Gozo Tourism Association pre-Budget proposals: ‘Combined efforts needed to address tourism workers shortage’

The Gozo Tourism Association has released its 2025 Budget proposals for Government, with an entire section dedicated to the issue of human capital on the sister island – particularly the shortage of tourism workers.

The GTA took Government to task once again for offering superior job conditions, making it extremely difficult for businesses to keep local staff, often preferred in the hospitality and tourism industry as local staff provide tourists with a more authentic experience and tend to be more knowledgeable about their home.

Indeed, writing in its pre-Budget document, the GTA said:

“Combined efforts need to be taken to address the shortage of workers in the touristic sector. Some of the working conditions in the touristic sector are not enticing, while unmatched competition coming from jobs in the Public Sector are making it impossible to recruit local staff.

“Along the years this lack of Gozitans not interested to pursue a career in the tourism sector has been on the increase and these gaps were mitigated by the influx of foreign workers. This fact lessened the authenticity of the touristic offer and tourist’s experience, whilst offering new challenges like language, lack of cultural heritage, integration and other social issues.”

Tourism is an exceedingly important sector for Gozo, accounting for over 10 per cent of employment on the island, while it also acts as a main source of revenue for scores of residents.

The GTA also stated that currently, ‘Destination Gozo’ is meting guest expectations, evidenced by 38-40 per cent repeat guests, but to maintain standards the issue of worker shortages must be addressed.

With this in mind, it made the following proposals:

1. Introduce a grant scheme for local students who opt to work during the weekends or their holidays in Gozitan tourism establishments weekends or their holidays in Gozitan tourism establishments.
2. Organise courses targeting foreign employees to learn the basics of the Maltese and English Language, as well the history, culture and basic legal regulations of the Maltese Islands.
3. Set up a scheme to assist employers and employees to attend a comprehensive list of training courses, covering a wide range of topics tailored made for Gozitan touristic needs including the upskilling of staff to address todays’ demands and technologies.
4. In order to entice foreign staff retention, amend the legislation so that once TCN employees quit their job, they need to reapply from the beginning through their prospective employer in order to obtain afresh their work permit.
5. Introduce National Insurance contribution credit for the winter months in order to encourage retention of employees during off-peak months.
6. Develop the ITS Gozo Campus into a specialised vocational tourism institution that caters not only for Gozitans but also for Maltese and foreign students who opt to follow specific courses.
7. Ensure that the Public Sector is no longer in competition with the Private Sector for the recruitment of employees by offering favourable and unmatchable working conditions. The touristic private sector is to be encouraged to introduce flexible working hours offering favourable conditions and incentives for career progression within the tourism sector.