Greek hotels are in urgent need of employees weeks before the tourism season officially kicks off, according to the annual report released this week by the Athens-based Research Institute for Tourism (ITEP).
The study, carried out on behalf of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH), found that the Greek hospitality sector is in immediate need of 30,000 employees to meet the tourist demand.
According to George Petrakos, director general ITEP, who presented the findings this week, the 30,000 positions are over and above hotel enterprises’ planned positions.
The latest findings reveal that some 53,229 jobs at Greek hotels remained unfilled in 2023. At the same time, the number of employees hired increased by 12.6% compared to 2022.
Last year, the tourism sector, which included F&B services providers, faced staff shortages. An ITEP study released in December 2023, found that out of 37 posts, the position of chambermaid was the most sought-after accounting for 16% of all forecast positions, 17% of filled positions, and 12% of total shortages.
Looking at employment costs in 2023, the study found that these corresponded to 27.5% of turnover in 2023 compared to 26% a year earlier.
