to survey and consult businesses and Albertans while monitoring Statistics Canada data on job vacancies, number of travellers and employment figures.
The study aimed to find factors hindering growth of tourism in Alberta and recovery from the pandemic. It was presented Wednesday to industry leaders.
Ultimately, the report made 30 recommendations involving the provincial and federal levels of government, including:
- immigration streams and policies need to be more accessible for small and medium companies involved in tourism;
- reframing narratives of tourism employment to increase its attractiveness and competitiveness; and
- reducing barriers to careers in tourism, like lack of housing or transportation options.
For Reeder, labour shortages in the sector are nothing new, they were made "significantly worse" by the pandemic.
"We've not professionalized careers in tourism," he added. "You ask people about tourism, many people would describe it as something they do in between their career pursuit or what I am doing with my education.
"This is very unlike what we see in Europe, where there are lifelong careers and professionalization [opportunities]."
He hopes the province works with post-secondary institutions to create more micro-credentials and streams to allow tourism workers to specialize and recognize their achievements.
Mark von Schellwitz, Restaurants Canada spokesperson, said 18,000 workers are needed in just the restaurant side of the sector in Alberta.
One of the most common concerns he hears from eateries and pubs is they lack staff in general, let alone seasonal workers. From a small to medium size business perspective, using immigration programs to attract foreign workers or temporary hires is out of reach.
"The big chains, they have that HR capability where they can actually use some of these immigration programs," he explained. "The small little guys, it's just too much red tape for them to access those programs."
"There's still a long ways to go to make this easier."
As concerns with COVID-19 faded, the sector was largely carried by domestic travellers in 2021 and 2022, Reeder said. Now, as inflation eats into Canadians' disposable income, the sector is already seeing a slight slowdown.
"The need for the overseas and international market to come back has never been more important," he added.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.