Millennials In the Hospitality Industry: A 5-Star Fit

Millennials in the hospitality industry are making moves — and you should join them. This industry presents unparalleled opportunities for young workers in search of dynamic and exciting careers that involve making people feel right at home no matter where they are in the world. Here are three reasons why millennials in the hospitality industry are closer to a dream job than most of us.

A Chance to Travel (on the Company Dime)

According to a survey conducted by PwC, a whopping 71 percent of millennials want to work abroad during their career. We’re a generation of wanderlusters, but many careers make it hard to combine our career goals with our travel aspirations. But in the hospitality industry, careers and travel go hand in hand. If a job that allows you to travel is at the top of your wish list, careers in this industry are definitely worth a look. From working on a cruise ship that sails around the world (or at least through the hottest spots in the Caribbean) to planning itineraries for clients as a luxury travel advisor (and getting to go on trips of your own sponsored by travel suppliers), the hospitality industry offers nearly endless opportunities for millennials who are looking to play hard around the world — and are willing to work hard to do so.

Providing Valuable Insight into the Changing Travel Industry Landscape

Here’s another interesting stat for you: it’s predicted that by the year 2020, more than half of the money poured into the travel industry will come from millennials. To prepare, hotels, entertainment behemoths, and major transportation players are catering to millennials like never before — take, for example, iconic (or “stodgy,” to some) hotel brands like Ritz Carlton and Marriot International who’ve developed their own apps and social networks for their younger customers to use. You can even use the Ritz Carlton app to order extra towels to your hotel room, instead of using the corded phone — a millennial dream come true.

What does this all mean for job-searching Gen Yers? Now is the perfect time to enter the hospitality and hotel management industries, since your age could give you a leg up. Who better to design and implement travel services for millennials than other millennials? You’ll be exceptionally equipped to wiggle your way into the mind of your customer, since chances are they’ll be from your generation. From a hotel management standpoint, you’ll bring value by knowing what this new wave of millennial clients want (free wifi) and what they don’t really care about (complimentary wake up calls), so you can better position your hotel to spend money where it really matters.

A Growing Job Sector

Another reason to consider entering the hospitality industry? It’s growing at quite a healthy clip. The global hotel industry revenue is expected to reach $550 billion this year, which means it’s grown by an enormous $100 billion just over the past five years. New opportunities abound, especially in burgeoning markets like Asia, so entering the industry now is a pretty safe bet. Job security and the chance to travel? Yes, please!

What career within the hospitality and hotel management industries excites you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below!