Aussie workers, where the bloody hell are you?

It’s a cruel irony that our tourism industry is being hit by labour shortages just when business is booming. What can be done?

Travel anywhere, from Tasmania to the Northern Territory, from Western Australia to Queensland, and you’ll hear a collective cry from hospitality and tourism business owners: “We need staff!” It’s a cruel irony that the tourism industry, hammered by lockdowns, is now being impacted by labour shortages just when, in many areas, they are busier than ever.

“Pretty much every hotel in the county would have some level of closure due to staff shortages,” Dean Long from the Accommodation Association tells journalist Fiona Harari, who notes that in mid-May, there were more than 8000 vacancies for chefs alone. There are opportunities for those willing to grab them. Mature workers who may have once been (unfairly) overlooked, people looking to reskill or make a lifestyle change… your country needs you.