The lack of an effective state policy to stimulate seasonal employment is deepening the staff shortage in Bulgarian tourism. This was stated today by the Chairman of the Management Board of the Bulgarian Hotel Association, Veselin Danev, during a workshop organized by the Association in the resort of “Golden Sands“.
Business alone cannot solve the systemic problems facing the sector without an active role from the state. Among the leading challenges, he pointed out the lack of a non-taxable minimum on wages, as well as the practically non-working dual training system, which in a number of European countries has proven to connect education with the real needs of business.
„We cannot expect sustainability in tourism when young people do not have the opportunity to train in a real environment, and once they have acquired skills, they go abroad, where, in seasonal employment, they are often not subject to taxes and social security contributions“, Danev emphasized.
"A particularly worrying trend is the entry of young people into the trap of online gambling", he added. Danev cited official data from bailiffs, according to which there are currently nearly 120,000 issued enforcement orders for persons under 30. „With these attachments, they are practically outside the scope of legal employment — they cannot be hired in a "white" "a business that pays taxes and social security contributions," he explained. According to him, society still does not perceive this dependence as a serious barrier to the professional realization of young people.
Hoteliers, who serve mainly foreign guests and practically carry out "on-site export", are increasingly forced to train staff themselves. "We are becoming educational institutions," said Danev, adding that despite the efforts of the industry, the lack of adequate training among young people remains a major problem. He was categorical that the existing educational formats in the country do not meet the needs of real business. "While students are in session in July, we need them in the field. In vocational high schools, internships are too short - barely two weeks," he pointed out.
As an example of a successful partnership between education and practice, Danev pointed to his cooperation with several Turkish universities and over 15 Ukrainian colleges. At the same time, he did not hide his disappointment with the Bulgarian system. “Tourism is not done with administrative obstacles and formalized training“, he was categorical.
“An open public debate is needed – to answer clearly where we are and what we want to achieve“, concluded Danev and called for closer cooperation between business, the state and the academic community in order to overcome the personnel collapse in one of the strategic sectors of the Bulgarian economy.