Seasonal Jobs in the Tourism Industry

(449 Words)
Tourism provides many different opportunities for seasonal jobs. There is no one “season” for tourism because it depends on your location and the exact field in which you work. The summer and winter holidays are two of the most common seasons for tourism.
The first step is to find the type of seasonal jobs in tourism that might be available in your area (or where you are willing to travel). First you can look for local opportunities by looking at websites such as Monster. If you live in an area with a beach such as South Florida, you will get a lot of tourists in the middle of the winter. People looking to escape harsh winter climates will travel to the warm weather areas. You can also look at times when students are off from school such as the summer and spring break.
Once you have identified what season you want to work, you can look for jobs that would specifically deal with tourism. Look for places that open or that swell with tourists at that special time. For instance a ski lodge that operates only during the winter months will have openings for customer service people, receptionists and all the different jobs in the field. You can look for these jobs in job websites, or you can contact places that you know open seasonably. Some of them may have an open house or even a job fair to fill their positions.
You can also look for jobs that require travel. Some cruises such as those to Alaska only go during certain months, for example.
There are a slew of tourism activities related to specific holidays such as Christmas and Hanukkah. Different areas might become tourist destinations during these months and require additional workers.
Once you have a seasonal position, it is important to do a good job. When you work in tourism, a great deal of your job is making sure that the tourist has a good time. Even if you provide the bare bones of your job, if you do not provide a pleasant experience for the tourist, they may not come back. For instance, if you are a waiter at a restaurant that caters to tourists during the holiday season, it is not enough to simply deliver the correct food. You must be cordial and make certain the tourist is satisfied. Even if the job is only seasonable and will thus end, you may be looking for the same job the following year.
A seasonal position in the tourism industry can provide a quick, low commitment job. You can earn extra money to help you for the season and in some cases enjoy opportunities to travel.