Santa's Workshop adapting amid labor shortage

Local attractions are continuing to deal with the labor shortage as the summer tourist season begins.

HAPPENING NOW...LOCAL ATTRACTIONS ARE CONTINUINGTO DEAL WITH THE LABOR SHORTAGEAS SUMMER TOURIST SEASON BEGINS.SANTAS WORKSHOP...ONE OF MANY.HAVING TO ADAPT AND OFFERINCENTIVES TO ATTRACT MOREWORKERS.NEWS FIVE'S MAYO DAVISON IS LIVEAT THE AMUSEMENT PARK WITH MORE.THE PARK WAS PACKED TODAY WITHFAMILIES AND KIDS WHO'VETRAVELED FROM BOTH NEAR AND FARTO ENJOY THIS STAPLE IN COLORDOSPRINGS.DESPITE RUMORS THAT IT MAY CLOSEDUE TO A STAFFING SHORTAGE..THE OWNER TELLS ME IT'S NOT TRUEAND THEY ARE DOING BETTER THANPREVIOUS YEARS.NATS: TRAIN:IT WAS A BUSY DAY IN COLORADO'SSLICE OF THE NORTH POLE.NATS: LAUGHTER<EVERYONE IS SMILING AND HAVINGA GREAT TIME.LARGE CROWDS PACKED THE BELOVEDAMUSEMENT PARK WHICH HAS BECOMEA TRADITION FOR MANY FAMILIES.MY BROTHER AND I WOULD COME HEREWHEN WE WERE KIDS.EVERYONE HAS TO BRING THEIRLITTLE ONES HERE.OWNER TOM HAGGARD HAS SEEN HISSHARE OF UPS IN DOWNS THROUGHTHE YEARS...ESPECIALLY LAST YEAR WHEN THEPARK WAS SHUT DOWN DUE TO THEPANDEMIC.BUT THIS SUMMER ALREADY LOOKINUP FOR THE POPULARATTRACTION.WE'VE ENCOUNTERED LARGE DAYSEVERY DAY WE'VE BEEN OPEN.HIS GOALS WERE TO OPEN TWENTYRIDES..ALL FOOD AREAS OPEN...AND THE MAGIC SHOW.ACHIEVEMENTS OVERSHADOWED BY TCONTINUED LABOR SHORTAGE.WE CAN'T BE OPEN SEVEN DAYS AWEEK WHICH WE WOULD BE TYPICALLYTHIS TIME OF YEAR.TO DO IT, WE WOULD HAVE TOSTRESS THE STAFF SO MUCH.TO HELP ATTRACT WORKERS...HE'S BEGUN OFFERING REFERRALINCENTIVES...BUT HE SAYS THERE WON'T BE PAYRAISES.YOU KNOW YOU'D HAVE TO PAY WAYSO MUCH THAT YOUR PRICES WOULDHAVE TO GO SKY HIGH TO DO IT.I DON'R BELIEVE THAT IS THEBARRIER, PEOPLE WANT THE KIND OFJOB THAT THEY WANT, THEY WANTTHE KIND OF HOURS THAT THEY WANTHE SAYS THERE IS MORE TO THESHORTAGE THAN LOW PAY AND HIGHUNEMPLOYMENT CHECKS...BUT HE'S CONFIDENT THAT THEY CANPERSERVERE THROUGH THEIR NEWES