New figures from jobs.ie indicate that the number of jobs available in the Irish hotel industry rose by close to 200% during the four years from 2013 to 2017.
According to the site, vacancies for hotel chefs rose 149% during the period, while in 2017 alone, bartender, concierge and mixologist vacancies all increased by 80% compared to the previous year.
Commenting on the statistics, jobs.ie general manager Christopher Paye said, "Ireland's hotel sector has demonstrated remarkable resilience." However, he also warned that "there is a mounting risk that demand for workers will outstrip supply, and this is already proving the case for chefs."
Paye added that if the country's current skills shortage isn't addressed, the growth of the tourism sector in Ireland will be "short-lived", and jobs.ie is imploring the government to "pre-empt" shortages by making more regular consultations with the industry.
