Current Trends in Manpower Needs for the Tourism Industry

The tourism industry has been a major contributor to the labor market. In 1988, the industry generated 5.42 million direct jobs with a payroll income of over $69 billion (U.S. Travel Data Center 1989 Travel Tab). In addition to these direct jobs, the tourism industry has also indirectly generated millions of jobs in other industries. In spite of the large contribution of tourism to the labor market, manpower is one of the most dominant long-term problems facing the industry, especially in the accommodation, food service and attraction sectors. The objective of this article is to review current trends in manpower issues and to offer some solutions to the problems facing the industry