Careers in Hospitality and Tourism

Typical Job: Hotel, Tourism, Restaurants, Retail

Typical Work
The objective of employees in the hospitality industry is to provide people with a service. This service can include offering tours, information, serving food, cooking food, providing wine suggestions, offering valet parking or owning a restaurant. Whatever the service is, the ideal result is to ensure good customer service and make clients happy.

International Experience
The hospitality industry is a global market. Once a person has developed the necessary skill set, they may transfer these skills to positions around the world. Often, when working in the tourism and travel industry, employees are required to travel to destinations that they may promote later.

Education and Training
The hospitality industry includes a variety of positions that each requires different skills, education and experiences. In general, to work in the hospitality industry, people ought to be knowledgeable in their field, whether that is in the food industry or about the city they are working in.

Skills and Interests
Most positions in the hospitality industry require very good customer service skills. These positions require friendly, upbeat people that can work well under pressure and handle stressful environments. People that chose this field should enjoy working with people and have strong interpersonal skills.

Statistics
Travel & tourism is the world's largest industry. It exists in every country and as travel becomes easier and easier the potential in this industry is endless.

Salary Range
Minimum wage (plus gratuities in some cases) is at the bottom of the range while some bed and breakfast owners and travel agents can make over $100,000.

Associations and Organizations
World Tourism Organization http://www.world-tourism.org/

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