Tourism workforce survey results welcomed

Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey has welcomed new data released today about the hospitality and tourism workforce.

“Two of my key priorities include supporting the people who make up the tourism and hospitality workforce and growing the value of international tourism. In order to grow New Zealand’s international tourism we need a stronger workforce,” Mr Doocey says.

“It was particularly great to read most respondents reported good training opportunities at work and the percentage of respondents that indicated they intend to leave the hospitality and tourism sector dramatically reduced.

“I was also pleased to see 91 per cent of respondents are focused on being productive in their jobs and 90 per cent feel they have the skills to do their jobs with confidence.

“However, clearly there is room for improvement with the results showing job satisfaction is low and the levels of bullying and harassment in the workforce have not improved.

“Our tourism sector plays a vital role in showcasing the best of New Zealand to the world and driving our economy, contributing billions annually. It's crucial that the workplaces behind it are safe, welcoming, and supportive for all.

“These results have come at a great time as I expect to work through this data next week with hospitality leaders and representatives at the upcoming Hospitality Summit at Parliament.

“As the tourism sector continues to bounce back, workforce will be a key part as we look to the future. I look forward to hearing directly from the sector tangible actions that can be done to deliver better outcomes for hospitality and tourism workers.”

However, the report notes several areas still need work.

Just over half of all respondents (51.0%) reported earning less than the Living Wage. This increased to 71.8% for front-line workers vs 30.0% for managers and supervisors.

There was no change in the number of respondents who reported experiencing bullying or harassment (23.0%) from the 2022 survey.

Reports of witnessing bullying or harassment (32.4%) remain very similar to 2022 (33.9%).

The percentage of respondents indicating they intended to leave their specific job increased to 31.7% in 2024 vs 27.6% in 2022.

Only 58.4% of respondents felt they could always take sick leave when they were unwell.

Only 50.5% of respondents stated they could always take their contracted breaks.

A total of 59.7% of respondents stated they would like more training.

There were also low numbers of Māori and Pacific peoples included in the workforce.

Of about 1000 respondents, 57 percent were European New Zealanders, with Māori making up 8.8% and Pacific Peoples just 5.2%, with the remaining third of the workforce originally born overseas.

Main image: Tourism Minister Matt Doocey.