Genoa top destination but employment suffers in Liguria

Genoa has won a place among the top destinations on Best in travel 2025 by Lonely Planet, the Australian guidebook publisher; in Liguria, moreover, employment in tourism is increasing. However, the sector, denounced by a report drawn up by the Uiltucs Liguria Study and Research Centre, is suffering from a phenomenon of employment deflation. This is because, according to the union, the spasmodic rhythms of tourism in Liguria are concentrated in a few months and do not take into account the work-life balance or the economic aspect related to sacrifice. At the end of the season, in short, 'workers are burnt out by the exasperated rhythms of work and are often no longer willing to repeat the experience'. On this, Uiltucs testifies, there is also the phenomenon of holiday homes that 'compete unfairly with the hotellerie sector and create irregular and poor quality work'. Therefore, according to the union, to really make tourism grow in Liguria, we need quality work, more income for those working in the sector, and a regional industrial plan that aims to deseasonalise the sector.

Angelo Pittro, editor-in-chief of Lonely Planet Italy, explains that Genoa has gained a place in the rankings 'thanks to its historical charm, delicious cuisine and the "electric" future, coming with the new sustainable means of transport' and that the Ligurian capital is 'a city that knows how to mix history and innovation, ideal for those travellers seeking an authentic and meaningful experience'.

Genoa, says Alessandra Bianchi, Municipal Councillor for Tourism, 'is consolidating its position among the most sought-after international destinations. This is confirmed by the constant growth trend of the last few years and by the figures for tourist presences, which are the highest ever, with over 1.3 million overnight stays recorded in the first half of 2024'. The data for Liguria, moreover, recalls Marco Bucci, mayor of Genoa and, a few days ago, elected new president of the Region, "confirm that this year Liguria will repeat the 2023 record for tourism and will probably close with even more arrivals".

But on the labour market side, the situation appears less rosy than one would expect. According to data compiled by the Uiltucs Study Centre, emphasises the coordinator, Roberto Vegnuti, 'the tertiary sector contributes 83% to regional wealth, while those employed in services account for almost 80% of the workforce. However, there has been a lack of a systemic vision that integrates traditional activities with the advanced activities of the new tertiary sector, which has a workforce of workers included in thousands of small and very small enterprises and, a part, included in large groups, including international ones. This is a predominantly female sector, with a high presence of foreign workers and a high incidence of low-cost labour, with a structural recourse to temporary, hyperflexible forms of employment and a high incidence of irregular work'. Between 2019 and 2023, the Study Centre records, in the Ligurian trade and tourism sector, those employed rose from 138,166 to 145,159 (+5.1%); employees from 84,166 to 92,231 (+6.9%); the self-employed, on the other hand, fell from 54,000 to 52,927 (-2%).

Yet despite the growth in employment, Vegnuti points out, 'the current social context is complicated. In fact, we are witnessing a job deflation in tourism: the companies looking for labour are more than the available candidates. It must be said that in 2042, for purely demographic reasons, Liguria will lose 13 per cent of its workforce, or around 90,000 people. But in the phenomenon of deflation we need to analyse the data on the average annual wages of private employees in Liguria to understand the flight from tourism. In 2022 (source: Inps), employees in the catering industry will reach 9,408 euro per year, in commerce 17,213 euro per year, in the hotel industry 13,044 euro per year, against, for example, the 31,829 euro per year of the manufacturing sector or the 43,464 euro per year of the financial and insurance activities'.