The Limestone Coast has the highest prevalence of staff shortages, recruitment and retention challenges in tourism across South Australia, according to new workforce research.

At least 63% of tourism businesses in the region are reporting staff shortages, with 65% reporting recruitment challenges and 39% reporting retention challenges.

The results for the region represent the highest prevalence of tourism-related workforce challenges in the state, according to Deloitte Access Economics, which developed and fielded the survey for the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC).

Furthermore, the Limestone Coast sits equal second behind Adelaide and the Adelaide Hills (considered a single region in the survey), in encountering skills challenges during the survey period between May and June this year.

The research also showed our region and Kangaroo Island were the most likely regions in the state to face at least one labour challenge.

Before The SE Voice observed the research, the SATC indicated tourism expenditure in the Limestone Coast in the year ending March 2021 was $418m, representing 99% of the region’s pre-COVID performance.

In the year ending December 2019, tourism expenditure in the region was $421m.

“Summary data for regional Australia and regional SA shows that SA is performing more strongly compared to the total result for regional Australia,” the SATC wrote in an online statement.

“This is further evidenced by even more recent accommodation data.

“Combined with the increasing data around workforce demand and the high numbers of job vacancies being listed in regions, from an employment perspective, the issue is currently supply of an adequate workforce rather than lack of employment opportunities.”

Deloitte Access Economics discovered the profile of labour force challenges is similar for the Adelaide metropolitan region and regional SA but was exacerbated somewhat in Adelaide.

In Adelaide, skills challenges are a more prevalent issue cited by 66% of businesses – 10 percentage points higher than the regional SA outcome.

Retention challenges were also reported as more prevalent in Adelaide than regional areas.

The survey received 556 eligible and valid responses from South Australian tourism businesses, with two thirds (68%) experiencing workforce challenges.

The survey was designed to bring together insights on the industry, provide a shared industry and government understanding of the key challenges it faces and to identify strategies to address or minimise the impact of workforce challenges.

Alongside this is the aim of providing an industry perspective on how they believe they could best be supported by potential government incentives, solutions or strategies.

According to the survey, effective strategies for fixing recruitment barriers are offering on the job training and higher salaries or more hours.

Effective strategies for retention of staff include offering job training or mentoring support and higher salaries or more regular hours.

To attract more skilled workers, the survey found that providing more flexible work arrangements and formalised internal training and automation of business operations were effective strategies.