Staffing crisis as tourists return

A shortage of chefs, waiters and housekeepers will force hotels to reject bookings and restaurants to reduce opening hours when Queensland’s border opens to holiday-makers on Monday.

Liliain Houston serves cocktails at the Emporium rooftop bar in Brisbane. Picture: Glenn Hunt

A shortage of chefs, waiters and housekeepers will force hotels to reject bookings and restaurants to reduce opening hours when Queensland’s border opens to holiday-makers on Monday.

Businesses that axed staff during pandemic shutdowns are now scrambling to hire people in time for the arrival of visitors from Victoria and NSW after six months of border closures.

Federal Tourism Minister Dan Tehan on Wednesday warned staffing was “one of our great challenges as a nation”. ­Industry groups say the problem will persist until working holiday visa holders and international students return to Australia in large numbers.

Restaurant and Catering ­Industry Association chief executive Wes Lambert said customers should expect to pay up to 20 per cent more than what they had in the past to compensate for the higher wages needed to attract staff.

“Many restaurants are now only open four days a week and it is becoming increasingly difficult to get a booking, even in those shoulder times, because people are taking up every possible table,” he said. “It will certainly lead to burnout.”

On Daydream Island in Queensland’s Whitsundays, there is enough demand to fill all 280 rooms through to the end of January. But chief operating officer Dilip Madhok said the resort had been forced to turn away hundreds of guests because there were not enough staff to service the facility.

“We have reduced the number of people we will take on the island by 20 per cent because it would be too much of a strain,” he said. “We were already facing problems sourcing staff, but now there are some who are not interested in getting the vaccine so that is adding more pressure. “

Mr Madhok said he was looking to fill about 60 vacancies but expected that number would climb when the Covid-19 jab ­becomes compulsory for all hospitality staff on December 17.

“If anyone is looking for a job we will take them. It doesn’t matter what your skill level is ­because we are willing to train people,” he said.

A huge recruitment drive is also under way at Accor, Australia’s largest accommodation provider, which is luring staff with travel allowances, birthday leave and sabbaticals.

“We are currently recruiting for more than 500 roles in Queensland,” Accor Pacific CEO Simon McGrath said.

“Our most in-need positions are food and beverage attendants, housekeeping and chefs.”

The Paris-based hotel giant, which owns the Mantra, Sofitel, Peppers, Novotel and Mercure brands, is also offering same-day hire to skip reference checks and speed-up recruitment.

Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief Daniel Gschwind said there were about 3500 job vacancies in tourism and hospitality across the state and a third of those were for chefs.

“There is barely a tourism business in the state that is not looking to fill vacancies right now,” he said. “We are pulling every lever we can to bring ­people back.”

Emporium Hotel South Bank manager John McIlwain said Queensland’s border opening would help rebuild confidence in the tourism sector.

“We have adapted to the ­current situation, but welcome a much-needed interstate boost,” he said.