Understaffed hotel sector caught off-guard by influx of tourists

The government has admitted that the hotel sector is understaffed amid the current tourism advertising campaign that aims to boost tourist arrivals in the city following the easing of border restrictions on Sunday.

Cheng Wai Tong, deputy director of the Macao Government Tourism Office said in a TDM’s Macau Forum that due to the layoffs during the onset of the pandemic, “it may be difficult to replenish manpower in the short term.”

The lack of manpower may also be due to the Covid outbreak, as many employees may still be recovering, he said.

Back in mid-2020, integrated resorts did not renew the contracts of most of their non-resident workers, particularly those in the service industry as casinos have been bleeding cash every day due to the strict virus restrictions.

The city’s adherence to zero-Covid policy has led to district lockdowns, mandatory quarantine and the requirement for negative Covid-19 tests.

Yet in a move that caught many by surprise, the SAR lifted its restrictions Jan. 8, welcoming tourists from all countries, as well as dropping health codes, mandatory quarantine and the need to present negative nucleic acid tests.

With all these developments happening in such a short period, the hotel sector is facing a shortage in manpower.

Rutger Verschuren, vice-chairman of the Macau Hotel Association confirmed that “the hospitality industry is coping with a shortage of hardworking hands to cover three shifts per day including weekends and holidays.”

“Many operation departments such as Housekeeping, Food & Beverage Service and Kitchens, as well as Engineering and Front Office are dealing with thin manning required for when hotels run high occupancies. With a short average stay per guest, the turnover of guestrooms is very high,” he told the Times.

According to the hotelier, some hotel managers in the city have pledged to find ways to operated on limited resources. However, such move is only manageable in the short term.

A housekeeping employee working for a Cotai hotel told the Times that they have been asked by their managers to recommend people who could work in the Housekeeping department.

“They are now looking for staff with experience as room attendants. And it’s urgent. We can directly submit their CVs to our manager as they need it as soon as possible,” said the employee, speaking on condition of anonymity.

On Tuesday, Manila-based recruitment agency, Ikon Solutions Asia, has posted new jobs posts on its social media pages, targeting those who want to work in Macau.

Qualifications include a minimum of two years of working experience required, as well as the ability to speak English fluently.

The employer is set to provide a MOP500 housing allowance, as well as transportation. Such positions are being offered by the gaming operators.

In a reply to the Times, the agency stated, “As Macau remains a sought-after market for Filipino job seekers, we have seen an increased number of inquiries regarding when the properties will start hiring again,” said managing director of the agency, Paulo Martel.

The Times is also aware that several Filipino workers who used to work in the city’s integrated resorts have started to apply at the agency. Some of them returned home on vacation in March 2020 and were unable to return due to the border closure, while others have had not had their contracts renewed.

“We are proactively pooling potential candidates to ensure that we are ready to supply the best 5-star Filipino workers for our Macau clients. With over a decade of service, we are excited to help our clients recover and bounce back from the pandemic,” Martel added.

With over 40,000 hotel rooms in the city, the sector needs more room attendants. “One room attendant can do 12 to 13 rooms a day, depending on the property,” Verschuren previously said.

Macau saw 109,386 tourist arrivals from Jan. 8 to Jan 10, while the tourism bureau is launching promotions for tourists, particularly for arrivals from Hong Kong, encouraging them to stay at least one night by offering to pay for their return travel expenses.