Focus on…Tourism & Hospitality

[one_half]

Tourism and Hospitality is a massive industry in Scotland as every year, millions of tourists pile into Scotland.  Roles in this industry help drive the economy forward – but what are they, and what is it like to work in hospitality and tourism?

[/one_half]

What areas of hospitality, tourism and sport can I work in?

Employment opportunities in the hospitality, tourism and sport sector can be categorised into:

Accommodation

Betting and gambling

Food and beverage services

Sports and active leisure

Travel and tourism

How many people work in tourism and hospitality?

• The tourism and hospitality industries have over 202,000 employees in Scotland alone, working in over 16,000 workplaces.
• 8% of Scottish jobs are in tourism.
• 6% of the sector’s workforce are in travel agents or tour operators
• 16% of those in the sector work in hotels, hostels, bread and breakfasts (B&Bs) and holiday apartments
• 4% work in casinos or betting shops
• 20% of employees work in gyms, golf courses, football clubs and theme parks
• The majority of people in the sector work in bars, pubs, restaurants, and cafés

Who works in tourism and hospitality?

• 58% of employees in the industry are female
• 46% of employees are under 30
• 48% of employees work part time
• 14%  of employees were born overseas
• 70% of waiting staff work part-time
• 70% of waiting staff are female
• 41% of waiting staff are students, and 77% are under 30

What’s it like to work in tourism and hospitality?

You can expect…

• Quite a low salary – the industry has the lowest average hourly earnings of all the sectors, especially in the food and beverage sector. Other areas pay considerably better – in travel and tourism, or sport and leisure, and for management level jobs. The average salary for hospitality managers is £23,000 The average salary for bar/waiting staff and kitchen assistants is just £13,000
• A customer-facing working environment – most tourism and hospitality jobs are customer facing, so you’ll need to be good with people. There’s a big emphasis on customer service, as businesses will rely heavily on customers to keep them afloat.
• To be on your feet…lots – Expect busy, fast-paced roles, with most of your time spent on your feet and in front of customers, especially at peak times
• Weekend and evening work – and often part-time hours. You’ll need to be flexible to fit the needs of the business.
• Quick promotion, if you work hard – expect to be able to work your way up to management within a few years, as many hospitality businesses have a short ladder from bottom to top!

How do I apply for a job in tourism and hospitality?

Many hospitality organisations are small, so you can rely on less formal ways of applying for jobs. Job adverts can be found in establishment windows, or in local press and jobsearch websites. Many companies also accept speculative applications – sending a CV or application letter in even when they aren’t currently recruiting. It’s also worth asking around, or asking friends and family who already work for companies if there are any current vacancies.