The next time you search for the top employers in the U.S., don't be surprised to see the travel and tourism industry in a prominent position. Yes, the industry that saw so much pain during the downturn is not only bouncing back quickly but also generating jobs steadily.
The U.S. Travel Association's data for 2013 reveals that the travel and tourism industry has led to the creation of 14.9 million jobs — 7.9 million directly in the industry and the other 7 million with its ancillary industries. Just for the former they have generated $209.5 billion in travel-related payroll. The improving economy and the job market are now spurring more travel plans, which in turn is set to support millions of jobs all over the United States.
Travel has dual benefits, bringing in positive results for both the traveler and the industry. Each and every service provider — from the transport service you choose, gas stations, food outlets, hotels, places of interests, entertainment segments and retail stores — benefits from travel. Even the increased amount of time spent online to use maps and GPS services brings in more revenue for the telecom industry.
The focus on making Brand USA a big attraction, nationally as well as internationally, seems to be paying off. The total spending on travel and tourism-related goods and services reached $1.5 trillion in 2013 which is about 4.1 percent jump from 2012.
The National Travel and Tourism Strategy that was launched in 2012 has been stressing more spending to propel this growth further. Government efforts have been combined with private-sector strategies to make the U.S. a top travel destination and reach the goal of having 100 million visitors per year by 2021.
The increased focus on international tourism was reflected by the 2013 figures, which showed 70 million international visitors came in and spent $214.8 billion in the U.S. economy. Imports play a big role in increasing numbers, but even domestic travel figures are on an upward swing, which is good news for the industry.
As per the U.S. Travel Association, travel industry employment did not just recover its prerecession boom but also reached an all-time high this spring. With the festive season around the corner and bookings about to pour in, hotels, airlines, restaurants and even the roads are expecting to get busier than ever.
Among the various segments, the food services industry is the largest direct employer, accounting for about 1.8 million jobs in 2013. It is followed closely by the hotels and accommodations sector (1.4 million jobs) and the transportation industry (1 million jobs) — figures that are reassuring and definitely set to rise.
The travel industry has been adding jobs at a robust rate of 19 percent faster than the economy in general. Ranking among the top 10 employers in the U.S., the travel and tourism industry employs 1 in every 8 Americans.
And it's not just the volume of jobs. It's also the quality of employment. The average maximum salary for a beginner is about $81,900, much higher than many other industries. This proves that the travel and tourism industry has indeed become a "job-creating powerhouse."
