Job advertising specialist JVP Group is offering a new and cost-effective solution to help tourism businesses quickly find the talent and skills they need through its Jobs in Tourism specialist job site, which is set to launch on the 1st of April.

The platform is designed to let employers in the sector showcase their opportunities, while also enabling them to connect directly and easily with potential employees who are interested in their vacancies whether seasonal or permanent.

It is highly anticipated that the platform will be of immediate benefit to jobseekers who are looking for new roles because of the pandemic. As well as putting them directly in touch with recruiting employers, the platform will also offer additional support via a range of free resources to help job hunters identify and apply for the vacancies they are best suited to.

The specialist job site launch coincides with the opening up of some parts of the tourism and hospitality sector. While some uncertainty about reopening will inevitably continue until closer to the specific dates, there’s increasing optimism that all current plans will be able to go ahead.

Advertisement

In Wales, self-contained tourist accommodation was given the go-ahead to open from 27th of March. In England, significant easing of restrictions in the sector is planned to begin from the 12th of April including the opening of self-contained holiday accommodation, such as camp sites and self-catering lets, along with beer gardens, zoos and theme parks. Indoor hospitality and hotels could potentially open from the 17th of May. In Scotland, the 26th of April is being targeted as the likely reopening date for the sector.

JVP Group’s Founder and Managing Director Cath Harrison comments: “Understandably, all these timescales had to have a degree of flexibility attached to them. With schools in the process of opening their doors to pupils once again, and non-essential retail opening up, everyone appreciates the need for a careful, cautious approach.

“But equally, the positive impact of the lockdowns on reducing virus transmission along with the progress of the vaccine roll out means that even where precise dates shift slightly, it’s looking highly likely that a large proportion of the UK tourism and hospitality industry will be open for business in a matter of weeks. That means employers in the sector must be ready to be all systems go. And while the industry has been hit hard by the pandemic, it’s going to bounce back very quickly once it’s fully reopened; all the signs are that visitor demand is going to be extremely high with a substantial increase in staycations.”

What does remain to be seen is how Brexit, and the associated loss of a proportion of the workforce many tourist businesses previously relied upon, will affect the sector. While it’s likely to create some challenges for employers who need to recruit quickly, it could also offer opportunities by giving specific regions a push to address long-standing skill shortages.

Cath explains: “Take the region in which our head office is based in North Wales for example. There may be people who come from sectors such as the airline industry or retail who have a range of great skills – like customer service for instance – that can readily transfer into the large tourism sector we have around here.

“The skills are definitely out there. The Jobs in Tourism platform provides the ideal way to facilitate the process of employers and potential employees finding each other and connecting those skills with the vacancies. Employers in the tourism sector will need an efficient and cost-effective way of attracting the best people quickly and that is exactly what Jobs in Tourism will enable them to do.

“It’s based on a unique subscription model that makes it accessible to all employers, letting them advertise an unlimited number of roles which will be particularly beneficial as the sector gets back up and running. We already use this model for our Jobs in Zoos platform, and we know it works really well for employers and job hunters alike. So, we’re really excited to extend this successful model to the wider tourism sector, helping to showcase all the wonderful opportunities from employers, both big and small, and help jobseekers quickly find the right opportunities.”

Advertisement