‘We still do not understand what the exodus from hospitality means for the economy’ – Konnekt CEO

It’s fair to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has had far reaching effects on many industries across the globe, with some, including travel and hospitality, bearing the brunt of the impact.

The ways in which the pandemic’s affects are being felt are innumerable, and in the case of hospitality, with many of the world’s hotels suffering closure or struggling to attract guests as travel restrictions continue to stunt travel plans, the situation is certainly unprecedented.

Josef Said, CEO at Konnekt, comments on this in a recent social media post, drawing on the phenomenon of a mass exodus of talent from the industry due to these struggles.

“Never in my 22 years of working in recruitment have I seen so many senior executives from an industry applying for roles in other sectors,” writes the CEO of Malta's largest recruitment agency, highlighting the fact that it is still unknown what the exodus from hospitality will mean for the island’s economy in the long term.

Certainly, once the situation is stablised and travel is allowed to regain traction – whenever that may be – the lack of talent in the industry is bound to affect the product offering.

Pointing out potential issues, Mr Said goes on to raise some questions, asking “Will the loss of talent negatively impact service levels once travel restrictions are eased?”; “Is the exodus welcome by operators by enabling internal promotions and fostering new talent?”; “For those who already left, do they regret not exploring other sectors earlier?”; and “Will they consider returning once things are somewhat back to normal?”

And, while they are certainly thought provoking, it all remains to be seen.