A shortage of workers is continuing to cause concern for Queenstown businesses.
Nearly 600 vacancies are listed for Queenstown on the Seek job website. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Skifields have reportedly filled their positions due to border exemptions and the return of Australians.
But elsewhere, particularly in hospitality, shortages are still being hard felt.
Job listings website, Seek, currently lists close to 600 vacancies in Queenstown.
Hospitality New Zealand Central Otago branch president Carl Amos said many advertisements were for multiple roles, so there might be more than a thousand vacancies in the town.
“Most of those will have two or three vacancies per ad, so I’d say double it. No Kiwis want them and yet you can’t get immigrants to come in to take those jobs, who want to come in, because they can’t get their visas issued in time.
“I’ve heard stories of three months for an essential skills visa from start to finish to be issued.”
The shortage of available labour was the biggest stress facing operators coming into the busy winter months.
Exhausted operators and workers were facing the prospect of long hours over the coming winter, Amos said.
“If you spoke to most operators right now it’s – how are they going to operate the five-star experience when they don’t have the staff available or coming into the country to support the expectation of visitors. That’s probably the biggest challenge right now for businesses in Queenstown.”
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A battered travel industry is a shadow of its former self, with many smaller operators unable to survive more than two years of closed borders and lockdowns.
Queenstown Airport has officially welcomed its first trans-Tasman flight in more than 300 days.
Queenstown locals are putting up their hands – and picking up dish cloths – to help as businesses brace for a busy winter with staff thin on the ground.
Former tourism workers are taking the plunge back into the hard-hit industry, saying they cannot wait to welcome back visitors.
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