Tourism Labour Market Growth
The BC government has released its latest labour market projections for the tourism industry in BC. These projections came to the same conclusion as prior tourism labour market studies: Tourism in BC will continue to be a growth industry.
Wading through labour market projections can be as exciting and stimulating as reading the new tax act. However, both contain important information that business operators ignore at their peril.
This most recent labour market study in BC came to the conclusion that tourism in BC will continue to be a growth industry. Although this is great news, it does pose some challenges, not the least of which is establishing a strategy to make sure that we have enough skilled people in the right place at the right time. The first step in this strategy is to understand the projected demands for occupations in the tourism sectors.
The latest Labour Market Outlook Report (2018) concluded that projected retirement and growth will result in the need for more than 106,000 new workers in tourism industries by 2028. The new job openings over the next decade will see these 10 occupations in highest demand for the province:
Total Openings
2018 – 2028
| Occupation | Openings |
|---|---|
| Food Service Counter Attendants & Kitchen Helpers | 11,500 |
| Cooks | 9,800 |
| Food and Beverage Servers | 8,000 |
| Restaurant and Food Services Managers | 7,600 |
| Bus Drivers and Other Transit Operators | 3,800 |
| Light Duty Cleaners | 3,500 |
| Program Leaders and Instructors in Recreation, Sport and Fitness | 3,000 |
| Chefs | 2,700 |
| Accommodation Service Managers | 2,600 |
| Taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs | 2,500 |
| Other Occupations in Tourism Industry | 51,000 |
Additional information can be found by downloading the Tourism HR Strategy report, the BC Labour Market Outlook 2018 Edition, or the Tourism and Hospitality Labour Market Profile.