BOTTLENECKS AND CRITICAL AREAS IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN OF THIRD COUNTRY EMPLOYEES FOR THE TOURISM INDUSTRY

The tourism sector is a sector of the economy that, due to its specificity and especially because of its pronounced seasonal nature, faces problems in recruiting and retaining skilled workers. This makes it vulnerable and creates difficulties in imposing and maintaining a quality product. One of the time-honoured global solutions is the import of highly skilled and seasonal workers from third countries. In recent years, the labour supply chain has faced many challenges related to the dynamic change of multiple geopolitical factors, our accession to the Schengen area, changes in regulations and the increase of legal and illegal competition in this sector. Unpredictable changes in market conditions often lead to the emergence of bottlenecks and critical areas that hinder the processes involved in importing employees. The topic is of particular relevance to the tourism sector, but we can also relate these difficulties to other sectors of the economy that are highly dependent on adequate human capital management to ensure the competitiveness and sustainability of the serives offered.