For the 2008 to 2018 period, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projected a significant increase in certain travel-related occupations, with the biggest gains going to hotel, motel, and resort desk clerk positions. Tour guides, flight attendants, reservation ticket agents, and lodging managers were also expected to see more openings. The only group projected to lose jobs was travel agents.
This growth across most travel-related fields was unsurprising, as travel to the United States was projected to increase during this timeframe, requiring more personnel. Much of the decline in the travel agent field can be attributed to the rising use of websites to book flights and hotels. An industry downside, however, is that the two groups earning the lowest wages—hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks, along with tour guides—were also the occupations expected to grow the most by percentage.
Minor updates and edits were made from the original article.
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Gennaro Salamone is the founder and editor of Enduring Wanderlust. Please contact him with questions regarding article or photo submissions.