FLAGSTAFF, AZ – The travel boom we are experiencing across the country and in Arizona has another side: insufficient workforce. The shortage particularly affects family-run hotels like the Weatherford Hotel in Flagstaff.
“It was built as a trading house in 1897,” explains Sam Green, who with her husband owns The Weatherford. “And between 1897 and 1900, tourism became an economic boom because of the Grand Canyon.”
Sam and her husband have owned The Weatherford since 1975. Together, they brought it back before it closed, renovated the building from scratch, while paying tribute to its turn-of-the-century roots.
Stepping into The Weatherford is like stepping back in time. They have everything – the story, the charm, the backstory – except the workers.
RELATED: Flagstaff has been named a Top Destination for Second City by MarketWatch
“My biggest fear – my co-workers will lose what I’ve done,” explains Sam. “I had 50. I’m almost 30 again and still haven’t opened all day to use them properly.”
And without a full staff, The Weatherford cannot fully reopen, according to Sam. The hotel went from being a 24/7 hotel to only three evenings a week today. The hotel’s bars and restaurants are also falling victim to the lack of staff.
“We used to do a great breakfast, lunch and dinner business. I can’t open for lunch just yet, except Saturday and Sunday … It’s very frustrating. I’m here when we’re closed and I’m still” me have to work. I’m busy. Frustration is the people who walk in front of the building and don’t have my umbrellas or chairs and (the) terrace isn’t open and it’s July. “
Debbie Johnson, of the Arizona Office of Tourism, says other hotels and businesses across the state are reporting on it.
Flagstaff has been named a top destination for the second city by MarketWatch
“You can feel it everywhere,” explains Johnson. “You can feel the pinch, also from the employee side.”
In July, Governor Doug Ducey’s office announced that more than $ 100 million from the federal government’s US bailout plan would be used to boost tourism, with some of that money going to support the industry.
Arizona tourism spending declined 41% in 2020, according to Governor Ducey’s office.
With many companies closing or capacity constraints, some workers in the tourism sector have chosen to find jobs in other industries and may not be ready to return.
“I do the housekeeping. I do everything. You do whatever you have to do to survive. “
The Weatherford Hotel is currently hiring. For further information, click here.
To visit the Arizona Office of Tourism job board, click here.
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