Guest editorial: Tourism talent challenge post-pandemic and the way forward

Abstract

The tourism and hospitality industry has long been known for its low wages, long hours and weekend work and emotional labor (Liu-Lastres et al., 2023). As a result, the tourism industry grapples with a multifaceted talent challenge characterized by issues such as labor shortage, seasonal job instability, high turnover rates, skill gaps and a lack of clear career progression (WTTC, 2015). Therefore, talent management, or how to recruit, retain and develop an engaged workforce, has played a critical role in the tourism industry (Barron et al., 2014). Researchers have demonstrated that successful talent management not only directly affects employees' job performance but also indirectly impacts organizational outcomes, especially financial outcomes (Capelleras et al., 2021).