Forecast: Tourism Employment in Food and Beverage Serving Services in Malaysia

The tourism employment in food and beverage serving services in Malaysia has exhibited a robust upward trend from 2013 to 2023, with employment growing from 831.0 thousand to 1310.0 thousand persons. The sector witnessed considerable fluctuations in growth rates, experiencing peaks in 2014 (8.3%) and 2016 (9.85%), while a decline occurred in 2020 (-3.72%) due to the pandemic. Despite this, the sector made a recovery with steady growth rates in 2021 (3.29%) and 2022 (3.09%). As of 2023, employment stands at 1310.0 thousand persons, with a year-on-year growth rate of 2.94%.

Future trends signal a continued expansion, albeit at a moderated pace, with the forecasted 5-year CAGR (2024-2028) predicted to be 1.99%. This forecast anticipates the employment number reaching 1480.0 thousand persons by 2028, representing a cumulative growth of 10.36% over the forecast period.

Trends to watch for:

• The impact of digitalization and automation in food and beverage services on employment numbers.
• Changing tourist preferences and their effect on dining trends.
• The influence of government policies and international travel regulations on tourism employment.
• Potential economic fluctuations and their implications for the tourism sector.