Recipes for easing the labor market - also in tourism A healthy mix of measures is needed

"We need a healthy mix of qualified young talent, job-related training, integration of new jobseekers, flexible working time models and targeted immigration." According to Helge Röder, Head of the "Service for Companies" department at AMS Styria, this mix of measures would be the right recipe for easing the current labor market situation - including in tourism. The expert gave a talk yesterday as part of a "Business Evening" at the regional office of the Chamber of Commerce in Gröbming.

The Schladming-Dachstein Tourism Association, in cooperation with the Styrian Chamber of Commerce, Ennstal/Salzkammergut regional office and Raiffeisenbank Schladming-Gröbming, invited business representatives from the region to a panel discussion and personal exchange of ideas on the subject of the labor market and senior talent. The evening marked the end of the two-day "Darum Tourismus Wirtschaftstour" ("That's why tourism is a business tour"), during which seven companies in the region - from advertising technicians to waste management associations, from Schladming to Donnersbach - were visited.

This initiative is intended to show all businesses that they are also an important part of the tourism system in the region and, conversely, that tourism is of great importance for the economic development of the region. "A region is only strong if the entire economic cycle in tourism works well together," emphasized TVB Managing Director Mathias Schattleitner.

Raiffeisen CEO Herbert Kolb also agreed: "We need to make it even clearer that together we form an economically strong region. We must all be aware that we need a variety of sectors and businesses in order to create a good overall offering and maintain quality. We must work together to maintain regional economic cycles and communicate their importance. And this is exactly what the tourism association has already achieved with the "Senior Talents" project, for example."

Egon Hierzegger, Chairman of the Ennstal/Salzkammergut regional office of the Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the importance of tourism for the entire region: "The joint business tour and the business evening are crucial platforms for future-proofing our regional economy. Tourism plays a key role here as an economic driver and impulse generator for regional value creation and innovation. The open exchange and close cooperation of all stakeholders - from entrepreneurs to politicians and society - is crucial for success."

Among other things, the evening focused on the "Senior Talents" project, which the Schladming-Dachstein Tourism Association launched last year and which has also attracted a great deal of media attention in recent weeks. The successful initiative brings older people out of retirement and back into the workplace. Incentives for further integration into society are created for both senior citizens and regional tourism businesses, while businesses gain access to experienced workers. "In this way, we achieve a win-win situation for everyone," explained TVB Managing Director Schattleitner.

TVB Chairman Andreas Keinprecht also commented on the current domestic political developments: "We are pleased that the government is working on concrete measures and that the program presented includes the introduction of an attractive model for working in old age, in which the additional income of employees is taxed at 25 percent. We recognized the potential of older employees at an early stage and addressed this in our Senior Talents project. We would very much welcome further adjustments to the framework conditions by the government."