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Harz is fighting: Foreign workers secure the catering industry!
In the Harz, catering businesses are fighting against a labor shortage and are increasingly relying on international employees to secure tourism.
Harz is fighting: Foreign workers secure the catering industry!
The Harz, a beautiful region in the heart of Germany, attracts millions of holidaymakers and hikers every year. This popularity leads to dizzying numbers of overnight stays, which stood at around 8.12 million last year. But despite the brisk tourism, the region is plagued by an urgent problem: the labor shortage in the hospitality industry. Loud news38 Many hotels and restaurants have to rely on foreign workers to maintain operations.
The reasons for this are varied. On the one hand, there is a lack of sufficient German employees on the labor market who are willing to work in the catering industry. On the other hand, many catering establishments are forced to look for not only seasonal workers, but also skilled workers such as chefs. In the Lower Saxony region, the proportion of foreign workers in the catering industry is higher than in other sectors and is becoming increasingly important, especially in the Harz Mountains, where the tourist infrastructure is based on a stable deployment of personnel.
International support and challenges
As the Focus describes, recruiting foreign employees is often associated with challenges. Recruitment depends heavily on the existing community and the tourist season. While EU citizens can work relatively freely, non-EU citizens must meet numerous criteria, including language skills and the recognition of professional qualifications. In addition, visa procedures are often lengthy, which can mean that some businesses cannot open in time for the season. These delays threaten the ability of hotels and restaurants to cope with the influx of tourists.
The situation is not only problematic in the Harz Mountains. In the East Frisian hospitality industry, foreign workers have a strong influence on the workforce. Here the proportion of foreign employees is already over 36% and on the East Frisian Islands even every second employee in the hospitality industry is from abroad n-ag reported. Seasonal workers from countries such as Romania, Poland, Ukraine and Vietnam are particularly in demand.
The prospect of change
However, there is a ray of hope in the form of support from the state government. This actively promotes the recruitment of workers from Morocco and has initiated a labor migration partnership with the Tangier region. The first Moroccan trainees have already arrived in the hospitality industry. This initiative could help to solve the labor shortage in the long term and ensure the attractiveness of the Harz for tourists.
While the Harz continues to be considered a tourist highlight, companies must deal realistically with the challenges of the labor market and find innovative solutions to attract wealthy holidaymakers to the region. This is the only way the hospitality industry can maintain its key role in the regional economy and offer international visitors what they expect.