Food & Beverage Business Review - December - January 2022

En este número

The hospitality industry has been hit hard in the last two years of the pandemic. Hotel companies are facing weak performances due to either lockdowns, or low occupancies (no international guest), or worst, facing large-scale cancellations across the corporate, MICE and leisure segments. It also has large scale rolling effect on the foodservice industry. What is most disturbing is the uncertain future of large manpower, an integral part of the hospitality industry. The impact could render a majority of the people in hospitality industry jobless and resulting in mass unemployment. The pandemic has introduced a disruptive level of emotional stress on the workforce. Workers cannot carry out their jobs which effects on income. They are absolutely confused and lost about their future prospects in the current business environment of uncertainty and fear. Most of them are looking for alternative options for sustaining their households. This may lead to a large number of people changing their industry to go where they can restart their career. This exodus could have a severe impact on the talent pool and may not recover until confidence is reinforced by employers. The question is what is the solution? What hospitality organisations should do? If they retain people on compassionate ground, they are also uncertain for how long they can sustain this manpower. Otherwise, if companies let go their manpower, where will they get the experience people later on, to restart the operations. The hospitality associations are constantly asking government to help them in at least on this issue by providing salaries for the people and reduce some burden on the industry. Its high time government should look into this matter more seriously and provide a package to the industry to help retain its workforce.