Two Innovative Campaigns Attracting the Next Generation of Hospitality Talent
2024 has proven to be a record year for tourism, with increased visitor spending in North American destinations. As the labor workforce lags in increased spending, initiatives like the Boredom is Fired campaign are transforming how residents in a community actively participate in hospitality as a career choice.
Over the past few years, visitor spending has increased at destinations in the United States and Canada, on par with levels not seen since the onset of the pandemic. According to the State Department of Commerce, North Carolina has topped state tourism revenue and achieved a record $35 billion in 2023, representing a 22% increase over 2019. Moreover, earlier this year, the Oklahoma City Council moved forward with a hotel tax increase that moves its current tax rate of 5.5% to 9.25%, the most significant increase approved by voters since 2004. The expected growth is projected to bring in an additional $11.6 million in revenue, with 75% going toward tourism promotion.
However, as these increases point towards a strong recovery, evidence suggests that the hospitality industry's labor shortage has yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels. Research indicates that lodging-related positions are down 2.4%, food service is down by 3%, and recreation tourism positions show the most significant decrease of 7% below 2019 levels. The recent hotel workers’ strike across multiple cities during Labor Day indicates that lodging accommodations are running with fewer employees with the expectation to provide higher quality service.' The U.S. Department of Commerce estimates that in January 2024, over 1.05 million people were hired in the industry compared to 781,000 employees who resigned.
Serving Careers Campaign
In response to these latest trends, organizations throughout North America have created exciting and innovative campaigns to attract hospitality workers. In October 2023, Visit North Carolina supported the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (NCRLA) in creating a workforce recruitment campaign called Serving Careers, highlighting hospitality industry recovery efforts during COVID-19. The Serving Careers campaign was launched on social media, TV, radio, billboards, and bus ads, driving more than 600,000 people to its website to explore the authentic industry stories collected by NCRLA. The campaign highlighted chefs, housekeepers, mixologists, hotel managers, and industry leaders to share their authentic stories in rebuilding the industry in the wake of the pandemic. Sharing authentic stories from real people within the industry resonated with the community, as evidenced by the nearly 700,000 job applications received at restaurants and hotels in all 100 counties across the state. While the paid media ended in May 2024, the website and its job portal remain active through May 2025.
Credit: North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association
“The success of Serving Careers underscores the resilience and appeal of the hospitality industry in North Carolina. Our partnership with Indeed and the support of state-level recovery funds have not only helped to fill crucial workforce gaps but have also reinvigorated interest in hospitality careers statewide.” - NCRLA President & CEO Lynn Minges
Key Takeaways from NCRLA:
- As the industry continued to recover from the pandemic, we wanted people to know that the hospitality industry is a great place to work. Here, it does not matter what school you went to, what kind of car you drive, or who you are related to. We welcome people of all types, ages, and backgrounds, and the job opportunities are just as diverse.
- Showcasing hospitality industry workers allowed us to communicate that you can achieve your career goals, grow personally and professionally, and create a solid network in hospitality. Hospitality is an industry where you can quickly advance from the dish room to the boardroom if that is the path you want to take. Serving Careers garnered impressive metrics: 187,181,148 total impressions, 2,764,037 clicks, and 687,084 “application starts” on Indeed. According to data from the NC Department of Commerce, these efforts contributed to a 3.15% increase in employment within the food service, drinking establishments, and accommodation places compared to 2023 and a 5.2% increase from pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
VISIT DENVER - Boredom is Fired Campaign
Visit Denver launched the Boredom is Fired Campaign to attract high school-age students and young adults to careers in hospitality. The launch is in response to concerns about a shrinking labor shortage market after the recovery efforts from COVID-19. The campaign highlights ambassadors working in various positions at industry venues, including hotels, attractions, events, food and beverage, and outdoor recreation. The initiative highlights the benefits of working in hospitality, including good starting pay, career advancement, flexibility, and skills development. The campaign also highlights the opportunities for growth and other benefits, such as working alongside individuals who aim to advance the hospitality sector. The campaign shows the various career paths that exist in hospitality for youth, including chefs, accountants, hotel managers, information technology, and human resources. The Boredom is Fired campaign targets youth in Colorado between 18 and 20 years of age.
VISIT DENVER brings ambassadors of the campaign to area schools and career-based centers to talk directly with students about the benefits of a hospitality career. Ambassadors speak with students to highlight the various opportunities in hospitality and the undeniable fact that no matter what their career path in the industry, they will never get bored. Additional benefits of a career in hospitality include career growth, flexibility, good starting pay, and hands-on training to help students learn valuable skills. Moreover, the campaign aims to educate individuals about career advancement opportunities promoting upward mobility in hospitality. Several career resources are available to students, including information on the region's hospitality schools, a job placement site, and an online training program designed to educate front-line staff about all aspects of the city.
Credit: Visit Denver
The Campaign highlights careers in attractions, hotels, food & beverage, events, and outdoor recreation, each with a dedicated page on the Boredom Is Fired website. For example, the events page highlights a career path for creative youth who like planning details and enjoy meeting new people. The campaign highlights the various roles within the events industry, including production and design, audio and visual, and security. The site features links to job listings on the site with a list of current job opportunities from hospitality and tourism businesses throughout Denver. Unique to the Denver tourism landscape is the outdoor recreation industry, which offers those interested in a career as a guide, leading white water rafting trips, or taking guests horseback riding. Across all sectors, there are career opportunities in marketing, sales, and product design.
Key Takeaways from Visit Denver:
- In the first two months, the campaign garnered 1.3M digital impressions and 15.8M outdoor impressions. Website traffic from organic channels reached an engagement rate of 82%, making up 40% of the Boredom is Fired clicks to external job boards.
- The launch earned media over $6M in ad value equivalency with consumer, business, and trade media coverage both locally and nationally.
- In the first two months, Ambassadors and VISIT DENVER volunteers have reached over 6,000 middle and high school students across the metro area through 6 career fairs and 14 school presentations, sharing the benefits of a career in hospitality and tourism. Additionally, VISIT DENVER has partnered with Junior Achievement on their “Explore Your Path” program, where 17 VISIT DENVER staff and "hospitality ambassadors"—young rising stars in the industry—are engaging with students at a local high school throughout October and November.
Summary
In destinations throughout the United States, visitor spending has increased steadily over the past few years. However, despite the gains made from the pandemic, a workforce shortage remains. Visit Denver’s Boredom is Fired campaign and the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association Serving Careers campaign aim to reverse the trend by creating pathways for students to pursue meaningful careers in the hospitality industry. These programs aim to increase the workforce in a community but also help to improve the overall quality of place for generations to come.
About The Author
Stephanie is a recent graduate of Johnson & Wales University with a Master’s Degree in Global Tourism and Sustainable Economic Development. Previously, she worked as an Intern with Solimar International assisting Destination Marketing Organizations in formulating Tourism Development strategies for the Samtskhe–Javakheti region in Republic Of Georgia and the Sisian region of Armenia. Additionally, she is the author of a Tourism Research Proposal detailing ways in which Destinations can promote the concept of Sustainability to its consumers for a lasting positive impact. With a background in Tourism Development she is confident in her ability to help Destinations innovate into the future.
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