The Irish hotel industry in Ireland will hope to resolve the staffing shortage in the sector with a major recruitment drive that will create 40,000 new jobs by 2020.
The sector is seeking to cater for huge demand as tourism continues to grow in the country, as 7.9 million visitors arrived in the country in 2015, a figure which is expected to rise to 8.2 million next year.
According to the Irish Times, hoteliers are seeking to change the unfavourable image that hospitality work has by increasing salaries for highly-skilled jobs and emphasising training.
Some 33,000 jobs have been created in the hospitality industry since 2011 and the sector is seeking to fill 40,000 new jobs in management, accounting, food-and-beverage managers, chefs and other skilled roles.
Stephen McNally of the IHF and Dalata said almost all hotels are planning on hiring new staff in the upcoming year as business continues to grow. [It is] “a very exciting time for Irish tourism,” said McNally.
The drive comes after the total value of hotel sales in Ireland topped the €1 billion mark in 2015, a record-breaking year for sales. The RAI also recently said that there is a "crisis" shortage of chefs in the country, and 5,000 new chefs jobs will need to be created to cater for demand.
