A new analysis by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global Travel and tourism business sector, estimates 412,000 travel & tourism jobs in the U.S. will remain unfilled this year, putting in serious jeopardy the recovery of the sector. tourism jobs usa

According to WTTC’s data, one in 18 jobs remained vacant during the first half of 2022, highlighting a talent crunch that has plagued the sector since early 2021. An estimated 321,000 travel and tourism positions went unfilled in the January–June 2022 timeframe (a 5.4% shortage), and worker shortages are expected to persist into 3Q, peaking at 412,000 sector job vacancies (a 7% shortfall). tourism jobs usa
 
During 2020, employment in the sector dropped by 35.9% in the U.S. at its lowest point. As global Travel & tourism began recovering in 2021, the U.S. saw a 12.4% hike in the number of jobs directly supported by the sector, adding a welcome 480,000 jobs back into the market.

Despite the positive growth in 2021, sightseeing transportation, accommodation, and recreation are experiencing the most serious labor shortage impact this year. Employers in the accommodation industry in particular could struggle to find suitable candidates for nearly one in seven hotel and resort job postings.

“As the U.S. pushes full steam ahead toward a solid recovery for Travel & Tourism, a lack of qualified, available talent remains a major concern for the sector,” said Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO. “This is especially true given the sudden spike in international visitors following the removal of COVID tests for inbound travelers.”

MEASURES TO BOOST EMPLOYMENT GROWTH
According to WTTC, the outlook could be more positive later this year and into 2023 if government officials and the public sector work together to increase the availability of eligible workers while adapting sector career opportunities to better appeal to top talent.

“There is huge potential to increase the number of available workers in the U.S. by fostering greater labor mobility within the U.S. and across its borders,” said Simpson. “Stringent visa allocations are affecting many industries which ultimately impacts the wealth and growth prospects for the US.  We urge officials to consider measures that make visas and work permits more easily accessible.”

According to the report, the United States Census Bureau data indicates that between 2016 and 2020, international migration to the U.S. plunged from around 1.05 million people to just 477,000.

Some of the key measures identified in the report for both governments and the private sector to address the talent gap are:

•    Facilitate labor mobility across international borders with more favorable visa policies
•    Enable flexible and remote working where feasible, allowing part-time or contractor-based opportunities, where possible
•    Ensure decent work and competitive employee benefits and compensation packages
•    Attract talent by improving the perception of jobs and promoting viable career paths with growth opportunities
•    Develop and support a skilled workforce through comprehensive educational programs, as well as upskilling and reskilling current talent
•    Adopt innovative technological and digital solutions to alleviate pressure on staff, improve daily operations and enhance customer experience

By adopting the right measures to support travel & tourism employment growth, the sector can surpass pre-pandemic levels and successfully meet consumer demand across the industry.

After testing removal, inbound international flight bookings to the U.S. see 93% surge, WTTC reports tourism jobs usa

New data released by the WTTC and its partner ForwardKeys on international flight booking trends, reveals the long-awaited recovery of international traveler spending in the U.S. is finally underway.

According to the research, inbound travelers are returning in droves after the U.S. government dropped the requirement to a COVID test before entry.

But while ForwardKeys’ data shows bookings increased by 93% during the past six weeks compared to the same period last year, international spending in the U.S. is still lagging other destinations and is not expected to reach pre-pandemic levels until 2025.

“The spike in inbound bookings validates the U.S. government’s decision to ease travel restrictions by scrapping testing for visitors and returning U.S. citizens – something other economies did long ago,” said Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO.

“The year-over-year improvement is promising, but there is still a way to go for travel to the U.S. At the current rate of recovery, international visitor spending will not reach pre-pandemic levels until 2025.”

Simpson continued: “This finding echoes our previous study showing the U.S. lagging other countries in international visitors, resulting in a slower-than-expected recovery of international tourism revenue.”

Iconic U.S. Cities Remain Popular Destinations 

According to the latest flight booking data, iconic American cities remain popular destinations for visitors to the U.S., including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, and Orlando leading the way.

During the past four weeks, there has also been a strong uptick in inbound flight bookings to Ft. Lauderdale, increasing 7% since this time last month.

The top source markets for inbound international travel are Canada, Germany, France, and Brazil. Chile and Japan also recently joined the top origination markets, with inbound flight bookings increasing significantly during the past four weeks by 28% and 8%, respectively.

Driven by robust year-over-year growth of 35% compared to 2021, U.S. outbound flight bookings have reached near pre-pandemic levels, falling just 5% short of 2019 bookings.

International destinations such as Canada, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, the UK, and Italy top the list for U.S. travelers looking to get away. Joining the top destinations, the Philippines has seen an 8% spike in outbound flight bookings during the last four weeks alone.

Simpson added, “The good news is the travel and tourism sector is resilient, and sensible border-crossing policies and reduced restrictions are helping to fuel the sector’s recovery. But more international travel is key to ensuring the pace and scale of full recovery.” tourism jobs usa

WTTC has been tracking international travel trends for more than 30 years. With the help of knowledge partners such as ForwardKeys, WTTC publishes a number of research reports each year, delving deeper into issues such as the economic contribution of the travel and tourism sector, job creation, market growth, and more.