The countdown for FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, which will kick off on November 20, has begun. While fans in football-crazy Kerala are excited, the tournament has triggered concern in the hospitality sector in God’s Own Country, as there has been an exodus of workers from Kerala’s hotels to Qatar on temporary contracts, leaving them short-staffed.
“Every hotel in Kerala is down with 40 per cent of the staff because of manpower hiring by the hospitality industry in Qatar,’‘ said Naveen Dogra, Operations Manager, Courtyard by Marriott near Cochin Airport. “We are experiencing staff crunch, especially in food & beverages, front office and housekeeping.”
Around 1.5 million fans are expected to visit Qatar for the World Cup, and several global chains have invested in new hotels that are timed to open just before the event. Qatar has been talking about making 130,000 hotel rooms available. In addition, a host of lodging options are being readied, including a couple of cruise ships with almost 4,000 cabins, tented accommodation, private villas and service apartments, all of which require manpower.
While recruiters are hiring from everywhere, Kerala is particularly hit as it is a major feeder market for manpower to the West-Asian market. And frenzied recruitment is happening through word of mouth channels in the UAE, where a large Malayali expatriate community resides.
Pradeep Jose, Honorary Secretary of Kerala Travel Mart Society, said poaching for lucrative jobs in Qatar started three months ago, with a surging demand for chefs, staff in front office and housekeeping with generous pay packets. “Due to this, many hotels in the city are facing staff shortage. However, the sector is coping with available staff on the assumption that there will be a reverse trend once the event is over, he said. Dogra, too, said those who have gone have gone on six months temporary contracts.
What’s particularly upsetting, points out Jose, is that the situation has come at a time when Kerala has started receiving guests with the opening up of economic activities and resumption of flights after the pandemic.
However, a veteran in the industry voiced a concern on the migration, saying that the majority are on tourist visas, and not employment visas. There are possibilities of getting cheated by holding their passports and not offering the assured wages, he said.