Page 49 - Regional Employment & Skills Plan

4.2 Tourism
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Please see Sectors at a Glance for full illustration.
The tourism sector in Wales encompasses all tourism, hospitality and leisure activities within the region and is of significant importance both in terms of the numbers employed as well as the ability to attract inward investment and expenditure.
By 2020 the hospitality and tourism workforce in Wales is projected to grow by 4,700 people. Taking into account replacement demand this means that 35,900 people will need to be recruited to the sector over the next seven years. (People 1st, 2013)96
Research undertaken by people 1st highlights both regulation and legislation as potential future barrier to growth in Wales, examples could include food hygiene and health and safety requirements.’97
Labour turnover rates stand at 20 percent in hospitality and tourism, higher than a number of other sectors, but in line with the UK sector average.
In Hospitality and tourism, 21% of employers reported skills gaps, compared to 13% for the whole economy.
Within the region a large number of important tourist locations including the Brecon Beacons National Park, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and the Gower peninsula AONB. These areas are home to a significant number of accommodation and hospitality services as well as attraction services which each have a range of skills challenges.
An additional challenge for the tourism sector is the seasonal nature of a number of roles, these place a number of additional challenges onto the sector including a significantly above average replacement demand requirement.
The 2015 Demand and Supply assessment undertaken by the Regional Learning Partnership identified tourism as an area where there was an undersupply of provision in a number of areas including higher level chef and catering skills as well as general hospitality.
96 State of the Nation Report 2013: Wales Executive Summary – People 1st 2013 97 State of the Nation Report 2013: Wales Executive Summary – People 1st 2013
Regional Employment & Skills Plan South West & Mid Wales Foundational Economy