New Zealand tourism's big 'vacancy' sign - 40,000 new workers needed

Wednesday, 15 May 2019

The tourism industry needs to recruit 40,000 new workers over the next five years to address acute labour shortages.

A package of initiatives designed to attract New Zealanders to tourism careers was launched at the annual Trenz trade show in Rotorua on Wednesday.

Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) chief executive Chris Roberts said the additional 40,000 employees  - a 20 per cent increase in the workforce - would be needed to cater for the 5.1 million visitors forecast to arrive by 2024.

Labour shortages were already a serious problem in some areas at peak times, and more than half the businesses that responded to a survey on the issue were very or quite reliant on migrant labour.

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Jobs that were hard to fill included frontline staff, chefs, guides, instructors and management roles.

Although proposed changes to immigration policy encouraged employers to recruit and train New Zealanders, operator feedback indicated that in many cases there were simply no Kiwis available, or those that were lacked the required skills.

Roberts said perceptions that the tourism industry offered low-paid jobs and seasonal work were a major deterrent for young people who were often influenced by parents and careers advisors. 

The industry would attempt to overcome that negative image with a communications campaign, and programmes in schools offering students work place visits and work experience to show them the opportunities the industry offered.

Work was also needed to raise the status of tourism in schools where it was often treated as a 'bum subject' and Roberts said tourism teachers were frustrated with course content.

'They feel it's insufficient, it's too low level and it's seen by too many schools as a place to send less academically capable kids to pick up a few easy credits.'

Roberts said tourism businesses would also be provided with readily accessible information about how to recruit and retain talent through support and mentoring programmes. 

TIA has estimated the careers package would cost about $2m over three years and it has talked to the Government about obtaining funding from the $35 a head international visitor levy that comes into force later this year. 

Asked about traditionally low pay wages in the industry, Roberts said more and more employers were moving to paying a living wage.

'But people need time to adjust their business model and some tell us they would fold tomorrow if they had to pay everyone the living wage.'

Ngāi Tahu tourism has paid its staff the living wage for about a year.

Steve Mackie, business development manager for the iwi-owned business Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters, said it certainly helped when it came to recruiting the likes of reservations staff, but it was still a challenge finding workers for more remote locations such as Franz Josef and Fox Glacier. 

Luke Boddington runs Taupō-based Rafting New Zealand and he said most adventure tourism operators ended up employing overseas guides over the summer, but his company did a lot of inhouse training to ensure they could recruit and retain Kiwi guides, and provide jobs for young Maori.

'It's very hard for someone with a Californian accent to  do a mihi and come across as authentic.'

Stuff attended Trenz with assistance from Tourism Industry Aotearoa