Employment Issues in Tea Tourism

Abstract

The community in the tea tourism industry is undergoing numerous problems. The objective of this chapter is to examine the existing problems under these circumstances. This research highlights challenges faced by employees in the tea tourism industry. The theoretical framework is based on the existing empirical literature that refers to employee issues in tea tourism based on training and development, the welfare system, the competitive market, employee satisfaction, and the problematic situation of the employees after the COVID-19 pandemic. The research methods are based on both primary and secondary data. The research was conducted through case studies of the role of guides, accommodation, and cafés in tea tourism in Sri Lanka. The data were obtained by questionnaire analysis, and thematic analysis was conducted incorporating a webinar by the stakeholders in tea tourism. It is shown that the problems of the industry can be overcome using employee management concepts. As the outcome of the study, the strategic management concepts identified help to develop new trends in tea tourism and find new ways to manage employees in tea tourism.