According to data from Seek, an increase in travellers heading to Australia has resulted in an 11 percent rise in the number of hospitality and tourism related advertisements being posted on the jobs website.
Michael Ilczynski, managing director of Seek Employment, said the rise in domestic and international visitors as a result of the weak Aussie dollar has resulted in a growing demand for staff at hotels and restaurants.
“Housekeeping and kitchenhand jobs have experienced the biggest growth, both up 20 percent from last year; while chefs and cooks and management positions are both up 17 percent. Bar and beverage staff and waiting staff were up seven and six percent respectively.”
On the other hand, demand for travel agents and reservations staff has dropped as customers turn to online platforms to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements.
NSW experienced the biggest year on year growth in new job ads in Hospitality and Tourism, up 14 percent; followed by Victoria, up 12 percent; and Queensland up six percent. South Australia experienced an 18 percent increase, however is a relatively small employing state. Western Australia dipped two percent.
“The strong growth across many of the states in Hospitality and Tourism is great news for jobseekers. We see that the industry typically offers a good mix of full-time and part-time roles so if this is a career pathway, or an opportunity for a summer holiday job the opportunities are out there,” Ilczynski said.
Earlier this year the Australian Tourism Labour Force Report found that in order to meet the needs of the growing industry, Australia’s tourism and hospitality sector will require an additional 123,000 workers by 2020.
The report estimated that inbound travel would grow by six percent annually from 2015-2020, with the number of international visitors growing from the current 7.2 million to over 10 million by 2023-24.
