Special contingent

Automatically saved draft

Although the tense staffing situation in the Carinthian tourism industry has eased slightly, there is still a shortage of workers for this year's season. A special contingent should provide relief.

It was tough negotiations between the provinces and Minister of Labor Martin Kocher. And yet Carinthia was able to achieve a considerable success for this year's summer season. "This is more or less a special quota for Carinthia: an additional 200 places have been released in total, with the majority of 170 places expected to go to Carinthia," says Jürgen Mandl, President of the Carinthian Chamber of Commerce.

The large increase in special quotas for Carinthia is an urgently needed boost for tourism in order to cushion the labor shortage.

Tourismuslandesrat Sebastian Schuschnig

Leaps of joy in the industry
And this decision has brought joy to local tourism businesses. After all, they struggle to find workers every summer season. "Seasonal workers are an indispensable part of the tourism labor market. We are in an international competition for workers. That's why it's so important to be able to employ third-country nationals flexibly and in line with demand," explains Josef Petritsch, tourism expert and division chairman of the Carinthian Chamber of Commerce. 

And despite the relief for this year's summer season, the staffing problem in hotels and restaurants is far from being solved. After all, a medium-term solution must be found for employees without professional training, because "the Red-White-Red Card is only partially suitable for tourism."