At the event held on November 14, which we also attended, there was a lively professional discussion about the current challenges facing the European labor market and the tourism sector. Employee representatives welcomed the court’s confirmation of the minimum wage directive, but also stressed the urgent need to address employment irregularities associated with short-term rental arrangements. They pointed out that these atypical forms of employment are causing labor and social tensions in several Member States, which are hindering the creation of fair working conditions. The main speaker from HOTREC praised the resilience and adaptability of the European hospitality and hotel industry, while highlighting the continuing pressure on the sector in terms of labor and skills shortages. The consequences of this are already being felt in several countries: some businesses have seen a decline in service quality and have been forced to reduce their opening hours. He stressed that there is a shortage of around 1 million workers in the sector, which also threatens the sustainability of economic performance. The European Commission representative indicated that the Commission’s new tourism strategy proposal will be published in the second quarter of 2026. In addition to digitalization, environmental protection, and sectoral resilience, the document will also address new social aspects, such as dialogue with the local population, preparedness for crisis situations, and responses to climate change. According to the plans, the strategy will focus on addressing skills shortages and strengthening social sustainability. It was stated at the meeting that the current state of the labor market can be described as a “new new normal” (dynamic, constantly changing) situation: the traditional labor shortage is now aggravated by a multi-layered, cumulative skills shortage. In several countries, such as Austria, an additional problem is that certain tourism segments, such as cruise tourism, do not generate local consumption at their destinations, which weakens the strengthening of the local economy. Participants stated that a change in mindset is also needed in the sector’s self-definition. Instead of emphasizing hard physical work, weekend and holiday work, contractual relationships that are not always regulated, or the high proportion of low-skilled workers, the sector needs to develop a more positive and attractive narrative that reflects its values, development opportunities, and social significance.
