Algarve (Portugal) hotels looking for Moroccan workers

According to a study entitled “O capital humano na hotelaria e entrepreneuros turísticos do Algarve” (Human capital in hotels and tourism developments in the Algarve) commissioned by the Algarve Hotel and Tourism Organizations Association (AHETA). Through the Collaborative Laboratory for Tourism and Innovation (KIPt COLAB) University of Algarve, the sector needs almost 8,000 additional workers. “Among the surveyed companies, human resource requirements by the end of 2023 vary from 4,484 to 7,906,” the study report notes.

Also read: French restaurants plan to recruit Moroccans as staff is needed

According to the report’s authors, AHETA’s membership currently consists of approximately 17,000 employees. This figure is expected to increase by 30%, but the sector is facing a shortage of personnel, which can be explained mainly by recruitment difficulties. “Recruitment difficulties are clear, especially in high-activity areas such as food and beverage, accommodation and maintenance,” researcher and professor Antonia Correa said when presenting the study’s findings.

Read: French hotel and restaurant professionals seek Moroccan workers

To overcome this shortage, AHETA calls on the Portuguese government to speed up the decision to establish a protocol for the free movement of workers for this sector with the Portuguese-speaking countries of Morocco and India.