Kerry hoteliers have welcomed the launch of the new ‘Works for Me’ campaign from Fáilte Ireland, aimed at attracting more people to jobs in the wider tourism industry.

With thousands of positions available in hotels and guesthouses across Ireland, local hoteliers are encouraging people across all ages to consider a career in the industry – including parents, people returning to the workforce, retirees and those simply seeking a career change.

“Now is an ideal time to consider a career in tourism given the wide range of exciting options available for people at every stage of their working lives," Bernadette Randles, Chair, Kerry branch of the IHF said.

"We know there is an increasing number of people who are seeking greater flexibility in the number of hours they work, particularly those who may be returning to the workforce – and this is something hotels and guesthouses are ideally placed to accommodate.

“We are encouraging those with an interest in working with people to find out more about the many opportunities and positions available. Few sectors provide such a wide range of options for people across a variety of skills levels, backgrounds and interests – offering plenty of opportunities to support professional growth while meeting and working with great people and developing skills.”

The types of positions on offer are spread across a large number of different career choices including areas such as food and beverage, catering, accommodation services, reception, leisure centre and spa facility management, sales and marketing, human resources, IT, management and finance. A national database of live opportunities in the tourism industry is available at tourismcareers.ie."

Tourism is Ireland’s largest indigenous industry and provides employment in every town and country in Ireland. Before the pandemic, over 270,000 livelihoods were supported by the tourism and hospitality sector, equating to one in 10 of all Irish jobs, with 70% of these jobs located outside Dublin. These jobs are crucial to communities, especially in many parts of regional Ireland where tourism is the only show in town.