Your passion for exploration doesn’t need to be confined to vacation days. The travel industry is brimming with exciting career opportunities that allow you to immerse yourself in amazing destinations worldwide. From entry-level airport positions to crafting dream itineraries as a travel advisor, this guide unveils 10 fulfilling career paths within the travel sector, offering insights into the industry’s current landscape and numerous vacancies.
Fora stands out as a modern travel agency with a vibrant community of travel advisors – and yes, this role holds a special place in our hearts. (If you’re new to Fora, discover what we’re all about.) However, we deeply appreciate the diverse roles within the travel industry. Many of these positions directly or indirectly collaborate with travel advisors, creating a dynamic and interconnected ecosystem.
The wing of an airliner and a sunset over an urban landscape are visible from a window seat
10 Rewarding Career Vacancies in the Travel Industry
Discover a range of fulfilling career paths within the travel industry, each offering unique opportunities and experiences.
(P.S. Several of these roles are also featured among the best remote jobs for moms, highlighting their flexibility.)
1. Airport Staff & Flight Attendants: Essential Roles with Global Reach
Airport staff are the backbone of the travel industry, ensuring smooth operations for both local and international journeys. These critical roles offer numerous entry-level vacancies, often requiring only a high school diploma. Avionics mechanics and administrative positions are exceptions, sometimes demanding specialized qualifications. Flight attendants enjoy the perk of overnight stays in diverse cities, making it an attractive option for individuals who cherish solo travel and experiencing new cultures. This profession offers numerous vacancies for those seeking dynamic and people-centric roles.
However, it’s important to note that airport staff and flight attendant schedules can be demanding, characterized by early starts and late finishes. These roles often require adaptability and resilience.
2. Pilots: Taking Careers to New Heights
A woman with a pilot
Pilots experience the world from a unique vantage point, soaring thousands of feet above ground. While not for everyone, a career as a pilot offers unparalleled excitement and rewards. The demand for pilots is consistently high, leading to numerous vacancies globally.
Becoming a pilot requires specialized training, typically involving 6 to 12 months of intensive schooling, sometimes following a traditional degree. This career path necessitates dedication and investment but opens doors to a highly respected and well-compensated profession with global opportunities.
3. Hospitality Professionals: Crafting Exceptional Guest Experiences
Hospitality professionals are the heart of hotels and accommodations, managing everything from reservations to guest services. While guest-facing roles like concierges and front desk staff may not travel extensively, higher-level positions such as sales managers often involve travel to industry events and conferences, expanding their professional horizons. The hospitality sector consistently offers a wide range of vacancies, from entry-level to management positions.
Entry-level hospitality jobs generally offer competitive pay and entry requirements comparable to other sectors. Luxury hotels often provide enhanced salaries and benefits to attract and retain staff committed to delivering exceptional service, creating attractive vacancies for service-oriented individuals.
4. Cruise Staff: Adventures on the High Seas
A cruise ship is lit up at dusk while sailing away from St. Thomas (not pictured) in the Virgin Islands
Cruise line jobs blend elements of the airline and hospitality industries, offering unique opportunities for those drawn to maritime adventures. Spending weeks or months at sea can be an incredible experience for the right individual. Entry-level cruise staff roles often present demanding work conditions, including shared cabins and intense schedules, but also provide a unique entry point into the travel industry with numerous vacancies. Compensation varies significantly depending on the cruise line’s home country.
Higher-ranking cruise positions, such as cruise directors, entertainers, engineers, and captains, offer significantly higher salaries but require specialized experience and education. These roles represent attractive career progression opportunities within the cruise sector.
5. Private Charter Staff: Personalized Service in Exclusive Settings
Private charters offer a more intimate and luxurious alternative to large cruises, typically operating on yachts catering to smaller groups. Working in private charters demands exceptional service and attention to detail but often comes with higher pay and more exclusive experiences. Vacancies in this niche sector are often highly sought after.
Experience requirements vary, but many private charter positions align with hospitality roles or require boating knowledge. This sector offers a premium experience for both staff and clients.
6. Travel Writers & Bloggers: Sharing Stories, Inspiring Journeys
Travel writing and blogging combine a passion for writing with a love for travel. This career path allows you to explore destinations, research travel trends, and share your experiences with a global audience. It’s a dynamic role that offers numerous vacancies for freelance writers and content creators within the travel media landscape. It’s also recognized as one of the best jobs you can do remotely while traveling. The range of topics and niches within travel writing is virtually limitless.
Compensation in travel writing can vary widely. While some build lucrative careers, many pursue it part-time. However, the increasing demand for online travel content creates growing vacancies and opportunities in this field.
7. Travel Photographers: Capturing the World’s Beauty
Guests stroll around the hidden grounds of a resort in Punta Mujeres, Spain
Travel photographers typically work as freelancers, collaborating with various travel industry clients. Hotels, resorts, and cruise lines hire photographers to showcase their amenities and destinations for marketing purposes. The visual nature of travel marketing drives consistent vacancies for skilled photographers.
While extensive experience and professional equipment are often required for high-paying gigs, the demand for compelling visual content in travel ensures ongoing opportunities for talented photographers.
8. Travel Influencers: Marketing Wanderlust
Social media travel influencers are essentially marketers specializing in promoting travel-related products and services. Like photographers, influencers partner with hotels and tourism boards to highlight specific destinations or experiences. The rise of social media marketing has created numerous vacancies for travel influencers.
Becoming an influencer doesn’t necessarily require formal qualifications, but building a successful platform demands significant effort and dedication to cultivate a large and engaged following. The influencer marketing sector in travel continues to expand, offering evolving opportunities.
9. Designers & Architects: Shaping Travel Spaces
New Orleans, a top travel destination in the United States. Classic Old-World architecture on full display on Bourbon Street
Designers and architects play a crucial role in shaping the physical spaces of the travel industry, designing hotels, resorts, museums, and other tourism infrastructure. These roles demand specialized skills and education and represent highly skilled vacancies within the sector. Hotel brands may employ in-house designers, while others contract freelance professionals.
Like pilots and cruise directors, successful designers and architects in the travel industry typically possess extensive education and experience, reflecting the complexity and importance of these roles.
10. Tour Guides & Operators: Sharing Local Expertise
Guiding travelers and sharing your passion for a destination can be a deeply rewarding career. Tour guides bring destinations to life, offering unique insights and experiences. From beer tours in Brussels to luxury tours in Egypt, the possibilities are vast. Tour operator and guide roles offer diverse vacancies, particularly in popular tourist destinations.
Entry requirements are often minimal, making it accessible to many. However, many tour guide positions are seasonal or part-time. Consistent, full-time opportunities are more common in year-round destinations. This sector offers a great entry point into the travel industry for those with strong communication and interpersonal skills.
(Many tour guides and operators collaborate with destination management companies, which also present exciting career vacancies in the travel industry.)
11. Travel Advisors (Travel Agents): Crafting Personalized Journeys
A woman in trendy clothing works in the warmth of a coffeeshop with windows prominently reveal rural Iceland behind her
While we may be biased, we believe travel advising is a premier career choice within the travel industry, offering unparalleled flexibility and earning potential. As a travel advisor, you share your passion for travel while helping others create unforgettable experiences. The demand for personalized travel planning is growing, leading to increased vacancies for skilled travel advisors.
What does a travel agent do? Primarily, travel advisors book accommodations (hotels, cruises) and travel experiences (tours, car rentals) for clients. They act as expert consultants, crafting custom itineraries and providing valuable travel advice. Fora Advisors also unlock exclusive hotel perks for their clients at partner properties.
Travel advising is demanding yet exceptionally rewarding and enjoyable, presenting numerous vacancies for those seeking entrepreneurial and client-focused careers. Apply to become a Fora Advisor to learn more or explore different types of travel agent jobs.
How Travel Advisor Careers Differ: Flexibility and Growth Potential
Unlike many structured travel industry roles, Fora travel advisors enjoy career paths tailored to their lifestyles. Some advisors dedicate themselves to full-time travel planning, while others integrate it with existing careers. This flexibility makes travel advising an attractive option for diverse individuals seeking work-life balance and career control, highlighting the unique vacancies in this sector.
Fora prioritizes advisor autonomy, providing control over business scaling. Our guide to Fora travel advisor salaries provides further insight. Depending on time commitment, Fora Advisors can achieve significant income, earning six or seven figures annually (learn more about travel agent earnings).
While traditional travel jobs often adhere to rigid schedules, remote travel agents with Fora operate with flexibility, setting their own pace. Fora provides comprehensive travel agent education and travel agent training, removing barriers to entry and creating accessible vacancies for aspiring advisors.
Explore Travel Advising: Your Ideal Travel Industry Vacancy
Discover the rewarding world of travel advising and learn how you can build a successful career planning and selling travel. Apply to become a Fora Advisor today to embark on your journey.
FAQs About Travel Industry Vacancies
The wing of a passenger jet is visible from the view of an airline seat. Brilliant rays of sunshine also break through dark clouds
Here are answers to common questions about job vacancies and careers in the travel industry.
Who Fills Travel Industry Vacancies?
Often, individuals with a genuine passion for travel are drawn to the industry. More than many sectors, travel attracts people from diverse backgrounds and nationalities. Travel industry vacancies are filled by a global workforce, reflecting the international nature of the field.
(Explore remote jobs you can do while traveling – not all are within the travel industry, but our guide offers valuable options).
Travel Industry Vacancies are Booming
Now is an opportune time to consider a career in travel and tourism. The U.S. Travel Association reports unprecedented travel demand, creating abundant vacancies and growth opportunities across the sector.
Where are Travel Job Vacancies Concentrated?
Travel job vacancies are outpacing many other sectors in regions experiencing tourism growth. Destinations like New Orleans, Oahu, and Las Vegas have witnessed significant tourism surges post-pandemic, driving demand for travel professionals. This “revenge travel” phenomenon is fueling job creation and vacancies across the industry. This boom is particularly beneficial for contemporary travel advisors.
The travel industry’s resurgence isn’t limited to the U.S.; global destinations like Portugal, Italy, and Japan are experiencing record tourism, resulting in widespread travel job vacancies across continents.
Which Travel Sectors Show the Fastest Vacancy Growth?
Growth varies regionally, but hospitality (hotels, accommodations), tourism, and travel planning sectors are experiencing the most significant vacancy increases, reflecting current travel trends and demands.
Earning Potential in Travel Industry Vacancies?
Salaries vary widely within the travel industry. Executive roles typically command top salaries. However, high-performing travel consultants, particularly Fora Advisors, can earn comparable incomes, reaching six-figure earnings through travel agent commissions and service fees.
The highest-paying travel job vacancy is not fixed; compensation fluctuates based on seasonality, market trends, and economic conditions.
Travel Jobs with Maximum Travel Opportunities?
Many travel industry roles are office-based, but some offer extensive travel. Contemporary travel advisors, including Fora Advisors, can work remotely from anywhere with internet access, providing unparalleled travel freedom (refer to our guide on traveling the world).
Entry-Level Travel Vacancies: Education and Skills?
Most entry-level travel industry vacancies have minimal education or experience requirements, making the sector accessible to a broad range of candidates. More specialized roles, like hotel managers or tour operators, typically require specific degrees or qualifications.
For those seeking entry with minimal prior education, becoming a Fora Advisor is an excellent option. Fora provides comprehensive travel agent schooling to equip you for success in your travel business.
Perks of Fora Travel Advisor Vacancies?
Fora Advisor vacancies offer numerous perks: flexibility, a supportive community, ongoing training, marketing resources, and an integrated booking platform, among other technological advantages.
Explore More Travel Advisor Resources
For further insights into a career as a travel advisor, explore these travel advisor resources.
