A STAFF shortage is hitting Cumbria's tourism industry hard, according to the body tasked with making sure the county is a hot spot for visitors.

Cumbria Tourism say the scale of the staff recruitment challenge facing the county’s tourism and hospitality sector has doubled within a month.

The body’s latest survey results show that 68 per cent of businesses now say recruitment of staff is a significant problem – up from 34 per cent just over a month ago.

Business responses from across the sector and county reveal that 73 per cent cite a lack of applicants and 44 per cent report skills shortages as being a significant problem.

And a lack of staff is limiting business capacity for 63 per cent of businesses, as well as impacting on profitability.

Businesses across Cumbria are taking a variety of steps to mitigate the challenge, including increasing salaries, improving shift patterns, offering accommodation and a whole range of additional benefits.

Although Cumbria’s recruitment challenge is not a new issue, it has been reported that the problem has been being made worse by several factors, including staff moving on because of Covid, travel restrictions, as well as post-Brexit immigration policy changes.

As the county’s official 'Destination Managment Organisation', Cumbria Tourism has long been supporting businesses through the Brexit transition period, campaigning vigorously for hospitality workers to be afforded the same recognition as agricultural labourers, whose designation as skilled removes multiple barriers from the new Australian-style points-based system.

Cumbria Tourism will be sharing its latest evidence with MPs, the Government and other national industry lobbying bodies to help raise this issue at the highest levels.

Managing director, Gill Haigh said: “Our research highlights that the number of businesses considering this a major issue has doubled in just a few weeks.

"Businesses are already taking major steps to mitigate the issue.

"But with such a small working-age population across a large and vibrant county it is more apparent than ever that more needs to be done at county and Government level to quickly address this crisis and allow businesses to recover and grow."