The Hospitality, Events, & Tourism Career Cluster focuses on creating travel, dining, recreation, and experiences for customers. This cluster ranges from luxury hotels and fine dining to glamping and local cafes, from neighborhood cultural events to international business conferences. The industry is one of the world's largest employers and is projected to grow faster than average.
Customer service is the foundation of this cluster, and it revolves around delivering experiences that leave customers satisfied and returning for more.
The industry continues to evolve in new ways to anticipate and deliver what customers want, including using technology to streamline processes and personalize lodging and dining experiences.
Employers in this cluster are widely diverse. They include dining venues such as restaurants and bars, catering, and institutional cafeterias such as in schools and hospitals.
They also include lodging establishments like resorts, cruise lines, casinos, and short-term rentals, as well as travel and event businesses such as travel agencies, wedding and conference planning, and convention centers. Recreation facilities like theme parks, zoos, ski resorts, and spas are also part of hospitality, events, and tourism.
Quick Facts:
- Consumer spending—which is influenced by the state of the economy, public health issues, and political stability—has a major impact on this industry’s profits and hiring.
- Millennials, Gen Z, and younger generations are a strong market for this industry as many tend to prioritize travel, events, and experiences for their spending.
- In addition to eco-tourism, environmentally conscious industry practices include reducing single-use plastics, implementing composting programs, and sourcing local/ethical food.
- In recent years, safety and hygiene have become priority influences on how businesses in this industry operate.
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