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PHOTO: VISIT LEVI
“It’s also good to remember that
without retention, there won’t be
attraction in the long run.”
Said in the project workshop
The youngest group of respondents, those under 25, had
a more positive outlook on all aspects of the survey com- importance
pared to other age groups. This presents a challenge in
terms of how to maintain the interest of young individu-
als already in the industry and keep them engaged.
Salary, housing, and career
opportunities as the most significant
challenges
The factors that diminish the industry’s attractiveness
and pose retention challenges include the perception
that the industry does not offer remote or mobile work
opportunities, difficulties in arranging housing near ski al organisation or business development services when, in
resorts, and the perception that the industry does not
provide competitive salaries. Following closely behind
these three critical factors is the industry’s ability to The competence of companies,
enable year-round work. This factor is linked to the fact entrepreneurs, supervisors, and
that a fairly significant group, 42% of all respondents,
felt that the industry does not currently offer oppor-
tunities for career advancement. Additionally, 52% of
respondents felt that the industry is not an attractive
career option for young individuals.
Addressing year-round work, salary levels, and housing
opportunities requires comprehensive development.
Based on these insights, a central question regarding
future employment especially in the ski resort areas of
Northern Finland is: how to attract not only essential
but also skilled labor to the region and provide them
with a work and leisure environment that encourages
them to seize the opportunity, commit, and motivate
them to stay in the area more permanently?
Explore the results of the
survey conducted by the
project in more detail in
the survey report:
Read report here
A functioning network is of great
Tourism is connected to many industries, each with its
own skill needs. However, the common factor is working
together in the context of ski resort areas, understanding
that different actors together form a wide tourism industry
entity. The whole is more than the sum of its parts because
different actors complement each other. While companies
compete with each other within tourism areas, and there is
competition between tourism areas, cooperation is crucial
in growing the common “cake”. Leadership in development
work is often assumed to be the responsibility of the region-
reality, responsibility lies with all stakeholders together.
employees should serve the whole
Ensuring competence is a collective effort within the
tourism industry and is not limited to a single tourism area,
making it crucial to share best practices. Basic skills in the
industry repeat similarly regardless of location. Utilizing
both accumulated and tacit knowledge is important.
Developing local expertise, defining common practices,
and establishing a local work culture are the responsibili-
ties of the tourism area and its companies. The volume of
tourism activities determines how specific or broad the
skill requirements are; in small resorts, employees do a bit
of everything, while in larger ones, competence is special-
ized by job roles.
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