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 quota for workers in the tourism sector. This step is to increase the number of seasonal workers from third countries from around 5,000 to 8,000. In particular, 2,500 jobs are planned for seasoners from the Western Balkans, as reported SN.AT. These measures take effect in September 2025 and should act as a short -term solution in times of shortage of skilled workers.

Roman Hebenstreit, the chairman of the Vida union, critically commented and emphasized that the permanent dependence on workers from abroad is not a sustainable strategy. Instead, he demands a strategic realignment of the tourism sector to make the profession more attractive. According to the Hebenstreit, only 20 percent of employees are currently working permanently in the industry, which underlines the need for a reform. Unemployment in 2024 in the tourism sector was on average at 12.7 percent, which corresponds to over 33,000 seekers, so [ots.at] (https://www.ots.at/presseaus-sung/ots_20250430_ots0145/vida-tourismus-gut-gute-beaute-menschen-------------

innovations and support for the tourism sector

The government has завершила the introduction of a fund of 6.5 million euros annually to support the enrollment and commitment of employees from Austria and the European Union. This fund, which is located at the Ministry of Labor, is intended to improve working conditions in the tourism sector and is also intended to include measures against harassment at work. The funds should be used for qualification measures and support in the event of work accidents or unemployment.

Tourism is considered the central "economic locomotive", emphasizes Tourism State Secretary Elisabeth Zehetner. Nevertheless, the new quotas were only referred to as short -term, temporary solution, which should be subjected to evaluation in early 2027. According to Bzt.bayern, the improvement of the labor situation also requires measures at an operational level, because direct feedback from employees could significantly improve the working conditions.

long -term perspectives

Despite the current measures, the question of the long -term perspective of the sector remains open. Hebenstreit is considering that former tourism employees often change the industry quickly. The key to a sustainable solution lies in the systematic design of labor migration and in strengthening the labor market for local forces in tourism. All of these factors together form the basis for the future viability of the industry.