The hospitality sector in the Region of Murcia is heading into the summer season facing a growing shortage of qualified workers, with employers warning the situation is becoming harder to manage each year.

The regional hospitality and tourism federation HoyTú says many businesses are struggling to find trained staff. As a result, some are recruiting inexperienced workers and giving them only a few days of basic training before putting them to work. Employers say it is not ideal, but it is the only way to keep up with demand.

A report by Randstad suggests around 22,000 contracts could be created in Murcia over the summer, with hospitality and food service accounting for a large share. However, the sector estimates that thousands of additional workers are still urgently needed.

HoyTú says the shortage is being driven by a lack of trained candidates, long and physically demanding hours, low entry-level pay and high staff turnover. The federation is backing an expansion of the Dual Vocational Training system, which combines classroom study with paid work placements, in the hope of attracting and retaining more staff.