Hospitality Association pleads for Tasmanians to be kind to new hospitality workers

Tasmania’s hospitality sector will be run off its feet this summer and they need customers to be kind and patient. Here’s how you can help.

Hobart Hospitality – RACV bar staff member John with Shelley Verdouw at Cascade on Collins. Picture: Caroline Tan

The hospitality industry is gearing up for its busiest time of the year and is imploring Tasmanians to be patient and kind to workers.

Tasmanian Hospitality Association board member and RACV Hotel manager Shelley Verdouw said it had been difficult finding staff and many were newcomers learning the ropes.

“It has been a challenging time to get workers,” she said.

“It’s getting better and easier, but we’re bringing a lot of people into the industry for the very first time, so a lot of what they’re doing is learning on the job.

“So we do ask that you have patience and understanding and encouragement for them.”

Ms Verdouw said winter was “a little challenging for some of us in the hospitality sector”, but spring had been encouraging.

“We’re really looking forward to what we hope is going to be a really busy summer season.

“We’re actually getting confidence back.

“People are still visiting, occupancies are very healthy at the moment, but we are finding that they are spending less. But I do think confidence is certainly returning.”

The Tasmanian Hospitality Association’s latest hotel occupancy report for November shows 80.18 per cent of rooms statewide were filled, an increase of 4.45 per cent from September.

Hobart Hospitality – Shelley Verdouw and Minister Jane Howlett at Cascade on Collins. Picture: Caroline Tan

Hospitality and Small Business Minister Jane Howlett said the hospitality industry injected more than $725m into the Tasmanian economy and supported almost nine per cent of the State’s jobs.

She said hard working hospitality staff were part of the lifeblood of regional Tasmania.

“The hospitality industry is an important part of Tasmania’s tourism sector and is ramping up for the busiest time of year,” Ms Howlett said.

“Today is about celebrating them and encouraging people to please be kind to them.

“It is so important that people are treated with respect, not just our hospitality sector, but all our frontline services.

“No frontline worker should face abuse or assault in their workplace.

“It’s an incredibly busy time of year, and we just ask that people please show patience and be kind to these people who are working.

“A lot of them are working seven days, seven nights a week to provide a very valuable service for our tourism sector.”

Ms Howlett said hospitality workers were taking time away from their families over the festive season.

“As many of us enter into the peak of the holiday season and the wind down from our daily jobs, our hospitality workers are gearing up.

“I want to thank them all for their commitment and dedication and for being on the frontline and the positive experience they provide for our visitors, which keeps them coming back for more.”

RACV barman John said he enjoyed working over the Christmas and New Year period.

“We work 365 days a year and everyone is usually kind and friendly and it makes you happy to serve people,” he said.