ORLANDO, Fla. — Central Florida leaders presented their annual “State of Hospitality and Tourism” on Thursday.
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The annual forum is an opportunity to discuss the tourism trends expected for the year.
Traffic on the roads, busy theme parks, and packed hotels are all signs of a growing tourism industry in Central Florida.
“Everything is looking bright,” Nilda Blanco, the SVP of Strategic Initiatives for CareerSource Central Florida said. “We’re having more and more visitors, we have more and more attractions coming which will continue to bring more visitors and engage residents here in Florida and Central Florida.”
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To keep up, Blanco said the industry needs more workers. Right now, there are more jobs than there are people. Blanco said industry leaders need to dig into two age groups.
“How do we continue to engage our younger workers and grow them through the industry and how do we provide opportunity to retirees who want an encore career to leverage their skills and experiences?” Blanco said.
Robert Agrusa is the President and CEO of the Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association.
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He said they are introducing hospitality careers to local schools like Valencia and Seminole State.
“Maybe you don’t go for a traditional two- or four-year program, but you go for eight to ten weeks,” Agrusa said. “Get the skills necessary to be a culinary cook or an engineering program, maintenance for a hotel or resort.”
For the future, Blanco and Agrusa agree, it’s an industry that will continue to create opportunity.
“Not just from a customer standpoint, but also from a worker, and also the ability to really drive economic impact,” Blanco said.
If you are looking for a job you can find more industry information here.
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