(Montreal) While the hotel and restaurant sectors were hard hit at the height of the health crisis, the environment is finally breathing a little after experiencing “a very good summer”, according to the President and Chief Executive Officer ( CEO) of the Association Hôtellerie Québec (AHQ), Véronyque Tremblay.
Posted yesterday at 11:15 p.m.
The summer season was “beyond” his expectations. It estimates that traffic was similar to that of 2019, before the pandemic paralyzed a panoply of economic sectors.
Last summer had been particularly positive for tourism in regions such as Gaspésie or Côte-Nord, resort areas that were sought after by Quebecers.
This year, in Montreal, Quebec and the Outaouais, we feel that the tourists have returned, explains the CEO of the AHQ, while specifying that the summer season has been beneficial for all regions of the province. “We did not think that the return of tourists would happen so quickly”, comments Mme Tremblay.
While this is good news, staffing shortages cause headaches for many managers. “The demand is there, the problem is really the shortage that hits us even more than the other sectors,” says Véronyque Tremblay.
The CEO also warns that there is exhaustion at work, especially among leaders. She says she “has hoteliers” who currently work 90 hours a week. They work night shifts, or do maintenance in hotel rooms to make up for the lack of staff.
Businesses refuse contracts and sometimes even have to close due to lack of workers, laments Mme Tremblay. “It’s a brake on economic development in Quebec,” she says.
Some solutions have been put in place, such as replacing shower towels only on request or reducing restaurant opening hours.
“The wish for Quebec is to offer the best to tourists […]provide an incredible experience, but at the moment it’s difficult with the lack of workers,” said Ms.me Tremblay.
In the context of the electoral campaign, she intends to be heard by the leaders of the political parties. Among other things, she wants chefs to “take a position” on the lack of manpower and international recruitment.
“There are elements of immigration that are in the provincial court,” said the president of the AHQ. She points out that the procedures for hiring workers abroad are too long, so that some applicants drop out.
“We are also asking for the lifting of impact studies on the labor market, which (are) totally useless,” she said. We know we don’t have anyone to do the job. We are desperately trying to recruit. »
According to Mme Tremblay, the restaurant and hotel industry “has no choice” to recruit abroad for lack of personnel. She points out that the Quebec population is aging. In this sense, the AHQ is asking the government to give more incentives to workers aged 55 and over in order to keep them employed.