Montreal’s hotel industry looking to recruit thousands
Posted April 7, 2022 1:53 pm.
Last Updated April 7, 2022 6:42 pm.
If you’ve ever thought of working in the hospitality industry, now’s your chance!
The Hotel Association of Greater Montréal (AHGM) launched a major recruitment campaign to try and fill thousands of vacant spots in the city’s hotel and tourism industry.
When the pandemic hit, the restaurant and hotel industry were the city’s most affected sectors. They saw revenues drop by 95 per cent in the first months of the crisis, compared to 2019.
On Thursday, holding a Recruitment Day where more than 30 hotels came together. The event organized in collaboration with the Immigrant and Refugee Assistance Centre (CACI), hoping to connect new immigrants and refugees looking for work with those who need workers.
“In general, in Montreal we need about 5,000 new employees for the hotel industry. So it goes from housekeeping staff, to server, to chef, to accounting, to marketing, communications, sales. Pretty much anyone who wants to work in the hotel industry, it’s time to apply, because we see that it’s starting up again, we’ve got the bookings coming in, we’ve got a great summer ahead,” explained Jean-Sébastien Boudreault, president and CEO of AHGM.
“Before I went to a pastry program and thought about my career as a pastry chef in a hotel. Now that I graduated from school I have the opportunity to find what I want,” said Karen Su, who attended the recruitment day. “Everyone is very nice, very friendly. I left my CV and they have my name and I’m sure they will call me.”
“We decided that it’s time for the employers to come meet the employees where they usually are,” continued Boudreault.
#WATCH: The Hotel Association of Greater Montréal (@HotelsGrandMtl) launched a major recruitment campaign to try and fill over 2,000 vacant spots in the city’s hotel and tourism industry.⁰
READ MORE: https://t.co/i0GqnjmB6lVideo credit: Martin Daigle/CityNews pic.twitter.com/VAqujNwBdf
— CityNews Montreal (@CityNewsMTL) April 7, 2022
But, with things looking better for the 2022 tourism season, Montreal hotels have slowly been recovering some of their pre-pandemic revenues.
A full recovery is not expected until 2024, according to the most conservative projections.
Montreal relies on tourism
According to the Conference Board of Canada, tourists spent a total of $4.86 billion in Montreal and the city relies heavily on tourism revenues. The hotel industry is one of the main drivers of the local economy and a vast array of sectors related to tourism and events (such as conventions, weddings and shows) depend on it, including florists, artists, taxi services, audio-visual companies and local producers, to name a few.
Long-term ambitions
The current recruitment and promotional campaign for the hotel industry is the first part of a long-term strategy developed by Boudreault and his team.
“We want Montréal to become the France of North America,” he says. “In France, hotel professions, such as waiters, chefs and maître d’s are highly valued and are recognized with titles, certifications and prestigious awards, such as the Meilleurs ouvriers de France. We can and must do the same here.”
In the fall, the association is planning a series of conferences in Quebec schools to promote the hotel industry as a career choice, both to guidance counsellors and to students.
“Let’s not forget that major cities are gateways to and from the world,” Boudreault says. “The hotel and tourism sectors play a huge role in these experiences. If they succeed, the city will succeed. And if the city succeeds, so will the province.”
