Introduction
Employment is the simplest way in which tourism can address poverty. It is a mechanism that can be used in large and small enterprises and in all areas. The barriers to entry faced by the poor in accessing employment are often low levels of education and lack of skills (general and tourism specific).

By addressing poverty through employment, the poor benefit from the market access and entrepreneurial skills of others; they do not have to rely on their own skills nor do they have to overcome the barriers to market access which are a major issue for small enterprises. There is also status and security associated with employment.

Pro-poor tourism initiatives need to ensure that the aim of recruitment from poor communities is in the interests of building the skills and capacity of people for further employment rather than simply the building of the company brand via corporate social investment.

The Opportunity
The main cash injection into the local economy from tourism is from the wages of local staff, therefore the opportunity for local employment is important for the poor. Tourism enterprises that show a commitment to genuine job creation within poor communities can make a real difference and bring a range of benefits.

• treating staff well ensures that the enterprise is able to secure the best staff
• lower staff turnover
• lower training costs
• higher staff morale
• better quality service
• more authentic experience for guests/customers
• positive company public image
• employing local people with a strong identity and sense of place (culturally rich but economically poor) can contribute to sense of place and provide an enterprise with is competitive advantage point of difference.

Who Can Help and How?

Hotels & Resorts

Guest Houses, Small Hotels & B&Bs

Restaurants, Cafes & Bars

Cultural Heritage Sites

Protected Areas

Other Visitor Attractions

Local Operators & Ground Handlers

Words of Caution

• Avoid a situation developing where skilled labour is attracted from education, health or government because the wages paid in tourism are higher than those for professionals in other sectors.
• There are limits to how much labour existing enterprises can employ whilst remaining profitable and little is gained if the employment of the poor pushes others into poverty through unemployment.
• Consider how seasonality affects casual and part-time workers and how this relates to their other livelihood activities and to the spreading of benefits amongst households of the economically poor.