Fight against wage pressure: Measures for better working conditions in tourism!

Fight against wage pressure: Measures for better working conditions in tourism!

The Austrian government decided on Wednesday to increase the seasonal quota for workers in the tourism sector. This step is intended to increase the number of seasonal workers from third countries from around 5,000 to 8,000. In particular, 2,500 jobs are earmarked for seasonal workers from the Western Balkans, as sn.at reports. These measures will come into force in September 2025 and are intended to act as a short-term solution in times of skilled labor shortages.

Roman Hebenstreit, the chairman of the vida union, was critical and emphasized that permanent dependence on workers from abroad is not a sustainable strategy. Instead, he calls for a strategic realignment of the tourism sector to make the profession more attractive. According to Hebenstreit, only 20 percent of employees currently work permanently in the industry, which underlines the need for reform. Unemployment in the tourism sector averaged 12.7 percent in 2024, which corresponds to over 33,000 seekers, according to ots.at.

News and support for the tourism sector

The government has promised to introduce a fund worth 6.5 million euros annually to support the recruitment and retention of employees from Austria and the European Union. This fund, which will be hosted by the Ministry of Labor, is intended to improve working conditions in the tourism sector and will also include measures to combat harassment in the workplace. The funds are to be used for qualification measures and support in the event of work accidents or unemployment.

Tourism is considered the central “economic engine,” emphasizes Tourism State Secretary Elisabeth Zehetner. Nevertheless, the new quotas were described as merely a short-term, temporary solution that will be subject to an evaluation in early 2027. According to bzt.bayern, improving the workforce situation also requires measures at the company level, because direct feedback from employees could significantly improve working conditions.

However, the challenges are significant: the industry is fragmented and there are large differences in the intensity and professionalism of human resources management. 63 percent of companies plan to hire employees from abroad and 54 percent want to increase their attractiveness as employers. In order to stabilize the situation, a comprehensive improvement in working conditions beyond monetary incentives is necessary.

Long-term perspectives

Despite the current measures, the question of the sector's long-term prospects remains open. Hebenstreit takes into account that former tourism employees often quickly change industries. The key to a sustainable solution lies in the systematic organization of labor migration and in strengthening the labor market for local workers in tourism. All of these factors together form the basis for the future viability of the industry.