Vietnamese tourism operators are struggling to find enough workers to meet demand as Covid-19 restrictions ease, according to local media. The country’s tourism sector was hit hard during the pandemic, with almost one third of all job losses experienced within the industry, according to the International Labour Organization. Many workers who were furloughed or lost their jobs in the pandemic have decided to move into other industries, leaving tourism businesses facing acute staff shortages. Some operators are offering better pay and benefits for full-time workers, recruiting semi-qualified or unqualified staff on a seasonal basis, and reducing services to cope. The sector needs more than 485,000 workers to operate at least 70% of its full capacity, and the number of workers is forecast to grow to 1 million by 2030. In 2019, Vietnam welcomed 18 million international arrivals generating more than $30.2bn, but this fell dramatically to just 157,300 in 2021. The country aims to receive 8 million foreign arrivals and earn $27bn in revenue this year.