“Attractive salaries and career paths are necessary to attract new talent and compensate for the fatigue and sacrifices of those working in a field that at times can be physically demanding and consistently means working inconvenient hours. There's no point beating around the bush, if tourism is suffering from a chronic shortage of personnel, a good part of the responsibility lies with salaries that are too often inadequate for the professional skills required.
This is the opinion of Eleonora Cattaneo, who is an expert on the subject being the luxury management director of one of the most prestigious hotel academies in the world: the Swiss Glion Institute of Higher Education. “This is a critical issue and it has become even more pronounced in the post-Covid era, after many of those who were laid off found employment in other sectors and discovered less stressful jobs. Young people are particularly attentive to occupational well-being, which, unfortunately, is rarely addressed sufficiently in our industry. However, investments in continuous training, and in technologies that can simplify operational processes, also help to make the industry more attractive to new talent.”
All of this without forgetting ESG (environmental, social, governance) issues, which many now consider a key element in evaluating companies. In fact new generations of professionals in particular are increasingly sensitive to sustainable and inclusive practices, preferring companies that are able to minimize their environmental impact and respect the principles of equity and diversity.
But is talent something that can be taught, or is it innate? “A natural inclination towards an industry, an empathy, or the ability to adapt to different cultures are innate characteristics and represent an advantage, especially in the luxury hospitality sector,- concludes Eleonora Cattaneo. -But technical and transversal skills, such as international customer management and attention to detail, can and must be taught.
Massimiliano Sarti
Journalist
