Moving away, moving up

In tourism destinations like the inner Ötz Valley, about 40 percent of persons in gainful employment work in the hotel and catering trades; for other occupations, the regional labour market offers only very limited opportunities. The more specialised young people’s qualifications are, the more likely it is that they will have to leave the Ötz Valley and move to another region, country or continent. At their new place of work and residence, they will be confronted by the same language barriers and bureaucratic obstacles that apply to incoming migrant workers in Austria. In addition, there is always pressure to adapt to the “lead culture” and to “integrate”. For someone without a job, however, moving away – whether from the Ötz Valley or some other part of the world – is often the only way to move up in the world.