Hotels, catering and tourism sector

The hotels, catering and tourism sector is one of the fastest growing sectors of the global economy. It is also among the top-job creating sectors because its labour intensive nature and the significant multiplier effect on employment in other related sectors. Yet, the sector has a reputation of poor working conditions due to a number of factors: it is a fragmented industry with a majority of employers small and medium sized enterprises with low union density, and work characterized by low wages and low levels of skill requirements, shift and night work and seasonality.

Work according to ILO’s Decent Work Agenda

In the HCT sector, the ILO tackles these problems through sectoral activities related to ILO’s four pillars, which together constitute the ILO’s Decent Work agenda, which are Labour Standards, Employment, Social dialogue and Social protection.

Partners

Close cooperation with other UN Agencies, especially the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and the main constituents IHRA and IUF in the sector is crucial for successful work. Read more in

• Joint statement and cooperation agreement  between ILO and UNWTO,
• Joint statement between ILO and IHRA

Joint activities of ILO, UNWTO and the Tour Operator Initiative (TOI) have been developed on the integration of HIV and AIDS in the TOI and methods and sources of employment statistics in tourism. Read more in

• A presentation on HIV/AIDS & Tourism introduced at the TOI’s Annual General Meeting in London (November 2010), and
• "Labour Statistics on Employment in the Tourism Industries" and 5th UNWTO International Conference on Tourism Statistics - Tourism: An Engine for Employment Creation (Bali, Indonesia, 30 March-2 April 2009)