Abstracts for Session 21

Migrant workers in tourism: seeking clarity, accepting complexity

Title: Mapping migrant workers in tourism in Iceland

Authors: Iris Hrund Halldorsdottir and Magnfríður Júlíusdóttir

Affiliation: Icelandic Tourism Research Centre, University of Iceland

The tourism boom in Iceland, between 2011 and 2018, led to a multiplication of jobs in tourism in a short time. Many of these new jobs was impossible to fill without the help of international migrants. The share of foreign citizens working in the tourism industry more than doubled in a relatively short period of time, reaching a third of tourism employees in 2019. The focus of the paper is on the diversity of these migrant workers in tourism, by analysing trends in demographic characteristics and geographic origin, as well as their regional and sub-sectoral distribution in Iceland before 2020. This mapping is based on findings from the study "Terms and conditions of foreign employees in Icelandic tourism" (Júlíusdóttir & Halldórsdóttir, 2020; Halldórsdóttir & Júlíusdóttir, 2020). Following the steep downturn in tourism around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation of tourism workers changed drastically in 2020.  This raises questions on how foreign nationals working in tourism in Iceland faired. Available data for 2020 will be used to extend some of the tourism boom analysis of diversity among migrant workers to the tourism lockdown period.  Is it possible to see if some groups left and others stayed? What gaps are there in available statistics on migrant workers in tourism, hindering analysis of diversity and trends among this group of important employees in the industry?

Title: Islands of workplaces or wider social intergration? Migrant workers in tourism in the Icelandic tourism boom

Authors: Magnfríður Júlíusdóttir and Íris Hrund Halldórsdóttir

Affiliation: University of Iceland, Icelandic Tourism Research Centre

In the context of growing neoliberalism at the end of the 20th century and open market of the EU/EEA, the Nordic model of industrial relations and public social safety net has been under pressure. In the paper the focus is on if and how the increased numbers of international migrant workers in the expanding tourism sector in Iceland, between the bank crash crisis of 2008 and covid crisis of 2020, were included in this Nordic model and local communities. The analyses are mainly based on interviews with representatives of labour unions and migrant workers in tourism, in 2018 and 2019, as well as responses of the social partners, government institutions and tourism industry actors to increased presence of migrant workers. Among main findings of our study (Júlíusdóttir & Halldórsdóttir, 2020; Halldórsdóttir & Júlíusdóttir, 2020) is that despite indications of precarious situation of migrant workers in tourism the Icelandic labour movement has managed to defend many aspects of the Nordic model of industrial relations. The union representatives direct the strongest critique at the government for lack of enforcement of existing laws, leaving the labour movement with main responsibility for both labour inspections and provision of social welfare service to migrant workers in distress. Apart from government institutions, both municipalities and tourism industry actors need to do more to preventing cases of abuse and social marginalisation of heterogeneous migrant tourism workers.   

Title: The role of language in engaging migrant workers with Lapland

Authors: Sini Kestilä, Minna Väyrynen, and Salla Jutila

Affiliation: Lapland University of Applied Sciences, University of Lapland

Lapland of opportunity is a project aiming to employ immigrants in the field of tourism in Finnish Lapland. The project is funded by European Social Fund and implemented in cooperation between Lapland University of Applied Sciences, University of Lapland, and Startup Refugees Network. This research is part of the project and aims to investigate the experiences of immigrants of working in the field of tourism as well as the level of their engagement with Finnish Lapland. In this paper we concentrate specifically on the role of the Finnish language in engaging migrant workers with the local environment.   Seasonal workers, as well as many professionals, do not necessarily need Finnish in their work and, for this reason, are not motivated to learn the language. However, not knowing Finnish limits possibilities for year-round employment and integration in local life. The level of language proficiency also affects the possibilities of acquiring residence permit or citizenship.  Often employers require a good level of Finnish when recruiting new workers, although the work itself could be done with even minimal Finnish skills. The working environment can offer opportunities to learn Finnish. In the learning process, both the worker’s personal motivation and encouragement from co-workers and employers are crucial. The data for this research was collected by interviewing immigrants that had been working in the field of tourism in Finnish Lapland. Thematic interviews are analyzed with data driven qualitative content analysis. Preliminary results show that work is important for migrants, but engagement with local communities requires more: friends, things to do, hobbies, and possibilities in general. These possibilities often require at least basic knowledge of Finnish language.

Keywords: tourism work, immigrants, language skills, engagement, integration