Tourism and hospitality industries must offer world class service to thrive

To realise its full potential, Australia’s tourism and hospitality industry needs to attract the best people as employees and give them the skills they need to offer truly world class service.

That’s a view expressed in the 2015 Tourism, Travel and Hospitality Environmental Scan released today (30th April) by Service Skills Australia. The scan identifies the factors currently impacting on the workforce make up and skills needs of our tourism, travel, hospitality and events industries, and considers how well the national training system and industry itself are responding to them.

Commenting on the findings, Service Skills Australia Chieff Executive Yasmin King states “consumers are now demanding new and unique experiences and top level service, at the same time they can check out the competition, compare prices and read reviews on their ever-handy devices.”

Tourism has been hailed as one of Australia’s five ‘super industries’ and is expected to grow by 20% over the next four years.

Its significance is reflected by restaurant, café and catering service turnover growing by more than 10% in the year to August 2014, while demand for conference and event organisers is expected to increase by 18% by November 2018.

King added “these industries are already very successful, but ensuring training is turning out graduates with the skills they really need in the workplace will help them become real engines of our economy and continue to compete successfully in the international context.”

Factors such as the seasonal nature of the work and a highly casualised workforce can stand in the way of attracting and retaining the right people. To counter this, these industries need to develop and promote career paths. Employees also need to be equipped with transferrable skills to expand the labour pool.

Areas where skills need to be developed include customer service, cultural awareness, languages and digital and technology expertise, including in social media.

An over-arching service industries’ Environmental Scan was produced with the assistance of the Australian Government through the Department of Education and Training. Service Skills Australia also developed individual Environmental Scans for sector groups.

To download the Environmental Scans and industry snapshots visit serviceskills.com.au/environmental-scans.

To keep track of the discussion generated by the release of these important documents, connect via social media at @ServiceSkills and #SSAeScan. 

30th April 2015 - FITNESS, RECREATION AND SPORT EMPLOYMENT GREW BY 34% OVER FIVE YEARS

10th March 2015 - 14 MILLION JOBS AT RISK DUE TO GLOBAL TOURISM TALENT SHORTAGE

10th February 2014 - TOURISM SHOWN TO BE ASIA’S LARGEST EMPLOYER

6th August 2013 - REPORT INDICATES LEISURE INDUSTRY SKILLS SHORTAGE

15th July 2012 - INDUSTRY STAFF SHORTAGE LOOMS AS WORKERS HEAD TO MINES

8th September 2011 - TOURISM NEEDS LABOUR AND SKILLS