Tourism Sector Struggles with Staff Shortages – How Is the Industry Coping?

The staffing crisis in the restaurant industry is intensifying, with establishments in major cities across southwestern Bulgaria increasingly hiring workers from Nepal, India, Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam in order to maintain normal operations. The trend highlights a growing set of challenges for both businesses and the employees arriving from abroad.

For a second year, Prodzhun has been working in the kitchen of a restaurant in Kyustendil. His visa expires in a year, and while he plans to return to Nepal, it will only be temporary before coming back to Bulgaria.

“I feel good here. I like Bulgaria, I like Kyustendil, I like the job. I love cooking and I’m very happy when people enjoy the food we prepare. Maybe I would stay permanently — why not?” he says.

During the summer months, labour shortages are felt most acutely in towns away from the coastal resorts.

“The situation with the workforce in Bulgaria is becoming increasingly difficult. Bulgarian workers are harder to find, and even though our sector remains competitive, it is extremely challenging to recruit qualified staff,” says Teodora Atanasova, a café manager.

According to restaurant owner Silvia Georgieva, around 10% of her staff are from Nepal. “The procedure itself takes time, but once they arrive, everything becomes much easier. They adapt quickly, integrate well into the team and learn the menu very fast. We are very satisfied, as labour is urgently needed at the moment,” she explains.

Experts warn that the shortage of workers will persist this year.

Professor Rumen Draganov of the Institute for Analysis and Assessment in Tourism notes that around 11,000 foreign workers were employed in the sector last year.

“There are ways to bring in staff, particularly for ‘backstage’ roles in kitchens. From this perspective, we are recruiting workers from the Middle East and the Far East. Those who already have experience working with employees from countries such as Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, India and Vietnam have developed the necessary expertise and know how the process works,” he says.

Despite this, the most favourable long-term solution for the tourism sector remains the employment of Bulgarian workers. However, the gap between employers’ requirements and workers’ expectations continues to widen.