Labour, necessity-induced (im)mobilities, and the hotel industry: a developing country perspective

Abstract

This study conceptualizes labour mobility in the tourism and hospitality industry within the context of a developing country. Previous conceptualizations of labour mobility in the tourism and hospitality industry are unable to adequately represent specific economic and socio-cultural settings that may shape the mobility of tourism and hospitality labour in non-western developing countries. Interview data for the study on which this paper is based were collected from Kathmandu, Nepal in two phases in 2015/2016 and 2019, and analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach. The study identifies a pervasive phenomenon of ‘necessity-induced (im)mobility’ that either discourages or encourages mobility among tourism and hospitality workers. Several factors highlighted by this study show that the way mobility is perceived and executed by tourism and hospitality workers in developing counties, such as Nepal, is in stark contrast to how it is perceived in western and developed nations. This study has also identified several issues that may have implications for the sustainable supply of qualified labour (with higher education qualifications and skills) in the tourism and hospitality industry, particularly in developing countries.

Keywords:

• Labour mobility
• tourism
• hospitality
• sustainability
• hotels
• Nepal