Envisioning the Future of the American Travel Workforce

Note from the Editor: This piece is part of a series of opinion articles for Dinogo by Roger Dow, the president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, a Washington, D.C.-based organization advocating for all facets of travel in America. U.S. Travel’s goal is to promote travel to and within the United States.

This week is significant for the U.S. travel sector: it marks National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW, May 1–7, 2022), an annual gathering of travel professionals nationwide to reflect on the past year—honoring our achievements—and strategizing for the future.

There’s much to celebrate: Although international and business travel remain subdued, domestic leisure travel is close to fully rebounding to pre-pandemic levels.

As we strive for recovery, we recognize that returning to the status quo isn’t an option. Meaningful change hinges on our industry’s capacity to build and maintain a diverse and vibrant workforce.

Emerging from the pandemic, America’s travel industry is shaping a future that prioritizes sustainability, innovation, and security.

A chance to rebuild

The employment landscape has been grim: more jobs were lost in the travel and hospitality sector than in any other. The Leisure and Hospitality (L&H) sector previously made up 11 percent of pre-pandemic U.S. employment, yet as of March 2022, it accounted for an astonishing 93 percent of all job losses.

While this setback is significant, it also offers a chance to emerge more competitive against other industries. The travel sector provides quality jobs with fair pay, ensuring stability and upward mobility for families across the nation. Our industry can deliver highly competitive wages, essential for revitalizing the travel workforce. In fact, average hourly earnings for L&H employees were 20 percent higher than 2019 levels in March, outpacing the 14 percent increase for the private sector as a whole.

A route to advancement

This industry offers genuine opportunities for workers to advance and acquire valuable skills along the way. Travel fosters a strong talent pipeline through apprenticeships, mentorships, and hospitality management training programs. These initiatives prepare future hospitality leaders with essential skills that inspire purpose and mission.

I can attest to this because I have personally experienced the remarkable upward mobility this industry provides. I began my career as a pool manager at a Marriott hotel in 1966 and progressed through roles in housekeeping and sales. Eventually, I held sales and marketing positions at hotels across 12 cities before joining Marriott’s corporate headquarters in 1983 as the head of marketing. A decade later, I was given the chance to lead Marriott’s global sales team of 10,000. That first job at Marriott set the foundation for a career spanning decades, built on invaluable and transferable skills.

So, how can we ensure that others have the same opportunity for a career in travel?

Highlight the opportunities within travel careers

The U.S. travel industry needs to do more to promote this incredible sector to potential job seekers. As of November 2021, the labor force participation rate was nearly 62 percent—meaning there were 2.4 million fewer Americans in the workforce compared to the same period in 2019.

While this news is concerning, it also opens a unique opportunity. The travel industry serves as a supportive gateway for Americans aiming to re-enter the workforce in an evolving economy. In our quest for new talent, we must emphasize to job seekers that travel jobs are both accessible and flexible. Many entry-level positions are available in travel—such as front desk staff, housekeepers, lifeguards, and more. These roles provide crucial training to develop essential soft skills, including communication, commitment, confidence, leadership, adaptability, customer service, and problem-solving.

The U.S. Travel Association has recently partnered with Tourism Diversity Matters to attract a more diverse workforce and cultivate these skills. Founded in 2021, Tourism Diversity Matters addresses ethnic disparities within the tourism and events industry, aiming to engage, recruit, and retain a diverse workforce. Specifically, they lead an apprenticeship program that offers underrepresented college students hands-on experience in tourism and hospitality. Training workers to thrive in the workplace not only benefits individuals but also enhances employers and the communities they serve.

Looking ahead

During this National Travel and Tourism Week, I am excited to join colleagues nationwide in envisioning a bright future filled with limitless opportunities for the next generation of travel professionals. Both travelers and the U.S. travel industry have faced immense challenges during the pandemic, but this moment allows us to reimagine the industry as more dynamic, resilient, and forward-looking than it was before the public health crisis. It all begins with building a diverse and talented workforce.