The Middle East's hospitality sector could face a serious
shortage in staff in the wake of dwindling staff flow from traditional
markets like India and South East Asia, according to a new report.

According
to Dubai-based website, Hozpitality.com, more than two million staff
will be needed to service the regional hospitality sector by 2020 amid
massive expansion across the region with investments running into
billions of dollars.

Raj Bhatt, director, Hozpitality.com,
warned that some of the predominant traditional markets from where the
Gulf hospitality industry sources its manpower are now slowing down as
destinations to recruit staff.

“It is becoming tough to source skilled hospitality staff from South
East Asia and India, two of the major markets from where Gulf countries
used to recruit because of increasing opportunities in their home
market.”

The demand upswing in the home markets has also
narrowed the gap between the remuneration levels with the difference in
salaries offered in the Gulf countries not significantly higher than
what they get in their country, he added.

“For instance in South
East Asia, more than 40 hotels are coming on stream in Thailand and in
Singapore two integrated resorts opening in the next two years is
expected to generate some 20,000 jobs.

"There are also reports
that Macau will need some 60,000 to 80,000 trained manpower while Dubai
would need to recruit in the range of 50,000 in the next few years.

"The
prospects are daunting if you look at the region where investments and
hospitality sector is soaring with Dubai alone accounting to over $60
billion worth of projects and some additional 70,000 rooms coming on
stream in the next few years,” Bhatt said.

He said that India,
which is another top destination for hospitality recruitments is also
drying up because of the country’s strong economic growth creating more
job opportunities with higher remuneration.

But Bhatt added
that many African countries like Kenya and Tanzania are now emerging as
a potential sources for skilled manpower.

“We have been
travelling to Kenya for many 5-star hotels for pre-opening recruitments
and have always been successful in getting good hospitality staff,”
Bhatt said.

“We have even received inquiries from the US
agencies keen to bring in Americans work in the UAE hospitality
industry with recession hitting the workforce there and for them Middle
East looks like an attractive proposition in this context,” he added.

The
other new emerging market is South America and Brazilians are also
coming to Dubai for certain positions within the hospitality industry,
Bhatt said.