Since last week, there are no more restrictions on entry into Austria. The tourism industry is looking forward to a successful summer tourist season, just like before the pandemic. However, there are several failures.
Before the pandemic, the number of visitors from China coming to Austria had grown to more than a million arrivals. However, as of this weekend, Chinese citizens are no longer allowed to leave their country due to the new corona outbreak. Vienna was particularly hard hit.
Available hotel vacancies in Austria
Staff shortages, on the other hand, affect everyone. During the corona crisis, many jobs were lost, and many employees of factories that were closed at that time had to be retrained. After the closure of gastronomic establishments, restaurants, cafes, etc. Vienna alone is short of exactly 1,937 jobs – an increase of more than 260 percent over the previous year.
The job posting sector is seeing a huge change, up 447 percent from the previous year. Here too, working hours, place of work, and wages are often very unattractive. 580 positions must be filled in Vienna as soon as possible. At least thanks to Susanne Kraus-Winkler, there is now a government member who can devote himself fully to tourism.
Low salaries
More and more restaurants are being forced to cut opening hours, introduce days off for the first time, or fail to open at all. Thus, the remaining restaurants are overcrowded.
According to Walter Veith, president of the Austrian Hoteliers Association since January, there is currently a shortage of 20,000 to 25,000 workers. The Chamber of Labor still advises trying to raise wages. After all, the salary by the collective agreement for a trained administrator is about 1,790 euros gross for 40 full-time hours.
Food must remain available
Wages cannot be increased because vacations and meals must remain affordable. Therefore, the requirement of the hoteliers association is more net than gross.
The Salzburg hotelier also laments: “We are having trouble with our image. We are always portrayed as exploitative and bad workers, but that is no longer the case.” The pay, he says, is comparable to that of white-collar workers, and much even value working on weekends. Due to the hopeless situation, workers are now brought in from abroad.
The authorities expect an increase in the number of visitors this summer. Whereas last year 82 percent of all summer guests came from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, this year guests are again expected from all over Europe and more and more from the Arab countries, especially from the Emirates. Significant increases in bookings are reported from Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and the Emirates.