The labour market in the EU and Ukraine tourism industries: the motivational aspect of labour relations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26906/EiR.2026.3(102).4702Keywords:
labour relations, labour market, tourism industry, employment, motivation system, employee motivational profileAbstract
This article analyses the labour market in the EU tourism sector. The main characteristics of the current state of the tourism employment market that affect employee attraction and retention, according to Eurostat data, are identified. Among the main trends are the dominance of female workers, part-time employment, unstable nature of recruitment and a significant proportion of young labour force. It is noted that the tourism labour market is a global employer, but there are a large number of problems in attracting and retaining a qualified workforce. Ukraine’s tourism sector has undergone radical changes since the start of the military crisis. Regional asymmetry of employment, shortage of qualified personnel and feminization of the workforce are identified. The correlation between the number of business entities and the number of jobs in the tourism sector of Ukraine is investigated. It was determined that the reduction of jobs directly depends on the number of business entities, the forecast indicators of the creation of additional jobs in the amount of 3-5 people per enterprise indicate the dominance of small and medium-sized businesses in Ukraine that employ fewer than 10 people. The main problems faced by Ukrainian employers during the war were identified. The distribution of employees in the EU tourism industry by age was analyzed. According to Eurostat, all groups of employees according to generation theory, including the Alpha generation, are represented almost evenly as of 2023. It has been established that universal motivational systems are not very adaptable in the context of constant transformational changes in the tourism industry, therefore it is necessary to consider various tools and approaches that are differentiated depending on the individual characteristics of employees and the specifics of the industry profile of the enterprise. The general motivation system at the enterprise should take into account the individual motivational profiles of employees of different age groups. A differentiated system of motivational tools is proposed for each age group of tourism enterprises employees. The importance of the gender factor, which also affects the peculiarity of work behavior, is determined.
References
1. Eurostat statistics: EU tourism industries employed. URL: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20240529-1
2. World travel and tourism council. URL: https://wttc.org/news/travel-and-tourism-to-create-4-5mn-new-jobs-across-the-eu-by-2035
3. Baum, T., Kralj A., Robinson R. N., Solnet, D. J. Tourism workforce research: A review, taxonomy and agenda. Annals of Tourism Research. 2016. Vol. 60. P. 1-22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2016.04.003
4. Baum T., Solnet D., Robinson R., Mooney S. K. Tourism employment paradoxes, 1946-2095: a perspective article. Tourism Review. 2020. Vol. 75 (1). P. 252-255. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-05-2019-0188
5. Camilleri M. A., Troise C., Morrison A. M. Motivations and commitment to work in the hospitality industry: investigating employee psychology and responsible organizational behaviors. Tourism Review. 2024. Vol. 79 (1). P. 85-103. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-12-2022-0611
6. Näppä A., Styvén M. E., Robertson J. Employment in the tourism and hospitality industry: Toward a unified value proposition. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism. 2025. Vol. 24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15332845.2024.2405804
7. Єрко І. В. Аналіз і динаміка розвитку суб’єктів туристичної індустрії: соціальна складова. Економіка та суспільство. 2024. № 65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32782/2524-0072/2024-65-89
8. Мандрик В. О., Говда Г. А., Новак У. П. Адаптація ринку праці у сфері гостинності України в умовах війни та післявоєнного періоду. Сталий розвиток економіки. 2025. № 1(52). DOI: https://doi.org/10.32782/2308-1988/2025-52-4
9. Erzsebet, I. Examining the contribution of tourism to employment in the European Union. Journal of Tourism Theory and Research. 2024. № 10(2). P. 75-82. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24288/jttr.1513287
10. O'Connor. M.-J., Yilmaz B., Borgers N., Fedotova. Z. Tourism Workforce Trends in Europe: Employment Patterns, Regulation and Recovery: MPRA Paper 126180, University Library of Munich, Germany, 2025. URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/126180/1/MPRA_paper_126180.pdf
11. Державна податкова служба України: туристичній збір 2025. URL: https://www.tax.gov.ua/media-tsentr/novini/974725.html
12. Публічний звіт 2025 державного агентства розвитку туризму України. URL: https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-economy/4093193-podatkovi-nadhodzenna-vid-turisticnoi-galuzi-torik-zrosli-na-50-dart.html
13. Інформація щодо фінансово-економічних показників сфери туризму та курортів (2016-2018 роки). URL: https://me.gov.ua/download/82f4f7d1-0860-49d3-b2b5-d0fe365cd886/file.pdf
14. Tourism industries – employment. Eurostat official website. URL: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Tourism_industries_-_employment
15. Як змінився ресторанний ринок України. Підсумки 2025 року від Poster. URL: https://joinposter.com/ua/blog/management/pidsumky-2025-roku-vid-poster
16. Strauss W., Howe N. Generations: the history of america's future, 1584 to 2069. New York : William Morrow and Company, 1991. 538 p.
17. Lister A. The Motivating Factors of a Multigenerational Workplace Based on Work Values and Reinforcements. Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 17976, 2025. URL: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/17976
18. Cameron J. J., Stinson D. A. Gender (mis)measurement: Guidelines for respecting gender diversity in psychological research. Social and personality psychology compass. 2019. Vol.13 (11). 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12506
1. Eurostat statistics: EU tourism industries employed. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20240529-1
2. World travel and tourism council. Available at: https://wttc.org/news/travel-and-tourism-to-create-4-5mn-new-jobs-across-the-eu-by-2035
3. Baum, T., Kralj A., Robinson R. N., Solnet, D. J. (2016) Tourism workforce research: A review, taxonomy and agenda. Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 60, p. 1-22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2016.04.003
4. Baum T., Solnet D., Robinson R., Mooney S. K. (2020) Tourism employment paradoxes, 1946-2095: a perspective article. Tourism Review, vol. 75(1), p. 252-255. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-05-2019-0188
5. Camilleri M. A., Troise C., Morrison A. M. (2024) Motivations and commitment to work in the hospitality industry: investigating employee psychology and responsible organizational behaviors. Tourism Review, vol. 79(1), p. 85-103. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-12-2022-0611
6. Näppä A., Styvén M. E., Robertson J. (2025) Employment in the tourism and hospitality industry: Toward a unified value proposition. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, vol. 24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15332845.2024.2405804
7. Yerko I. V. (2024) Analiz i dynamika rozvytku sub’yektiv turystychnoi industrii: sotsialna skladova [Analysis and dynamics of tourism industry entities development: social component]. Ekonomika ta suspilstvo – Economy and society, no. 65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32782/2524-0072/2024-65-89
8. Mandryk V. O., Hovda H. A., Novak U. P. (2025) Adaptatsiia rynku pratsi u sferi hostynnosti Ukrainy v umovakh viiny ta pisliavoiennoho period [Adaptation of the labor market in the hospitality sector of Ukraine in the conditions of war and the post-war period]. Stalyi rozvytok ekonomiky - Sustainable economic development, no. 1(52). DOI: https://doi.org/10.32782/2308-1988/2025-52-4
9. Erzsebet, I. (2024) Examining the contribution of tourism to employment in the European Union. Journal of Tourism Theory and Research, no. 10(2), p. 75-82. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24288/jttr.1513287
10. O'Connor. M.-J., Yilmaz B., Borgers N., Fedotova. Z. (2025) Tourism Workforce Trends in Europe: Employment Patterns, Regulation and Recovery: MPRA Paper 126180, University Library of Munich, Germany. Available at: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/126180/1/MPRA_paper_126180.pdf
11. Derzhavna podatkova sluzhba Ukrainy: turystychnii zbir 2025 [State Tax Service of Ukraine: tourist tax 2025]. Available at: https://www.tax.gov.ua/media-tsentr/novini/974725.html
12. Publichnyi zvit 2025 derzhavnoho ahentstva rozvytku turyzmu Ukrainy [Public Report 2025 of the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine]. Available at: https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-economy/4093193-podatkovi-nadhodzenna-vid-turisticnoi-galuzi-torik-zrosli-na-50-dart.html
13. Informatsiia shchodo finansovo-ekonomichnykh pokaznykiv sfery turyzmu ta kurortiv (2016-2018 roky) [Information on financial and economic indicators of the tourism and resorts sector (2016-2018)]. Available at: https://me.gov.ua/download/82f4f7d1-0860-49d3-b2b5-d0fe365cd886/file.pdf
14. Tourism industries – employment. Eurostat official website. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Tourism_industries_-_employment
15. Yak zminyvsia restorannyi rynok Ukrainy. Pidsumky 2025 roku vid Poster [How the restaurant market in Ukraine has changed. Results of 2025 from Poster]. Available at: https://joinposter.com/ua/blog/management/pidsumky-2025-roku-vid-poster
16. Strauss W., Howe N. (1991) Generations: the history of america's future, 1584 to 2069. New York : William Morrow and Company, 538 p.
17. Lister A. (2025) The Motivating Factors of a Multigenerational Workplace Based on Work Values and Reinforcements. Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies, 17976. Available at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/17976
18. Cameron J. J., Stinson D. A. (2019) Gender (mis)measurement: Guidelines for respecting gender diversity in psychological research. Social and personality psychology compass, vol. 13 (11). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12506
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Марія Алдошина
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
