Building a future in tourism through skills development
There was a great deal to feel proud of at this year’s Visit Pembrokeshire Croeso Awards. Attending as a Director of Visit Pembrokeshire, I felt a huge amount of pride seeing so many local businesses recognised for the quality of what they do.
But something that particularly stayed with me was the contribution of the Pembrokeshire College students. Working alongside hospitality professionals from The Celtic Collection, they helped prepare and deliver the evening. It was a lovely example of what can happen when education and industry work together, giving people the opportunity to apply their skills to something they can feel proud of.
It also got me thinking about what happens beyond an evening like this.
How do we turn that early enthusiasm into a rewarding career?
And what can smaller tourism businesses do to help, when finding staff and managing costs already feel challenging?
Why this matters to a rural economy
Here in Pembrokeshire, tourism is closely connected to the livelihoods of people across the county. Welsh Government’s latest visitor economy profile puts tourism at around 20% of employment in Pembrokeshire in 2024. That gives some perspective on how much the quality and sustainability of those jobs matter.
The benefits reach beyond the businesses welcoming visitors. Local food producers, tradespeople and other suppliers are part of the same economy. A stronger tourism sector can create opportunities across that wider network.
For me, skills development belongs in that conversation. It helps businesses deliver a better experience, but it also gives people more choice about their future. Young people should be able to see a realistic route to a fulfilling career here, whether they stay after school or return after studying or working elsewhere.
As both an HR consultant and someone who runs a tourism business myself, I recognise the importance of making that ambition work commercially.
Why attracting talent can be difficult
There are some very practical reasons why a tourism vacancy may struggle to attract applicants.
A business might need extra people during the summer, while the person applying needs dependable income throughout the year. Evening and weekend shifts can be difficult to combine with family life. In a rural area, a shift finishing after the last bus (if there is a bus at all) can make a job impossible for someone without a car.
Then there is the employer’s position. Wage bills, employer NI and other operating costs all have to be covered, often from income that varies considerably through the year. Releasing an employee for training also means finding time and cover.
I understand why development can slip down the list.
But if the only opportunity someone can see is another season doing exactly the same work, it becomes harder to persuade them to build their future with you. Training needs to sit alongside fair pay, workable hours and respectful management. People need to be able to afford to take the opportunity.
Help people see where the work could lead
Tourism offers a much wider range of careers than we sometimes communicate. Alongside skilled kitchen and front of house roles, there are opportunities in outdoor activities, events, marketing, reservations and business management.
Smaller employers can help make those possibilities visible. Talk about how someone could progress when advertising a role. Build a relationship with a school or college. Offer a well-planned placement with someone who has time to support the learner. Let people hear from employees who have developed their skills and taken on responsibility.
And remember the people already in your team. A long-serving employee, someone returning to work or a career changer may have ambitions you have never asked about.
Start with clear roles and a sense of ownership
One of the most useful foundations for development is a clear understanding of the job.
In a small business, everyone often helps with everything. That flexibility is valuable, but people still need to understand their responsibilities, the standard expected and the decisions they can make.
For example, someone responsible for guest arrivals could also help improve the welcome information and suggest ways to make checking in easier. A team member involved in housekeeping could help review room standards and identify recurring problems.
Explain why their contribution matters and listen to their ideas. Give them the authority and support to act within agreed boundaries.
That is how ownership can develop. Simply adding more tasks to someone’s day is unlikely to create the same sense of pride. Where responsibilities grow substantially, review the role, workload and pay.
Make performance conversations part of development
Performance management can sound rather formal for a small tourism business. In practice, it can be a regular conversation about how someone is getting on and what would help them do the job well.
Ask what has gone well, where they feel less confident and what they would like to learn. Give specific feedback, including recognition when they have handled something well. If standards are slipping, explain the concern early and explore whether the issue is knowledge, confidence, resources or something else.
Then agree a manageable next step and a date to review it. That might be learning the booking system, dealing with a complaint with support, or preparing to lead a shift.
A short conversation every few weeks gives development some continuity. For seasonal employees, start early enough for them to benefit during the season and finish with a review of what they have learned and what a return could offer.
Make in house training deliberate
A great deal of valuable learning can happen within the business. It becomes more useful when someone takes responsibility for planning it.
That could mean a structured induction, a named colleague to demonstrate a task, time to practise and a check that the person can do it confidently. Experienced employees may also need support to teach others; being good at a job does not automatically make explaining it easy.
Keep the learning practical. Use a real guest enquiry to practise clear communication. Talk through how to welcome someone with access needs. Explain the local produce on the menu or arrange time with a supplier. Review a difficult service together and agree what would help next time.
Build this into paid working time and plan cover. A quiet period can be useful for training where employees are working, but leaving everything until winter will miss many seasonal staff.
After a course or demonstration, give people the chance to use what they have learned. Otherwise, even good training can quickly be forgotten.
Use local support and make it workable
Pembrokeshire College offers employer support with apprenticeships, workplace learning and bespoke training. Depending on the programme, learning may involve workplace assessment, college attendance or a combination. There are also online and blended options. Its Employer Engagement team is a useful starting point for discussing what would fit your business.
Business Wales is another route to explore for skills support, including the Flexible Skills Programme’s tourism and hospitality provision. Check current eligibility and approval requirements before committing to training costs.
Be specific about what you need. Explain the skills gap, your seasonal pattern and the practical barriers to releasing someone. Ask about delivery at your premises, shorter sessions or options that reduce travel. For an apprenticeship, discuss whether the employment pattern and support you can provide will sustain the programme.
Online learning can help with distance, but people still need suitable equipment, reliable internet access and time to concentrate. Where funding is available, remember to budget for wages, cover and supervision too.
There may also be scope to work with neighbouring businesses: sharing the cost of a trainer, arranging a joint workshop or offering an agreed visit to see how another team works. Collaboration can make learning more accessible for employers who could not organise it alone.
Give people a reason to keep developing
A small business may have few management vacancies, but there can still be room to grow. Someone might develop a specialism, mentor new starters or take responsibility for improving part of the service.
Be honest about the opportunities available. Where year-round employment is commercially viable, consider how a role could combine different parts of the business. Where work remains seasonal, discuss future opportunities early and keep in touch with people who want to return.
Development also brings the possibility that someone will eventually move on. That can feel frustrating after investing time in them. Yet helping people become more capable can benefit your business while they are with you and strengthen the reputation you have as an employer.
The Croeso Awards showed what supported talent can contribute. I would love to see that same commitment reflected in everyday working life across our tourism businesses.
A useful place to start is with one person in your team: ask what they would like to learn, agree how you will support them and make time to follow it through.
How I can help
I work with small and owner-managed businesses to put practical people management in place, from clear roles and induction to performance conversations and development planning.
If you would like help turning your team’s potential into a realistic plan for your business, get in touch for an informal conversation.
Trusted Advice. Practical Solutions. Real Results.
About the Image: Luncheon of the Boating Party
Luncheon of the Boating Party was painted in 1880–1881 by the French Impressionist artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. It depicts a gathering of friends enjoying food, wine and conversation on the terrace of the Fournaise restaurant at Chatou, near Paris. Many of the figures were people Renoir knew, including fellow artists and his future wife, Aline Charigot. The painting captures a lively moment of companionship, with overlapping conversations and a table still scattered with the remains of lunch.
Renoir’s warm colours and dappled light give the scene an inviting atmosphere. Each person contributes something to its character, while the setting brings them together. It is easy to imagine the pleasure of being there: good company, a welcoming place and time to enjoy the occasion.
For me, Luncheon of the Boating Party offers a lovely connection to the experiences that skilled tourism and hospitality teams help create. A memorable meal, a comfortable stay or a well-run event depends on people understanding their roles, working together and taking pride in the details. The confidence to welcome guests, prepare excellent food or respond thoughtfully when something goes wrong develops through practice, guidance and experience.
Luncheon of the Boating Party is painted in oil on canvas and is held in The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, United States.
