The San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA) recently released its Tourism Workforce Study, produced by the SDTA research team along with the San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center, led by its chief economist, Daniel Enemark.

As full disclosure, I’m now a member of the SDTA’s Board of Directors. I joined a few years ago as a layman, a member who represents the community rather than being directly connected with the tourism industry.

My interest in joining was that I was aware that tourism supports about one-third of our region’s economy. And it employs hundreds of thousands of workers.

Most people are unaware that these jobs extend far beyond leisure and hospitality jobs and into broader sectors such as finance, law, IT, transportation, and many more.

What most caught my eye was the breadth of San Diego County’s region’s tourism jobs and how much they now pay. I was aware of the public misperception that tourism jobs were for the most part very entry-level and very low pay.

Not so, it turns out.

Long-held myths about tourism pay

For one thing, the study shattered long-held myths about tourism pay, revealing that direct tourism jobs pay an average of $28 per hour, and indirect tourism jobs pay an average of $32 per hour.

That’s great news, which should help to fill the 13,000 tourism jobs available in the region right now.

And more than 70% of these jobs don’t require a college degree, and many allow employees to attend school in the daytime and work at night, or vice versa.

There’s no doubt that working closely with the public takes a special talent. If you have it great. If not, the tourism industry can be your path to learn a very important skill.

If you’ve been ignoring the tourism field, think again. There are thousands of openings and they pay surprisingly well.

Being in the hospitality field offers long-term career opportunities that you might not have considered, led by management roles that go beyond working at the front desk or as a part-time server.

Along with offering higher-than-expected hourly pay, many hospitality jobs include what’s called “tipped opportunities.”

It’s almost like you’re running a small business. The better job you do in doing your job right and making the client happy, the more tips you’ll earn.

Another appealing thing about tourism jobs is their fast-upward mobility. This is due to high turnover and the opportunity to prove yourself quickly.

Skill levels typically desired in this industry

For me, the SDTA study was an eye-opener in another way. The skill levels typically desired in this industry are about being helpful, outgoing and friendly.

Basically, we’re talking about people with a high energy level and a positive attitude. Plus, you need to be team-oriented. It takes many steps to make customers happy in the hospitality field.

As it turns out, guess what soft skills employers are requesting these days? The personality traits that tourism teaches are virtually what all companies look for.

When our staffing firm interviews applicants, we’re fully aware that our clients have tasked us with finding the best candidates, with the best hard skills to fill job openings with the most qualified job-seekers.

I get that.

But there’s also the importance of seeking out those who display a sense of teamwork, curiosity to learn new skills, and the ability to communicate and work with various levels of co-workers.

Even if you don’t see yourself long-term in the industry, you’ll learn very valuable skills and meet lots of people who can help you. You will have references that can vouch for your ability to work hard and make sometimes difficult clients happier.

You’ll have gained excellent people skills in your training and experience that will always be highly valued by future employers.

Finally, because of the ease of entry into the tourism industry, you can quickly get a job and keep it and stay as long as it works for you. Or move on to another longer-term position that may fit you even better, taking your people skills with you.

That’s a fit worth considering.

Blair is co-founder of Manpower Staffing. pblair@manpowersd.com