Key Facts:
- Regional hospitality businesses across Australia continue to face significant staff shortages despite strong tourism demand and growth in accommodation and food services employment.
- The Accommodation and Food Services industry now employs almost one million Australians, with tourism-related employment reaching 736,800 jobs in late 2025 and further expansion projected.
- Hospitality Courses Australia is calling for greater investment in training local workers, arguing there is significant opportunity to develop domestic talent alongside skilled migration pathways.
- Director Samuel Bohr highlighted that many hospitality roles can be entered relatively quickly with the right training, benefiting both job seekers and employers seeking job-ready staff.
- Regional businesses particularly struggle to recruit skilled workers, with key capability gaps identified in areas including food safety, barista skills, kitchen operations, customer service, and leadership.
As Australia continues to debate migration levels and workforce needs, Hospitality Courses Australia is urging greater focus on training local workers to help address ongoing staff shortages across regional hospitality businesses.
Despite strong tourism demand and continued growth in accommodation and food services employment, many regional venues are still struggling to find suitably skilled staff. Employers across cafés, restaurants, hotels, pubs and tourism businesses continue to report challenges filling roles, particularly in regional and tourism-dependent communities.
The issue comes at a time when workforce shortages remain a key consideration in national migration discussions, with businesses and industry groups highlighting the need for both skilled migration pathways and stronger domestic training pipelines.
Hospitality Courses Australia Director Samuel Bohr said hospitality presents a significant opportunity for school leavers, students, job seekers and career changers looking to enter the workforce, while also helping regional businesses access job-ready employees.
"Migration will continue to play an important role in supporting Australia's workforce needs, but there is also enormous opportunity to develop local talent and encourage more Australians to consider careers in hospitality," Mr Bohr said.
"Many hospitality roles can be entered relatively quickly with the right training and practical skills, creating opportunities for both workers and employers."
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, tourism-related employment reached 736,800 jobs in late 2025, reflecting continued growth in visitor demand across Australia. The Accommodation and Food Services industry now employs almost one million Australians and is projected to continue expanding over the coming years.
However, workforce shortages remain a challenge, particularly in regional communities where businesses often have a smaller labour pool from which to recruit.
Regional hospitality businesses frequently require staff with:
• Food safety knowledge • Customer service skills • Barista experience • Kitchen operations knowledge • Front-of-house service capabilities • Leadership and supervisory skills
Mr Bohr said practical, industry-recognised training can help job seekers build these skills while providing employers with greater confidence when hiring.
The organisation believes strengthening local workforce participation will be essential to supporting regional businesses, tourism growth and community development.
As regional destinations continue to attract visitors from Australia and overseas, industry leaders say ensuring a reliable pipeline of trained hospitality workers will remain critical to maintaining service standards and supporting economic growth.
