Job Opportunities and Workforce Development
Travel Jobs Drive America's Economy
During the ongoing economic recovery from the pandemic, the travel and tourism industry and hospitality sectors are again emerging as a driver of U.S. economic growth. The research clearly demonstrates that travel jobs have a major impact not only nationally, but in the state of Virginia, the Coastal Virginia Region and of course, Virginia Beach.
Widespread Economic Impact
Spending in various industries directly linked to travel including transportation, lodging, food services, amusement parks and recreation, and retail—generates almost 1 trillion dollars annually in direct economic output. When direct and induced efforts are included from the travel's spillover to other industries—ranging from utility and energy companies to manufacturing and local farms—total impact on the U.S. economy reaches 2 trillion dollars. Linked to many other industries, travel generates additional demand throughout the economic supply chain, boosting job skills and spurring investment in other industries related to travel.
Nationwide, approximately 14 to 15 million Americans, or one in eight in the private sector, are employed in jobs dependent on travel and tourism. Travel is a top 10 employer in all but two of the fifty states. Unlike jobs in industries such as manufacturing and information technology, tourism jobs cannot be shipped overseas.
Job Opportunities
- Travel jobs serve as a gateway to opportunity and a middle-class life for millions of Americans. In addition to teaching critical job skills, and offering rewarding career paths, the travel and tourism industry also provides many employees with the flexibility they need to fulfill their higher education goals.
- Among workers who began their careers in the hospitality sector, one-third earned at least a bachelor’s degree, compared to just 28% in health care, 19% in construction and 18% in manufacturing.
- Of the nearly 6 million Americans working part-time while pursuing higher education, one-third of the employees, work in travel and tourism.
- More than half of all travel industry employees—a total of four million workers—earn middle-class wages or higher.
- Two of five workers who first took a job in the travel , tourism and hospitality industry are earning more than $100,000 per year.
The Future Looks Bright
According to recent research, the travel and tourism industry will continue to recover from the pandemicand fuel economic growth and job creation in the coming years. One in every seven new jobs added in the next decade will come from the hospitality sector. International travel is also recovering from the pandemic and will play an increasingly prominent role, with the growth in overseas visitors is expected to increase by approximately five percent per year for the next five years.
Workforce Development
For those individuals interested in job opportunities in the travel and tourism industry, education beyond high school significantly improves the probability of employment along with a stable career and positive earning potential. A college degree can give you an edge in the job market. The word "college" includes public and private colleges and universities offering bachelor and graduate degrees, as well as community colleges and continuing education establishments specializing in shorter-term workforce and career development training for specific occupations. In this regard, the vast majority of the following institutions offer travel and tourism related curriculums including culinary arts; hospitality; and hotel, restaurant and retail management and other related disciplines encompassing business administration and finance; computer information and technology; and arts, entertainment and recreational programs.
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PUBLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES |
CONTACT INFORMATION |
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Christopher Newport University |
757-594-7000; cnu.edu |
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College of William and Mary |
757-221-4000; wm.edu |
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George Mason University |
703-993-1000; gmu.edu |
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James Madison University |
540-568-6211; jmu.edu |
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Longwood University |
434-395-2000; longwood.edu |
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Norfolk State University |
757-823-8600; nsu.edu |
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Old Dominion University |
757-683-3000; odu.edu |
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Radford University |
540-831-5000; radford.edu |
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University of Mary Washington |
540-654-1000; umw.edu |
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University of Virginia |
434-924-0311; virginia.edu |
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Virginia Commonwealth University |
804-828-0100; vcu.edu |
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Virginia Military Institute |
540-464-7207; vmi.edu |
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Virginia State University |
804-524-5000; vsu.edu |
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Virginia Tech |
540-231-6000; vt.edu |
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PRIVATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES |
CONTACT INFORMATION |
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Appalachian School of Law |
276-935-4349; asl.edu |
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Averett University |
434-791-5600; averett.edu |
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Bluefield College |
276-326-3682; bluefield.edu |
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Bridgewater College |
540-828-8000; bridgewater.edu |
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Christendom College |
540-636-2900; christendom.edu |
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Eastern Mennonite University |
540-432-4000; emu.edu |
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Emory and Henry College |
276-944-4121; ehc.edu |
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Ferrum College |
540-365-2121; ferrum.edu |
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Hampden-Sydney College |
434-223-6000; hsc.edu |
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Hampton University |
757-5000; hamptonu.edu |
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Hollins |
800-456-9595; hollins.edu |
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Liberty University |
434-582-2000; liberty.edu |
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Lynchburg College |
434-544-8100; lynchburg.edu |
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Mary Baldwin College |
540-887-7019; mbc.edu |
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Marymount University |
703-284-1500; marymount.edu |
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Randolph-Macon College |
804-752-7200; rmc.edu |
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Randolph College |
434-947-8000; randolphcollege.edu |
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Regent University |
800-373-5504; regent.edu |
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Roanoke College |
540-375-2500; roanoke.edu |
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Saint Paul’s College |
434-848-3111; saintpauls.edu |
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Shenandoah University |
540-665-4500; su.edu |
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South University |
757-493-6900; southuniversity.edu |
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Sweet Briar College |
434-381-6100; sbc.edu |
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University of Richmond |
804-289-8000; richmond.edu |
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Virginia Union University |
804-257-5600; vuu.edu |
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Virginia Wesleyan College |
757-455-3200; vwc.edu |
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Washington and Lee University |
540-458-8400; wlu.edu |
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COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND CONTINUING EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS |
CONTACT INFORMATION |
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Eastern Shore Community College |
757-789-1789; es.vccs.edu |
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Paul D. Camp Community College |
757-925-6300; pdc.edu |
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Thomas Nelson Community College |
757-825-2700; tncc.edu |
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Tidewater Community College |
757-822-1122; tcc.edu |
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Atlantic University |
757-631-8101; atlanticuniv.edu |
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Bryant and Stratton College |
757-896-6001; bryantstratton.edu |
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Cambridge College Regional Center |
757-424-0333; cambridgecollege.edu |
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Centura College |
877-575-5627; centuracollege.edu |
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Culinary Institute of Virginia |
757-858-2433; chefva.com |
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ECPI Technical College |
800-986-1200; ecpi.edu |
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Everest Institute |
888-741-4270; everest.edu |
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Kaplan College |
800-987-6038; kaplancollege.com |
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ODU Virginia Beach Higher Education Center |
757-368-4100; odu.edu/vbhec |
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Regent University |
757-368-4100; regent.educ/academpicspce |
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Saint Leo University |
800-334-5532; saintleo.edu |
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Strayer University |
888-378-7293; strayer.edu |
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The George Washington University |
757-269-4949; gwu.edu/hamptonroads |
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The Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Center |
804-662-7288; hrcvt.edu |
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The University of Virginia Hampton Roads Center |
757-522-1890; scps.virginia.edu |
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Troy University |
757-460-2736; troy.edu |
