Some reports are saying that there will be an increased demand for workers in the tourism industry by 2020 due to industry growth and “retiring baby boomers, according to a new Tourism Labour Market Strategy produced by tourism resource organization go2” [Source]. This will cause a surge in the need for more trained workers and hiring across the tourism industry.
There are many different areas in tourism, but some are expected to grow at a faster pace than others. The majority of growth in tourism will be new jobs in “food and beverage (43,410), recreation and entertainment (20,530), and hotels or other accommodations (18,920)” [Source].
That is a total of 101,430 new jobs in an industry that has always been one of BC’s sources of income. People travel far and wide to come to Vancouver and BC to experience our beautiful scenery. Also, there have even been direct flights recently scheduled to Vancouver as part of a strategy to be the transportation provider to our province.
Those that will benefit the most are people who seek training now and get some experience before the expected boom in tourism. When that happens, there will be promotions and opportunities for all in the industry.
Any hiring manager will tell you that recruiting new employees and training them can be very costly. This is why managers try to find employees who are the right fit, previously trained in the industry, and then try to retain their recruits. You can be one of the top trained and experienced professionals when the shift begins.
This is your chance to be proactive and seek out a career that has many opportunities long term. The choices you make now can affect what success you experience down the road.
