Tourism and Hospitality (T&H) is a crucial sector for the national economy, both for its contribution to wealth creation and for its ability to attract tourists, due to the diversity of resources it has. According to information released by the Bank of Portugal (2024), the balance of the Travel and Tourism heading in Portugal, in 2023, was 18.8 billion euros (20.7% more than in the previous year; 43.1% more than in 2019). It is estimated that, in 2023, the number of non-resident tourist arrivals in Portugal will have reached 26.5 million, corresponding to an increase of 19.2% compared to 2022 and, compared to 2019, the number of non-resident tourist arrivals in Portugal registered an increase of 7.7% (INE, 2024). T&H is, therefore, a source of employment and economic development.

In this growth perspective, it would be expected that the sector would demonstrate greater attractiveness and robustness with a view to mobilizing the workforce. However, due to the challenges arising from seasonality, precariousness, low wages, disruptive working hours and lack of career progression, there has been a decrease in interest in joining this area of activity. This issue is supported by the difficulty that T&H agents experience in attracting and retaining workers, given that, until 2019, the number of people in service was visible growth. Since then, there has been a significant deficit of workers compared to the needs of companies in the sector. Job insecurity, the difficulty in balancing work with family life and lower remuneration than the gross average for the entire economy, together with the other factors mentioned above, allow us to understand the challenges faced by companies, particularly in terms of working conditions and well-being, essential variables for a new approach to the activity. Hence, organizational well-being constitutes a central theme in the presentation of the macro trends of Turismo de Portugal with regard to the future of work.