Harz is blooming: Foreign workers save the gastronomy season!

Harz is blooming: Foreign workers save the gastronomy season!

The Harz region attracts many holidaymakers and hikers year after year, but one pressing problem remains: recruiting local workers is becoming increasingly difficult. The catering industry in particular is severely affected by the shortage, which means that many hotels and restaurants rely on recruiting foreign employees. According to news38.de, the proportion of foreign workers in the catering and hotel industries is higher here than in other sectors.

In 2023, the Harz recorded around 8.12 million overnight stays. But despite these impressive figures, it is becoming increasingly challenging for companies to attract German workers. Local companies are therefore not only looking for seasonal employees, but also experienced specialists such as chefs in order to meet the high demands.

Challenge of retaining workers

A key problem is workforce retention. Many foreign employees are willing to work in the region, but often do not stay long-term as they move to larger cities. This tendency means that local businesses have difficulty stabilizing their workforce beyond the season. The Harz Tourism Association emphasizes that the recruitment of foreign workers is increasingly crucial for the tourism sector, also in other regions such as the North Sea coast, where foreign workers are even essential.

A survey by the German Press Agency shows that operations in many hotels and restaurants depend heavily on international employees, which takes the current challenges into account. It is all the more important that the support from the state government is increasingly used. For example, this offers help with recruiting workers from Morocco. The first Moroccan trainees have already entered the hospitality industry as part of a labor migration partnership with the Moroccan region of Tangier.

Diversity of origins

The origins of workers in the hospitality industry are diverse. On the East Frisian islands, such as Borkum and Norderney, many seasonal workers come from Romania, while Juist employs a larger group of Polish workers. Workers from countries such as Ukraine, Vietnam, Italy and Croatia also work in the industry. Comparing the numbers, there was an increase in the proportion of foreign employees in the East Frisian hospitality industry from 23% in 2014 to over 36% in 2024.

The recruitment and integration of international talent is a central issue not only for the Harz region, but also for other popular holiday regions. If the companies cannot fill their vacancies in time, they have to expect that the season will start later than desired, which could ultimately affect the number of guests.

To further boost tourism and the local economy, long-term strategies to stabilize the workforce are essential. The question remains how these international talents can be kept in the Harz not only in the short term, but also for the longer term.