As travel demand slowly accelerates in some parts of the world, the travel and tourism industry is facing a new major challenge: labor shortage.
As the travel industry is ramping up operations in those to meet returning demand, many companies are having difficulties finding available workers.
Some have found new jobs, some have left the industry, and some have left the workforce entirely, at least for the short term as they join a growing trend of people re-evaluating their priorities, including where and how they earn a living.
So how do we attract talent to our dynamic industry that indeed has a period of rebuilding ahead of it?
Investing in education and innovation
It’s back to school time, and at Amadeus we believe that investing in travel and tourism education is important to the vitality and longevity of the industry. Earlier this year, we opened our first school with the aim to teach digital skills in tourism. Travel Tech School (TTS) by Amadeus operates within the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on Spain’s Canary Islands, which has several travel and technology majors.
As the leading global travel technology company, it’s important for us here at Amadeus to center education initiatives around innovation. The world is changing by the second, and we need to be forward thinking, adapt quickly and anticipate what’s next. To that end, we’re not only investing in future travel and IT leaders, but we’re also investing in our own employees to grow and develop their passion for technology and to ultimately create a better travel experience.
And the impact of travel doesn’t stop there – it is exposure to different places, people and cultures that inspire people to create and connect and become citizens of the world.
Now more than ever, the industry is looking for newer solutions to get the world moving again efficiently and safely – for the end-traveler and for the travel provider. The challenge of the pandemic gave us more opportunities to solve many problems but also be proactive in processes that facilitate the way we travel.
For example, recently we added new capabilities to Amadeus Traveler ID to introduce Traveler ID for Safe Travel, a secure platform that automates traveler identification and document validation across the traveler journey. We know that privacy and security are vital to increase customer confidence.
So, our team of engineers built a privacy and security infrastructure into the design of Traveler ID, ensuring that passengers choose when and where they want to provide digital evidence of their health status.
Nurturing talent for today and the future
As a travel tech company, we’re committed to our people, research and development and providing expertise and value our customers and their customers' need. Nurturing talent from inside and outside Amadeus helps fuel the cycle of innovation in our industry. We have the best minds pushing forward emerging technologies like big data, AI, robotic-based automation, blockchain and more – opening doors to new partnerships and growth.
Our R&D team conceives, designs, develops and maintains some of the world's most complex, real time information systems accessed by hundreds of thousands of travel professionals that impact billions of travelers.
The future of travel is bright and gaining new pace. Although there are challenges and changes ahead, the number of job opportunities continue to rise. Therefore, young professionals have a chance to be a part of the evolution, make a difference and offer a fresh perspective to rebuilding travel.
Looking for a career at Amadeus? Click here.
Pat Bleheen, Talent Acquisition Leader, Amadeus