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- It’s one of the world’s fastest-growing industries (and it’s never going away)
- You can make a real difference in guest’s lives
- You don’t have to settle for low pay
- You won’t be limited to just a couple of employers or fields
Whether you need to start your career quickly and with little previous experience or dream about exploring the globe while earning a competitive income, hospitality could be the right industry for you. Consider these four reasons it’s easily one of the best career paths in the world.
1. It’s one of the world’s fastest-growing industries (and it’s never going away)
According to the Statistica, there were 320 million jobs in travel and tourism in 2023, a 25 million growth from 2022, and 49 million more jobs than 2020. It not only made a comeback after the COVID-19 pandemic, but we are only 14 million jobs away from being back to 2019 (pre-pandemic) levels.
Travel and tourism jobs are also going to be safer than corporate jobs with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) because, after all, this industry is rooted in human interactions and creating amazing experiences for guests and travelers.
2. You can make a real difference in guest’s lives
Generally, when people are on vacation, staying in a hotel, or even just going out for dinner, they are looking forward to new experiences, taking a break, and relaxing from their everyday life. When you work in hospitality, you get to help them do so, whether you’re making a few minutes, hours, or days of their lives easier or happier.
Interacting with your customers can improve your life as well. According to one Resort Marketing Manager who responded to a question on Quora about the advantages of working in hospitality, there are many. “If you’re passionate about travel and hospitality, the hotel industry is a lifelong career path,” she noted. “You’ll meet interesting people – team members, guests, vendors, media – that open your eyes to the world and help you clarify your own goals. Getting to ‘talk story’ with guests is a highlight of the day. You have connections around the world.”
3. You don’t have to settle for low pay
Sure, entry-level hospitality jobs may not pay much more than minimum wage, but it’s pretty easy to advance from your first position into one with greater responsibility (and thus a larger salary) fairly quickly if you’re willing to work hard to prove your worth to your employer. Add to that the variety of opportunities available in the industry – both in the U.S. and abroad – and you’ll never have an excuse to be dissatisfied with your career.
And while we’re on the topic of compensation, let’s not overlook the other perks of working in hospitality. Depending on your position and employer, these can range from free meals and hotel rooms to discounted airfare, hard-to-get reservations at the world’s hottest restaurants, performance bonuses, tickets to popular shows and events, and a whole lot more.
4. You won’t be limited to just a couple of types of employers or fields
While hotels, resorts, casinos, and restaurants employ many hospitality professionals, there are plenty of other places you can find work in the hospitality industry as well. These include airlines, railways, and cruise ships as well as conference and convention centers, spas and wellness centers, caterers, performance venues, fitness centers, museums, tour operators, and more.
This also means there is room in hospitality for more than just customer service professionals, with, in particular, an ever-expanding need for technology professionals. The industry needs engineers, sales and marketing, and accounting and finance experts to keep up with growing technology trends that are revolutionizing hospitality.