A Career in Tourism

Why a Career in the Tourism Industry?

The tourism industry is the main economic driver for the State of Hawai‘i. In addition to generating billions of dollars of revenue, the tourism industry employs thousands of Hawai‘i residents. According to a 2008 Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) Employment Projections for Industries and Occupations 2006-2016, approximately 17 percent of all working individuals were employed by the leisure and hospitality industry. However, when you include the jobs that support hotels, tour agencies, and airlines, the total number of jobs that are connected to the tourism industry is even greater, making it the largest employer in Hawai‘i's economy! Here are some reasons why you should explore a career in the tourism industry.

• Upward Mobility
  There are many types of career paths within the tourism industry. Whether you start out at the front desk or at the ticket counter for an airline, through hard work and additional training, you will find many new windows of opportunity for both upward promotion and increases in salary.
• New Places to Learn
  Although Hawai‘i is an ideal tourism destination to make your career in Hawai‘i, it is also important to get the necessary training and experience to realize your full potential. Many successful individuals in the travel industry have left the islands to train and learn new ideas and techniques. Once those individuals returned home to the islands, they found new and exciting opportunities to utilize their newly acquired skills. They also were able to travel to different places around the world!
• Meet Different People
  A person's experience at a company or organization is greatly determined by the people they work with. The tourism industry is filled with people that have spent years with their companies and have enjoyed interacting with not only their co-workers but also with the numerous guests they interact with daily.
• Numerous career options
  One of the great things about the Tourism industry is the diversity of career paths an individual can pursue. Although you may start off in the back kitchen, for example, working in the fast paced environment of a restaurant will expose you to the many types of job opportunities that may interest you for future career advancement!