Employment opportunities
January 14, 2025
The Travel & Tourism sector is a significant global employer, offering abundant employment opportunities for young workers, women, and SMEs. Networking opportunities for SME travellers and focusing on talent development are key strategies to grow their travel business. Here are the key employment trends in this dynamic sector.
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Climate resilience directly contributes to the stability of tourism destinations. By implementing measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change, destinations can protect their natural resources, which are often the primary attractions for tourists. For instance, destinations like Puerto Rico and the Philippines have developed sophisticated resilience strategies that include climate risk assessments, biodiversity conservation plans, and hazard mapping.1,2 These measures help preserve beaches, forests, and other natural assets that are crucial for tourism.
The Travel & Tourism sector is a significant global employer, offering abundant employment opportunities for young workers, women, and SMEs. Networking opportunities for SME travellers and focusing on talent development are key strategies to grow their travel business. Here are the key employment trends in this dynamic sector.
Youth employment
- 31% growth in youth employment: The number of young workers aged 15-24 rose by 31% from 2010 to 2019, reaching 18.9 million by 2019 (Figure 3, Page 7)
- 15% of all tourism jobs are held by young workers, a significant contribution compared to the 12.5% share in other industries globally (Figure 4, Page 7)
- Top regions for youth employment:
- Asia-Pacific: Over half of global youth employment in tourism.
- Middle East: Youth employment rose from 3% in 2010 to 4.2% in 2019.
Female employment
- In 2019, 47.8 million women were employed, a 23.8% increase since 2010 (Figure 9, Page 11)
- 50% of all jobs in hospitality are held by women, with the sector being a critical employer for women in countries with traditionally male-dominated industries.
- The share of female workers in the sector globally reached 39.3% in 2021, surpassing other sectors slightly.
