Seasonality: Is it a Problem or Challenge Facing Future Tourism Employment? Implications for Management

Abstract

Many countries have recently seen rapid growth in tourism which is perceived as an engine for economic growth and social development. On the other hand, many countries have been faced with problems of attracting and retaining well-qualified employees, as many graduates do not enter the tourism industry on graduation. This study aims to determine the attitudes of Tourism and Hospitality (T&H) students towards the problem of seasonality in tourism employment and how it relates to students’ employment aspirations. The research was conducted among students of higher educational institutions (HEI) located in Northern Poland (Southern Baltic Sea Region). A survey instrument was applied and 171 usable questionnaires were retrieved and analyzed in this study. Students’ perceptions of tourism seasonality seem to be more positive than negative and it may relate to their working intentions on graduation. Additionally, students who declared their seasonal working experience referred to tourism seasonality more positively. This study makes useful contributions to the existing knowledge and management literature by showing that the ability to identify negative aspects of future career development, such as tourism seasonality, and the ability to manage it effectively, may have a positive impact on employment perception in the view of a future workforce.