The Future: Career Opportunities and Job Prospects
Department of Tourism, Hospitality, and Culinary Arts prepares students for careers in the visitor and hospitality industries that are vital to the San Antonio and south Texas economy. The industry has grown handsomely in the recent past and is currently the city's second largest industry. Approximately 8 million people visit San Antonio per year, and the tourism industry has an estimated $4 billion impact on the city's economy.
The job prospects are bright for students and graduates with degrees in Tourism, Hospitality, and Culinary Arts. The culinary and hospitality industries are booming.
.The industry will employ 13 million people in 2009 as the nation’s second largest private sector employer, representing more than 9 percent of the nation’s total jobs. The long-term outlook is for continued growth—the industry is expected to add an additional 1.8 million positions over the next 10 years, boosting the industry’s workforce by 14 percent to 14.8 million people in 2019. Restaurant industry job growth will actually grow faster than the U.S. population, particularly in the key demographics of teens and young adults. Occupations that will grow considerably in the next decade include management positions, chefs and head cooks, and waitstaff. Texas will post the fastest sales growth at 4.0 percent in 2009 ($35.0 billion). Even in today’s economy, restaurants remain a generator of jobs and careers. Employment in the restaurant industry outpaced the overall economy in 2008 for the ninth consecutive year, despite several months of modest industry job losses, and is expected to continue to outpace the economy in 2009.*
*The National Restaurant Association’s 2009 Industry at a Glance and Restaurant Industry Forecast
page last updated 03/04/09