Interested in joining the travel industry?
Christopher Elliott, a syndicated travel columnist and consumer advocate for travelers, said the travel technology sector is where you’ll find some of the hottest startup, entrepreneurial, and investment options.
“There’s a ton of opportunity,” Elliott noted on a recent Looking Forward®: Opportunities for Job, Career, Business, and Investment Seekers podcast. “Travel is coming back now after a three-year hiatus. So people are going to be looking at new ways of getting from point A to point B, new ways of taking a vacation, new ways of traveling.”
He explained that there’s this constant innovation going on with apps and travel: New ways of finding inexpensive airfares, new ways of finding accommodations, new types of accommodations.
“I’ve seen some great start-ups with the accommodations,” said Elliott, author of “How to Be the World’s Smartest Traveler (and Save Time, Money, and Hassle).” “What you’re seeing now is a lot of long-term visitors, digital nomads, instead of staying for one or two days, they’re staying for one or two months.”
One startup he mentioned who is capitalizing on this trend is Blueground, based in Athens, Greece. https://www.theblueground.com
But what about opportunities for job and career seekers?
“If you’re looking to get into the travel industry, I think that you have so many choices right now,” he said.
He suggested that people who like to fly — even those as young as 18 or 19 – should get a pilot’s license and apply to become a commercial pilot because “there are just tons of jobs out there, flying planes.”
He said technology is another huge area of opportunity for job and career seekers.
“We don’t need more booking apps,” he said. “We need smarter booking apps. And people who are working on those really smart booking apps, those are the ones that are going to make a lot of money.”
So how do you work those opportunities in the travel industry?
Don’t be afraid to get in on the ground floor and work your way up, Elliott said.
“Almost anyone I’ve met in the travel industry who is in an executive position has one thing in common: They all started at the very bottom,” he said.
During the interview, Elliott discussed global travel trends, the opportunities they present, tips on how to seize those opportunities, what lies ahead, and suggestions for cool places to visit.
To listen to the entire interview, go to: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/travel-is-back-and-so-are-lots-of-opportunities-for-you/id1520476704?i=1000602407440
For the complete library of the Looking Forward®: Opportunities for Job, Career, Business, and Investment Seekers podcast, visit: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/looking-forward-opportunities-for-job-career-business/id1520476704
Jeff Ostroff is the host of the Looking Forward®: Opportunities for Job, Career, Business, and Investment Seekers podcast and the Voices in the Spotlight show. He is a podcast creator, co-host, producer, B2B/B2C interviewer, voice-over talent, and author. Reach him at www.jeff-ostroff.com