Eight things about tourism

Some tourism pros and I were comparing notes on the golden days of Saipan’s tourism industry, and, for that matter, some of its less golden days in more recent times.

If I was young and looking for an on-ramp to the employment world, the tourism industry is probably where I’d start my search. So, just for the heck of it, I figured I’d list some of the things I like about the industry.

Although I’ve done a lot of number crunching in the industry on both sides of the Pacific, ranging from economic analysis for policy makers to financial forecasts for corporations, I’m not up for playing the data game today.

Instead, I’m going to heed some ancient Eastern wisdom: “A good reckoner doesn’t need a tally.” Actually, I only use that phrase when it suits my purposes. And, today, it does. Imagine that.

Anyway, here are a few things I like about the tourism industry in general, though you’ll have to make your own judgments about Saipan’s situation:

1) Tourism is worldwide. Be it urban or rural, hot or cold, snowy or sunny, fast or slow, dry or lush, it doesn’t matter, because there will be tourists. So wherever you are in the world, or wherever you want to be in the world, there are probably some opportunities in tourism. And when space travel finally hits commercial scale, tourism will be right there with it, so it will be out-of-this-world too; this is already providing jobs, by the way, and I’ve toured a factory that is making the prototype space ships.

2) It’s a tall-ladder industry. It reaches from unskilled, entry-level jobs to highly-skilled positions that require professional licensing.

3) The ladder isn’t just tall, it’s climbable, too. The industry often promotes from within. That doesn’t always happen, of course, but it happens often enough to notice. I’ve known people who went from being minimum-wage “food and beverage” workers to being hotel managers. As for me, some of the best professional training and promotions I received were in the Saipan tourism industry.

4) It’s an industry that offers a lot of niche plays for freelancers. Name a skill or job, and there are gigs in tourism: cook, accountant, data entry clerk, Web designer, writer, security, sales rep, driver, building maintenance worker, aircraft maintenance worker, photographer, financial analyst, video producer, retail clerk, translator, musician, landscaper, golf instructor, and, well, the list goes on and on.

5) Many tourism jobs are, for me at least, better than office work. I’d rather be on a tropical beach than stuck in an office. Tourism is not only the best way to accomplish this great escape, it’s often the only way. This reason alone is enough for me to be forever grateful for the tourism industry, so I could just stop this list now and relax.

6) But I’ll keep going, because I must note that not only are some of the jobs fun, but the people tend to be fun, too. Tourism tends to attract gregarious and friendly people. It’s a brighter world than the gray confines of the average, uptight, walking-on-eggshells corporate workplace.

7) Tourism has a strong overlap with other industries. If you get something rolling in one realm, it can open up opportunities in the others.

8) Tourism offers some of the most viable opportunities for micro-scale entrepreneurs. Although humble enterprises like T-shirt shops, small cafes, or freelance photography aren’t sufficiently glamorous to ignite the public imagination, if you’re looking to be an entrepreneur then tourism is often a good start, at least if you can grind out long hours and low margins when you’re starting out.

Well, that’s my list. There’s more to be said, of course, but eight is enough for now.

Do I think the global tourism industry will keep growing? Barring some economic or martial calamity, I certainly do. And, offering the same caveat, I think the industry will always offer opportunities to people who know how to put the customer first, because tourism is all about the customer.

Although there are some complicated jobs in tourism (helicopters, anyone?), the basics of the industry have never been mysterious, and the opportunities are often hiding in plain sight.