Austria's hospitality industry "survives" with the help of migrants
The hospitality industry and tourism in general in Austria are largely supported by people with a migrant background, according to a study by the Austrian sociological institute Dema, which was cited by the website of the Austrian Radio and Television. Almost half of the employees in the industry in Austria are either immigrants or children of immigrants, according to a study by sociologist Günter Ogris.
The hospitality industry is characterized by internationality, which makes it easier to distribute work during religious holidays. The gastronomic sector in cities is particularly populated by foreign workers. In Vienna, Graz and Linz, around 73 percent of workers in this sector have a migrant background, in Tyrol it is 38 percent, and in Salzburg it is 44 percent. Ogris assumes that the actual percentage is higher than the given figures, because seasonal workers, for example, are not included in the census data used.
In Vienna, 35 percent of workers in the sector have Austrian citizenship, with 8 percent of them naturalized. In addition, just over 20 percent are from other EU countries. Slightly fewer are from Asia (including Afghanistan and Syria), 9 percent are from non-EU Balkan countries, and 5 percent have Turkish citizenship. The high percentage of people with a migrant background is not just for workers. According to Ogris, two-thirds of restaurant owners in Vienna also have a migrant background, BTA reports.