9 Highest Paying Countries for Hospitality and Tourism

If you have a warm, welcoming personality and would like to live in a different country, you have come to the right place with our list of the 9 highest paying countries for hospitality and tourism.

Tourism is a massive industry all over the world. Being a tourist and enjoying all the sights and sounds that come with visiting a new country is one thing, but catering to those tourists is a whole different ballgame. There’s nothing worse than going on vacation and not receiving good service or hospitality. I love to travel all over the world, and my experiences are always made better by coming across hospitable people. It seems, to be great in the hospitality and tourism field, you must love working with people, have a positive attitude, and have an accommodating spirit. It probably also takes a ton of patience to deal with the guests who are not so lovely or easy to deal with. When I hear “hospitality and tourism”, I (like many people, I’m sure) immediately think about hotels. However, like I said, the industry is massive and encompasses much more than just hotels — including everything from casinos to food and beverage industries.

Would you like to settle down abroad enjoy the different cultures of nations? Are you planning to work in the hospitality and tourism industry? Or perhaps do you have a dream to have a small family hotel somewhere in the world? Now you can check what opportunities you can find while also moving into another country. If you’re young (or older) and want to see and experience the world, entering the industry is a fantastic way to do it. Also, once you have the necessary skills, they can pretty much carry over to any country. If hospitality and tourism don’t sound like the best fit for you, but you still want to move to a different country, take a look at our list of the 21 Highest paying countries for expats, where you are likely to find the country you would be happy to live and work in. Typically, to join the hospitality and tourism industry, you will first need a bachelor’s or master’s degree in hospitality management. From there, your opportunities are endless and you can start on a unique and global career path.

Even better than having a career that can take you to the far corners of the world, is having a career that pays well too. We intend to show you those countries where you make the highest earnings in hospitality and tourism. As these kinds of statistics are not easily available, we searched online job sites and compared the most common jobs in the tourism industry to other countries such as: waiters/waitresses, travel guides, travel agents, hotel and resort desk clerks, hosts and hostesses and other jobs involved in food services. All these salary averages have given us a total average across countries. You can check salaries for different countries and jobs here. You will find that our list is ranked by these average salaries.

If you are just two seconds from hopping on a plane to jet across the world, first take a look at the highest paying countries for hospitality and tourism.

9. Portugal

$19,990 annual average payment

Portugal is sometimes forgotten about since it is small and sits next to Spain, which in comparison is much bigger. However, Portugal is a beautiful country with a lot to offer. Its beaches are breathtaking and along with that, you’ll find some of the best, fresh seafood. The country has recently been breaking records for tourism and in 2016, hotel revenues reached almost 2.5 billion euros. The country also welcomed about 50 new hotels in 2015, so there should be plenty of opportunities for hospitality and tourism jobs.

8. United Arab Emirates

$25,430 average earnings per year

It’s pretty common knowledge by now, that the United Arab Emirates is one of the hottest (literally and figuratively speaking) destinations to travel to right now. Filled with sparkling and luxurious hotels, attractions, and restaurant, job opportunities are endless.

7. Japan

$26,550 annually earned amount.

Millions of tourists flock to the island of Japan each year, and for good reason. Last year, experts reported that spending by tourists visiting the country was up 71.5% from 2014. From the metropolitan areas to the country’s coasts, there are plenty of opportunities for tourism-related jobs.

6. Norway

$26,990 annual average payment

We are continuing our list of the highest paying countries for hospitality and tourism with Norway that is one of the countries on my list of places to visit in the near future, and it turns out it’s not a bad place to go if you’re in the hospitality and tourism field. If you can stand the cold winters, you will fit right in here. It’s now more convenient than ever for Americans to visit the country with Norwegian Air regularly flying to Oslo from major U.S. cities. If you are a really adventurous person, The Arctic University of Norway has a bachelor’s program in Arctic Adventure Tourism.

5. France

30,560 average earnings per year

It’s no question that France, especially Paris, The City Of Lights, attracts tons of tourists each year. From all levels of hotels and resorts, to attractions and cuisine, there are plenty of opportunities to try out in their hospitality industry. Plus, it would be kind of cool to work a job at the famous Eiffel Tower.

4. United Kingdom

$32,880 annually earned amount

There’s so much history and so much to see in the United Kingdom, where do you even start? The British Pound is one of the highest valued currencies in the world, and that coupled with a country attracting millions of tourists a year lands it a spot as one of the highest paying countries for hospitality and tourism. Whether you find a position at one of the country’s great hotels, or one of their historic monuments, you can’t go wrong here.

3. Germany

$33,275 annual average payment

Germany has a booming economy and draws lots of visitors every year. If you want to first study here, there are eight strong degree programs in hospitality management that will get you off on the right foot. Many of these programs are taught in English and German, so more people from around the globe can participate.

2. Canada

$35,381 average earnings per year

What’s not to love about Canada, the next on our list of highest paying countries for hospitality and tourism? The country and its Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are constantly making headlines for being a welcoming and supportive country of its residents, but also those all over the world. Hospitality is part of their nature, so you will fit right in, getting into the industry here.

1. Australia

US $36,380 average annually earned amount

Take a trip to the land down under where you will have endless sun and warm weather. Whether water sports-related, accommodations, or dining there are plenty of routes to take in the hospitality and tourism field here. Experts estimate visitors spent a whopping almost $40 billion dollars as of March 2017, which is probably why it makes this list.

Now that you know the highest paying countries for hospitality and tourism you can start planning for your new career and new home.