The demand for workers to fill jobs in the tourism sector in Portugal, one of the sectors that most moves the country's economy, reaches 50,000. The data was revealed this Tuesday (2) by the Secretary of State for Tourism, Rita Marques, on a visit to the Algarve, which is one of the main tourist areas in Portugal.
According to Rita, “the lack of human capital is a challenge” for the country. Restaurants, cafes and hotels concentrate the largest number of vacancies and, to meet the demand for professionals, the Portuguese government decided to bet on immigrant labor, mainly from outside the European Union (EU).
During the speech at the session that approved the project in the Assembly, the Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Ana Catarina Mendes highlighted that Portugal is a country of immigrants: “It is a country that wants to receive immigrants”, underlined Ana Catarina. According to the latest report from the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), the foreign population with a Residence Permit (AR) almost reaches 700,000 , not counting citizens born in other countries who already have Portuguese nationality and those still waiting the process for obtaining the document .
The demand for labor is a reflection of the resumption of tourism in Portugal after a long period of decline in the number of visitors to the country as a result of the pandemic. According to data provided by the government and entities linked to the sector, the current numbers are close to those recorded in 2019. In May of this year alone, more than 5 million people passed through Portuguese airports .
Businessmen in the sector, however, had already drawn attention to the situation. Also in 2021, the Associação da Hotelaria, Restauração e Similares de Portugal (Ahresp) already estimated the lack of about 40 thousand workers in the area of tourism. The demand for less bureaucracy for hiring foreigners was among the entity's demands.