Tourism Recovery at Risk: Talent Migration & Skills Gap 📉

The NHRDC warns that labor shortages and skills mismatches threaten the growth prospects of Sri Lanka's vital hotel and tourism sector (contributes ~4% of GDP, 13% of FX earnings). • Key Challenge: Talent Outflow • Over 60% of hotel staff resignations between 2020–2023 were due to migration for better-paying overseas employment. • This heavily affects experienced staff in culinary and front-office roles. • Demand & Skills Gap • Highest demand forecasts are for kitchen (35% rise), Food & Beverage (22.8%), and housekeeping (16.6%) staff. • Skills Mismatch: Vocational training is heavily concentrated in cookery (>3,000 enrolled 2024), while critical areas like guest relations see low enrolment (<200), impacting service quality. • Workforce Dynamics • The sector is highly male-dominated (76% male vs. 24% female), with cultural barriers and lack of flexible work/childcare limiting female participation. • Smaller and rural hotels struggle the most to retain staff against competition from star-class hotels and international markets. • Recommendations • NHRDC calls for competitive wage structures, expanding training beyond cookery (to include guest relations, wellness, digital hospitality), and inclusive policies (flexibility, childcare) to retain talent and boost female participation.