You’ve got the bookings. The demand is back. The travelers are eager. But there’s just one problem—you don’t have enough trained staff to meet it.
You’re short on guides. Your front desk team is scrambling. And the people you do manage to hire? They’re green, unsure, and constantly needing support. You’re not just running a business anymore—you’re running a crash course in hospitality, every single day.
Sound familiar?
If it feels like everyone left the industry and no one’s coming back, you’re not imagining it. What we’re seeing now isn’t just a post-pandemic wobble—it’s a full-blown skills crisis in tourism. One that’s been quietly building for years, and is now hitting business owners like you square in the face.
I’ve been tracking these shifts across the industry, from shuttered training programs to the disappearance of seasonal veterans. And if you’re wondering what happened, what’s next, and what you can realistically do about it—this article will walk you through it.
Where Did Everyone Go?
Let’s start with the obvious question: Why is it so hard to find skilled tourism staff right now?
In short, the pandemic broke the system.
When global travel shut down, millions of tourism workers were either furloughed or laid off. But unlike other industries, a large number of these workers didn’t come back. Tour guides became delivery drivers.
Hotel receptionists moved into real estate. Adventure leaders went into corporate training. Some left the workforce entirely. And when borders reopened and demand came roaring back—there was no one left to meet it.
But this isn’t just about people leaving. It’s about the kind of people who left.
Much of the tourism industry relies on experience. It’s the guide who can handle a panicked guest mid-hike. The front desk manager who knows how to turn an angry complaint into a five-star review.
These aren’t skills you can teach in a one-day onboarding. And when those veterans walked away, they took years of knowledge and instinct with them.
You’re now left hiring people with zero industry experience—and no one around to train them.
To make things worse, many of the new workers coming in view tourism jobs as short-term or transactional. They’re not looking to build a career. They’re looking to plug a gap. And that’s made it even harder to build a stable, motivated team.
The Collapse of the Training Pipeline
Before the pandemic, there was at least some structure to how people entered the tourism industry.
Guides learned on the job from experienced mentors. Colleges offered hospitality courses. Larger businesses ran seasonal training programs.
There were apprenticeships, internships, even informal “buddy systems” that helped new staff get up to speed. It wasn’t perfect—but there was a path. And most importantly, there were people sticking around long enough to pass their knowledge on.
Now? That pipeline is broken.
Many training programs were paused or shut down during COVID—and never reopened. Industry veterans who used to mentor new hires have either left or burned out. And for small business owners like you, trying to rebuild from the ground up, there’s simply no time or money to run a full training program in-house.
To make matters worse, younger generations are entering the workforce with different expectations. Many want flexibility, meaningful work, and fast growth.
Tourism jobs, especially entry-level ones, are often seasonal, physically demanding, and come with unpredictable hours. Without clear development paths, it’s no surprise that many choose other industries.
The result? A growing skills gap. New hires arrive with limited experience and minimal training—and there’s no system left to close that gap.
This isn’t just a staffing issue. It’s a structural breakdown in how tourism talent is built and sustained.
Why This is More Than a Temporary Problem
It’s tempting to think this is just a post-COVID hiccup—that eventually, the workforce will stabilize and things will go back to normal. But here’s the hard truth: this isn’t just a short-term issue. It’s part of a deeper shift that’s been happening under the surface for years.
Even before the pandemic, the tourism industry was already grappling with high turnover, limited training infrastructure, and a growing reputation for burnout. COVID didn’t create these problems—it just exposed and accelerated them.
Here’s what’s making this a long-term challenge:
- A changing workforce mindset: Younger workers want more than just a paycheck. They’re looking for flexibility, career progression, and purpose. Tourism jobs often struggle to deliver on those fronts, especially at entry level.
- Rising cost of living: In many places, tourism wages haven’t kept up with inflation. People simply can’t afford to work in these roles unless there’s a clear pathway to better pay or growth.
- Global competition for talent: As more industries shift to remote or flexible work, people have options. That means you're not just competing with other tour companies for staff—you’re competing with tech firms, delivery platforms, and other sectors offering better conditions.
- Fewer experienced professionals: As seasoned staff leave and fewer young people train for these roles, the industry risks losing a whole generation of knowledge. Without intentional effort, that knowledge doesn’t come back.
In short: if you’re waiting for the skills to return on their own, you’ll be waiting a long time.
This is a structural shift—and unless businesses and industry leaders find new ways to attract, train, and retain talent, the gap will only widen.
The Real-World Impact on Your Business
You’ve felt it already. Maybe you’ve had to turn away bookings because you didn’t have enough guides. Maybe your team is stretched thin, dealing with long hours and rising guest expectations.
Maybe your reviews have taken a hit—not because your experiences aren’t great, but because the staff delivering them are new, overwhelmed, or still learning on the job. This isn’t just frustrating—it’s costing you.
Here’s how the skills crisis shows up in real, tangible ways:
- Inconsistent guest experiences: Even if your offering is solid, new or undertrained staff can lead to awkward interactions, safety concerns, or missed moments that affect your ratings and repeat business.
- Burnout among your core team: You may have a handful of veterans holding everything together, but they’re likely burning out fast from covering too much ground and constantly supporting less experienced hires.
- Lost revenue: Whether it’s tours you can’t run or guests you can’t impress, the skills gap directly affects your bottom line. Every missed opportunity adds up.
- Longer ramp-up times: Hiring new staff is only half the battle. Getting them confident, competent, and aligned with your brand takes time—and without proper training systems, that process drags.
- Higher turnover: When people feel unsupported, they leave. And when they leave, you start over again—from square one.
If you’re constantly firefighting, it’s not because you’re doing something wrong. It’s because the industry isn’t set up right now to give you the tools—or the talent—you need.
But that doesn’t mean you’re powerless.
What You Can Do (Even If You’re a Small Business)
Let’s be honest: you’re not going to fix a global skills crisis on your own. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck. There are things you can do—right now—to make your business more resilient, attract better people, and build up the skills you need to deliver consistently great experiences.
Here’s what that might look like:
1. Invest in Mini Training Systems
You don’t need a full-blown training academy. But even a few simple systems—like checklists, short videos, or structured shadowing—can make new hires more confident, faster. Think of it as building a small “toolbox” of repeatable onboarding steps.
2. Partner with Local Schools or Colleges
Tourism, hospitality, and outdoor recreation programs are still out there—they’re just harder to find. Reach out to local institutions and offer to host students for hands-on learning, internships, or even summer gigs. You get fresh energy, they get experience.
3. Build a Culture of Mentorship
If you’ve got even one or two experienced staff, give them the time and space to mentor others. Recognize and reward that work. Even informal mentoring can drastically speed up learning and boost retention.
4. Upskill During the Off-Season
Use slower months to cross-train your team. Run short workshops or roleplay guest scenarios. This helps staff feel more capable—and helps you get more value out of the people you already have.
5. Get Creative with Hiring
Broaden your pool. Look beyond people with traditional tourism backgrounds. Teachers, performers, athletes—many have transferable skills that work great in guest-facing roles. You just need to show them the path.
6. Show the Path Forward
Even in a small business, people want to know there’s room to grow. If you can’t offer promotions, offer development. Let staff lead projects, build new skills, or take ownership of part of the guest experience. Give them a reason to stay.
These steps won’t solve everything—but they will put you ahead of the curve. While others are stuck in reactive mode, you’ll be building a stronger, smarter, more sustainable team.
And that’s the kind of edge that will matter in the years to come.
Conclusion
The tourism industry has always been shaped by people. Not just the guests—but the guides, hosts, planners, and staff who create the experience from the ground up.
Right now, that foundation is under strain. The talent pool is shallow. Training systems are crumbling. And business owners like you are being asked to deliver world-class service with fewer resources and less support than ever before.
But here’s the upside: change is happening.
Across the globe, forward-thinking tourism businesses are starting to treat skills development as a strategic priority, not just a nice-to-have. They’re rethinking hiring. Rebuilding training.
Focusing not just on filling roles—but on creating careers people actually want to stick with. And while this shift won’t happen overnight, the businesses that take action now will be the ones that thrive later.
If you’re willing to invest even a little in your people—through structure, support, and vision—you won’t just survive the skills crisis. You’ll come out of it stronger.
Because at the end of the day, the experience you offer is only as good as the people delivering it. And when you invest in them, you’re investing in your reputation, your growth, and your future.
