Strategy: Industry
Workforce
Among key business issues facing tourism destinations in recent years is the limited supply of a skilled and trained hospitality workforce. Over the last 10 years, Allegheny County lost 11% of its tourism employment- more than double the loss in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This trend is projected to continue over the next 10 years with the region’s tourism employment expected to decrease by 7% while the Commonwealth and the nation are expected to see 8% and 17% increases, respectively.
The decline in labor is largely attributable to a sizable share of outbound migration of labor to areas like Westmoreland County, Washington County, and Butler County. Without concerted efforts to retain, enhance, and grow the tourism and hospitality workforce in Allegheny County, the destination will risk losing the supply of tourism assets and businesses that drive the visitor economy.
WO.1
Advance Tourism Labor Retention
With the increasing loss of labor to more competitive markets such as Butler County, VisitPITTSBURGH will need to support industry partners by co-developing and sponsoring workforce retention programs that lower/remove barriers for the unemployed - particularly those in under-represented labor groups - and that celebrate the successes of existing workers and show appreciation for their participation and efforts, particularly following challenging periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
ACTIONS
- Create a tourism and hospitality employee excellence/recognition program
- Pilot job maintenance programs that provide support to employees, including apprenticeships/training, community child care, transportation subsidy, affordable housing, etc
CASE STUDIES
New York State Tourism Excellence Awards
Organized by the New York State (NYS) Tourism Industry Association, the NYS Tourism Excellence awards recognize outstanding work of tourism/hospitality organizations, attractions, and other tourism-related businesses across different fields of work - including marketing, management, service, and stewardship. The awards are held in conjunction with National Travel and Tourism Week and accept nominees via an open call.
Visit Baltimore Diversity Apprenticeship Program
Sponsored by local partner Guinness Open Gate Brewery, Visit Baltimore’s paid apprenticeship program offers BIPOC and under-represented employees the opportunity to work in various roles within the Visit Baltimore organization and with industry partners (including breweries, hotels, attractions, sports facilities). The program aims to create new career pathways for minority leaders and employees and guarantees a minimum coordinator-level position upon completion of the program.
WO.2
Grow Hospitality and Tourism Labor Supply
In order to grow the labor supply, Pittsburgh will need to adopt a two-prong strategy of a) attracting new workers to the market and b) encouraging the existing local population to participate in the labor force through retraining and skill development. This is particularly important for an aging workforce and population such as Pittsburgh’s.
ACTIONS
- Support the development of a regional labor force targeting strategy
- Create a marketing campaign for jobs in the tourism industry
- Create a digital job portal/job board and participate in job fairs for direct recruitment
- Increase collaboration between industry and education providers to develop educational and workplace-based training programs that meet industry’s needs
CASE STUDIES
Pocono Mountains Job Portal
Developed during the pandemic as a response to limited labor in the market, the Pocono Mountains Visitor Bureau overseeing the management of the four-county destination created an organized job portal for employees seeking opportunities in several categories - food & beverage, guest services, housekeeping, management, recreation, etc.
The University of Hawaii Community College
In partnership with the University of Hawaii, the Hawaii Tourism Authority designed the Certificate of Professional Development in Customer Service curriculum for existing and potential hospitality employees. Skills developed through the course are intended to be transferable across several organizations in the industry including hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, convention centers, airport agencies, and museums/cultural attractions.
Businesses
The consumer-facing business ecosystem in Pittsburgh is critical to a visitor’s experience of the destination. For any visitor trip, travelers are bound to spend money at local retailers, restaurants, and various other businesses. Today, however, the consumer purchasing journey begins long before a visitors’ arrival at a destination. In fact, many travelers are researching places to eat or shop before making travel decisions so it is critical that Pittsburgh’s small and local business environment is rapidly evolving to keep up with consumer trends and preferences in order to remain relevant and attractive to visitors.
BU.1
Provide Hospitality and Tourism Business Support
A diverse and exciting business ecosystem to encourage entrepreneurship and market-testing in the hospitality and tourism industry, Pittsburgh will need to create a suite of incentives and business development opportunities for startups and small businesses to grow and expand in the market.
ACTIONS
- Create a business development/entrepreneurship competition
- Provide incentives for business digitization
Governance
The ability to implement the projects outlined in this plan is directly related to the capacity of VisitPITTSBURGH and various other partner organizations that have the staff, expertise, and resources to advance strategies toward implementation. The following strategies are focused on building internal capacity and plan oversight at VisitPITTSBURGH and providing training and expertise to local leaders who ultimately serve as managers and ambassadors of the destination.
GO.1
Build Organizational Capacity and Collaborations With Industry Partners
Local leaders and stakeholders managing community and place-based organizations shared challenges around organizational capacity and resources that inhibited active participation in the tourism economy. While neighborhood organizations such as Downtown Pittsburgh Partnership may be well-informed of tourism efforts and market performances, other groups in underresourced neighborhoods face staff capacity limitations and an overall lack of knowledge of the tourism and hospitality industry. Building local capacity is critical to the overall success of the Pittsburgh tourism market. While VisitPITTSBURGH may be able to lead a strategic vision for the destination and provide guidance on the implementation of tourism projects and strategies, it is up to local leaders to serve as boots on the ground building resources and partnerships or buy-in from local stakeholders toward each strategy or action. Making sure local neighborhood leaders are informed of industry trends and market forces will also be critical to building confidence amongst investors.
ACTIONS
- Form a Neighborhood Tourism Advisory Council
- Create a tourism/hospitality training program for neighborhood leaders
- Develop a "re-engagement" (stakeholder engagement) strategy to better connect with industry stakeholders and partners
GO.2
Support Emerging Cultural Tourism Groups
Destinations around the country are harnessing their unique mix of both tangible and intangible cultures to boost visits and overnight stays, and increasingly so with the support and partnership of small minority ethnic groups that are growing rapidly in urban destinations. In Pittsburgh, nearly 1 in 10 of its residents are foreign-born (9%) with the most common birthplaces of foreign-born residents appearing to be India, Dominican Republic and China. In a competitive post-pandemic tourism marketplace, it is important for destinations like Pittsburgh to dig deep into the complexities of its ethnic and cultural make-up and to empower emerging cultural groups to actively participate in the tourism sector and to diversity the unfiltered cultural experiences being offered to visitors. This strategy is intended to be an extension of efforts in Strategy AA.1- AA.3.
ACTIONS
- Create a biannual Emerging Cultural Tourism Forum
- Develop and maintain an internal resource database/map with historical and cultural information featuring interesting facts, news, and sites for each emerging cultural group
- Promote and market unique placemaking efforts that celebrate emerging cultures across the city
