Hospitality and Recreation
The hospitality and recreation industry includes jobs in tourism, travel and entertainment. Hotel managers, tour guides, travel agents, cruise ship workers and even amusement park employees are all part of the hospitality and recreation industry. People often choose to work in this field because they like helping others enjoy travel and recreation. Some people look for jobs in tourism and travel because the jobs seem fun. For these thrill seekers, working on a cruise ship, as an exotic tour guide, or at an exclusive resort are interesting and just plain cool jobs.
Hospitality and recreation isn’t all about fun and games, though. Most jobs in this industry require good people skills. As many travel and tourism veterans will tell you, people on vacation can have high expectations and therefore they can be difficult to please. Good planning and organization skills are also essential for many jobs in this industry. Hotel managers, cruise ship directors, tour planners, and travel agents must be able to keep track of lots of details, from activity schedules to dietary requirements to guests’ personal preferences. Inevitably, even with the best organization and planning, things will go wrong from time to time. As such, people in travel and tourism must be able to deal with the unexpected, and they must do it in a graceful and pleasant manner without losing their cool.
Hospitality, travel, tourism, and recreation are great industries for full-time careers, but it’s also a good place for students and recent graduates to refine basic business and management skills. Part-time or summer jobs at movie theaters, theme parks, or resorts can be a great experience for anyone who wants to work in a business-related role later in their career.
The career profiles listed below provide details on dozens of jobs in this industry. Each page lists the salary expectations, training requirements, employment outlook, and other details.
Job Descriptions and Careers, Career and Job Opportunities, Career Search, and Career Choices and Profiles