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The Hospitality and Travel industry is a major global service industry that comprises interconnected sectors that include but are not limited to, lodging (e.g., hotels, motels, resorts), food services, event planning, and travel (air, land, and sea). It is also an industry that is cyclical in nature and affected by fluctuations in the economy (e.g., recessions, growth, cost of living) that do not necessarily follow predictive patterns.
Career and job opportunities in the Hospitality and Travel industry are diverse and, depending upon the organization, its focus, and size, may include both part- and full-time roles where levels of responsibility vary. Examples of occupations include but are not limited to, Convention and/or Meeting Planner; Travel Agent; Hotel and Motel Manager or Assistant Manager. A highly common element shared by individuals in this industry is customer and/or personal service - from planning to advising to directing to coordinating the needs of clients or customers.
While occupations in this industry have their own requirements for specialized skills, abilities, and attributes, most have the following in common:
Hospitality Management Training and Travel Schools
Individuals entering the Hospitality and Travel industry will find that education and training requirements vary greatly and depend largely upon the specific occupation and level of responsibility. Some occupations simply require a minimum of a high school diploma. However, the majority of employers prefer applicants who possess a post-secondary degree, especially in certain occupations where a bachelors or masters degree may be required (e.g., large establishment Hotel Managers).
Individuals seeking a degree program focused on a specific industry segment such as hospitality management, hotel, restaurant, meeting and convention planning, and travel will find programs offered by colleges and universities. Some vocational and trade schools, as well as other academic institutions and industry organizations also offer courses that lead to formal recognition in areas such as hospitality management and meeting and convention planning.
Certification is available through industry associations and generally requires a combination of coursework, examinations, and experience.
For many occupations, the following are common:
Schools for Hospitality And Travel are listed in the column to the left.
This table shows summary data on occupations in the US. Clicking on any occupation name brings you to a page showing job prospects and salaries for that occupation in hundreds of metro areas across the country, with data updated through 2008.(Where data is denoted by an asterisk (*), summary info was not available.
The green bars in the table below indicate the relative salary levels and growth rates of each occupation, compared to the others. The levels are determined by sorting the occupations (by salary or growth rate, separately) and then dividing them into ten groups corresponding to the the ten possible green bar levels. So a single bar means the occupation is in the bottom 10% for that characteristic compared to others on this page.
Click each Occupation title for more details.
| Occupation | Jobs | Median Pay | % Growth 2006-2016 | Video |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lodging Managers | 32,460 |  $45,800 | 12.2% | |
| Meeting and Convention Planners | 47,960 | $44,260 | 19.9% |  |
| Travel Agents | 86,420 | $30,570 | 1% | |
These schools offer particularly quick info upon request, and we have written detailed profiles for each (click school names to see the profiles).
Request info from multiple schools, by clicking the Get Info links.
We have some additional detailed pages at the state level for Hospitality and Travel.
Numbers in parentheses are counts of relevant campus-based schools in the state; online schools may also be available.
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