Industry: Hospitality and Tourism
 The hospitality and tourism industry is an adventurous and fun industry that requires an individual who can handle stress, but who values working in a job that caters to their personal preferences. Customer service is the name of the game with hospitality so you should have excellent interpersonal skills. You’ll also need to be able to work within a team.
Individuals working in the hospitality industry can work in positions ranging from a card dealer in a casino to a hotel concierge advising occupants on where to find the local fresh produce. The hospitality industry includes lodges and resorts, while tourism includes anything that attracts visitors. For example, a tourist sight might include Disneyland, Grand Canyon, or even the world’s largest ball of twine in Kansas. Gambling, cruises, theme parks, and museums all are tourist attractions employing a wide variety of job seekers world wide. Whether you are looking to be a waitress in a classy hotel, a souvenir shop owner, or dressing up as a Disney Princess, the variety of jobs within the tourism industry can match to anyone’s preference.
Although you may enjoy your work in the hospitality and tourism industry, the industry is unstable and depends on the current economic state of the country. When consumer spending is down, traveling and extravagant nights out take a back seat. Working in the hospitality and tourism industry is dependant on consumer spending and individuals looking to travel, take a vacation, or even just a weekend getaway. Not only is the work unstable, the pay is minimal compared to the amount of stress employees must undergo. Scheduling hotel reservations, maintaining the cleaning schedule, and insuring customer satisfaction all pay a daily toll on the employee that seems to have no end. Although the industry is full of stress, working in the hospitality and tourism industry can be rewarding if you are a people-pleaser and take satisfaction in helping others.
The traditional role of the travel agent is on its way to becoming obsolete. The internet has put the responsibility of travel arrangements on the client because they can plan their trip at home, compare prices on one website, and even buy tickets at promotional discounted prices. Websites such as Expedia compare pricing from the top competitors to give the consumer the best price. This has forced hospitality and tourism organizations to loose money due to increased amount of discounted services. With the decrease in prices for lodging, the hospitality and tourism industry has had to make up the revenue in many other ways such as additional charges, convenience fees, and increased fees.
Even though the way the industry is run has changed, the industry itself is still focused on helping people have fun. The hospitality and tourism industry is full of excitement, new people, new events, and a variety of positions for job seekers. Although the jobs depend on the current trends of consumers, the hospitality and tourism market is a great industry to work in because there are multiple jobs needed to make this a prospering industry. With the wide array of jobs that can match any job seekers preference, the hospitality and tourism industry can be a perfect match for you.
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