The effect of job availability on hospitality and tourism industry performance

Abstract

This study analyzes the impact of job openings in the overall economy on the performance of hospitality and tourism firms. By using interlinkages theory, the results show that the availability of jobs in the overall economy negatively impacts hospitality and tourism. This effect is pronounced for the hotel and restaurant subsector, while absent for airlines. Apart from critical managerial implications, the main theoretical contribution of the results is the nuanced understanding of interlinkages within the tourism industry, revealing that economic factors such as job opportunities impact subsectors differently. This highlights the importance of considering sector-specific variables and interdependencies in interlinkages theory, rather than treating hospitality and tourism as a homogeneous whole.