Andorra Hotel Head Slams Labour Policies for Undermining Premium Tourism

Jordi París, president of the Unió Hotelera d’Andorra (UHA), has criticised mismatches between government labour and migration policies and the needs of the tourism sector. He argues that current rules promote a purely temporary workforce model, undermining efforts to develop premium tourism with longer stays and higher-spending visitors.

París described the situation as a structural problem, no longer seasonal, that hampers staffing stability and service quality. He pointed to challenges in retaining workers amid a tight housing market, where employees often leave for slightly better offers elsewhere. The hotel sector operates in two modes—year-round and seasonal—but existing migration rules fail to accommodate both, he said. A key issue is the legal ban on overlapping seasons, forcing workers to leave for five months, which fosters precarity and blocks long-term training investments.

Most workers come from non-EU countries like South America—young people aged 20-30 eager to build careers—but face barriers to the general quota, requiring six years of experience or six seasons, often hard to document from origin countries. París confirmed the government's proposed nine-month quota, once advocated by the private sector, is now shelved in favour of a pilot hiring programme from origin countries, currently with Colombia. The UHA awaits final details this June before assessing it, noting ski resorts already handle such hiring independently.

París highlighted a broader paradox: social concerns about overgrowth coexist with rising population, new large commercial centres, and steady 12 million annual visitors. He warned that without stable staff, Andorra—a service-based economy—risks losing quality-focused tourists, calling current policies “shooting ourselves in the foot”.

In related developments, Andorra Endavant has rejected expanding social and health rights for temporary workers to match those of long-term residents. The party, in a statement, stressed a “natural and legitimate” distinction between stable residents—who have contributed for decades through taxes and contributions—and short-term workers covering peak winter and summer demands.

It supports guaranteed urgent medical care for temporaries, such as fractures or appendicitis, but opposes equal access to non-urgent treatments, surgeries or check-ups, arguing limited public resources must prioritise long-term contributors. Andorra Endavant also backs dignified housing via relaxed rules for private colivings with minimum quality standards, to avoid burdening public services or permanent residents.

The stance responds to proposals, including from Argentinos en Andorra, to extend seasonal quotas to nine months while granting perks like free public transport, resident rates at sports and cultural facilities, standard phone contracts and bank accounts, and IRNR tax exemptions.