The Tourism industry might be feeling undervalued right now. And arguably it is sort of right.

It is not taken seriously by the education system (you can only get a Merit result in NCEA Tourism, not Excellence), and a recent survey of attitudes to tourism suggested young people are wary of embarking into a Tourism career due to the impression it pays poorly.

These factors have led to many Tourism employers relying on migrant workers to operate. They struggle against immigration settings designed to prioritise New Zealand citizens. They also say they’d love to employ more Kiwis but that Kiwis just aren’t applying for their roles.

Auckland has responded by launching a campaign called Go with Tourism to inspire Kiwis into the industry. This is a positive initiative and has had a great initial uptake. This shows the industry has appeal and there is hope for more Kiwis to be part of it.

The next challenge is to ensure those keen to be involved in our biggest export earner include the ex-Dux, the young leaders and the brightest graduates.

So, how can we take these bright, and skeptical young people and offer them something so appealing they feel compelled to spend time working in Tourism?

 

Here are some of my thoughts:

1. Prepare for the future

Commentators talk of the future of work being disrupted by AI, robotics and other technologies.

This sounds scary but it offers Tourism an opportunity. This is because the skills that futurists promote are the same skills that Tourism seeks and builds:

• Adaptability
• Empathy
• Communication skills
• Resilience
• Cross-cultural understanding
• Initiative.

2. Experience different cultures without the carbon footprint

Many young people aim to do a gap year or OE before or after committing to their study or career. Many also are concerned enough about climate change to want to live and travel in a low-impact way.

A Tourism job opens up an alternative way to leave home, have the OE/gap year experience, rub shoulders with workers and international customers and live in an amazing spot - all while keeping their carbon footprint low.

3. Don’t believe the old people

The Tourism industry is largely seasonal and this is a challenge when it comes to retaining staff. But on the flipside, this seasonality offers young Kiwis a chance to try out working in the industry without having to commit to it.

The idea of a ‘career’ is losing its appeal to many young people so rather than trying to convince of what is becoming an old person’s view of jobs, let them experience it for themselves and make up their own mind.

4. Make an impact internationally

Passionate young people want to make a difference. Within Tourism, their interactions with visitors can be a conduit for them to share their values.

With initiatives like the Tiaki Promise and the TIA Sustainability Commitment, the tools are there for people to bring these ideas to life within organisations, and amongst their customers. Done well, this has the potential to change the attitudes and behaviour of visitors when they return home.

5. Short ain’t so bad

Let’s assume Tourism attracts an incredibly bright ambitious young person. They may only last two years before they decide to head in a different direction. Is this a failure because they didn’t choose a career in tourism?

Or rather, is it a success that an employer got to benefit from the energy and great customer service that the person offered over their two years?

Isn’t it better to have a great employee making an impact over a shorter time than an average employee for a long time?

 

Go with Tourism is a great way to alert Kiwis to the opportunities in the industry. It’s a great start.

But by reassessing what motivates young people and how Tourism can respond, maybe we can make our biggest export earner be a compelling ‘rite of passage’ for any young person’s working life?

 

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Go with Tourism is now rolling out nationally.  In partnership with ATEED, Queenstown Lakes is the first region outside of Auckland to launch the platform.  Visit www.gowithtourism.co.nz to find out more.

By: Peter Harris