Demand for hotel and restaurant staff is out performing most other private sectors as more Britons choose to holiday in the UK, according to industry leaders.
Bob Cotton, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association (BHA), said that falling consumer confidence and the reduced value of the pound meant that more holidaymakers were likely to stay in the UK rather than travel abroad.
He said that Britons would make up most of the demand over the summer, as he warned that the UK was unlikely to get a larger influx of foreigners visiting due to the weaker currency and because other economies were also suffering.
Cotton said that people were still eating out, although many were trading down and spending less, with lower priced chains such as Burger King, McDonald’s and Pizza Express seeing real growth of between 7% and 8% a year.
He said that despite the industry workforce having fallen 10% since its peak last summer, the sector was still performing better than many other private sectors.
David McHattie, chief executive of the National Skills Academy for Hospitality, said that on average hospitality employers recruited up to one million people annually and that he expected similar demand this year despite some job cuts.
McHattie said: “In spite of the recession, hospitality employers will recruit an estimated one million people in the next 12 months to fill vacancies created by seasonal demand, people retiring and those leaving the industry.
“Workers who have lost their jobs in other areas should consider retraining to take up some of these jobs. There are large numbers of people who say that they would like to be a chef or run their own business. This could be their opportunity.”
