The global pandemic caused a major shift in the workforce. As the world came to a screeching halt, workers explored new career avenues.
Remote work especially revolutionized the labor market in 2020. The practice saves employees hundreds in monthly commuting expenses and hours of exerted energy to travel back and forth to work.
With employees working more productively at home, companies shifted roles online. Even the hospitality industry realized the need for remote-friendly roles.
Hospitality is more than waiting tables and serving cocktails. The industry encompasses diverse roles, including management, marketing, and operations of hotels and resorts, airports, cruise ships, restaurants, bars, and catering companies.
As such, there are plenty of opportunities for remote workers in the hospitality industry. There are, in fact, thousands of remote jobs in hospitality.
How Certain Hospitality Industry Job Roles Have Shifted Online
Hospitality has always been a labor-intensive industry. From front-of-house roles such as servers and hosts to back-of-house positions such as chefs, cooks, and kitchen managers, the hospitality industry relies on daily interaction with staff and customers.
In recent years, the hospitality industry has also been at the forefront of technological advancements. Digitalization has changed how customers interact with hotels and restaurants, how we search for information about them, and even how hotels track and share experiences via social channels like Tripadvisor.
The rise of new technologies in this sector has a major role in shifting jobs online.
For example, hotel guests used to call the front desk to book room reservations. With the adoption of online booking, there’s less of a need for front desk staff to take these calls or assist with in-person reservations.
Front desk responsibilities have since shifted to other areas of the hotel (like concierge services). Other hotels have replaced front desk services with automation, including voice recognition and chatbot software. New online technology has expanded to other hospitality positions as well.
9 Remote Hospitality Jobs to Apply for Today
Remote jobs allow you to work wherever you want, as long as you produce quality work that meets employer needs. If you have a family to tend to, you can also work remotely while taking a vacation or holding down the fort at home.
Work from home employees in the hospitality industry often enjoy a flexible schedule and good pay. Remote jobs may also come with potential health benefits and employer-paid insurance, including dental and vision coverage.
If you love to talk to people, are great at engaging with guests by phone, and have a passion for hospitality, remote hospitality jobs could be a great fit for you.
Digital Marketing Manager
With the rise of online booking platforms, hospitality marketing strategies have shifted to a digital-first approach. Marketing managers are responsible for gaining hotel and restaurant visibility across social media and online content platforms.
Digital marketing managers are typically responsible for:
- Maintaining a brand’s online presence
- Increasing profits
- Work on various marketing campaigns
- Staying ahead of marketing trends
- Tracking key marketing insights
- Strategizing innovative campaigns
- Creating viral or attention-grabbing content
- Maintaining visibility across multiple digital platforms
- Monitoring and responding to online reviews
Specialized roles within the digital marketing realm also exist. Marketing-savvy professionals can find work in plenty of lucrative niches. Creative marketers may fit the role of a social media specialist, copywriter, or web and graphic designer. Technical marketers will likely enjoy a role that involves search engine optimization (SEO) or UI/UX development.
Online Sales Agent
Remote sales agents are mainly responsible for making sales calls and converting them into customers. While this responsibility used to fall on front desk agents, technology shifted this role online.
Online sales agents and managers must have complete knowledge of their establishment’s capabilities. To further increase profits, it’s also crucial for remote sales teams to have a sharp understanding of new discounts and package deals.
Customer Service Representative
Customer service representatives in the hospitality industry handle customer calls and emails. Some callers have complaints, which the customer service representative will try to address to the best of their ability. Others request information on an establishment’s offerings, which the representative can also answer.
Customer service agents in the hospitality industry are in charge of:
- Handling customer queries
- Addressing consumer complaints and presenting appropriate solutions
- Maintaining records of customer calls
- Providing positive and unforgettable customer service experiences
- Over-delivering on customers’ experiential expectations
Due to the nature of the job, hospitality companies can hire remote workers to fulfill these duties. The need to work in a designated customer service warehouse is no longer necessary; an education or certification in customer service is all that is necessary. To work remotely, customer service reps need a functioning device, stable internet connection, a noise-canceling device, and quiet surroundings.
Virtual Administrative Assistant
Are you an organized and self-starting individual? If so, you’d be a great fit for a virtual administrative assistant position. This role is common in hotels, resorts, cruise ships, and vacation rental companies.
As a virtual assistant or remote coordinator, you’ll be responsible for helping the team at large with daily tasks such as:
- Scheduling meetings
- Making phone calls
- Sending emails
- Creating and updating calendars
- Data entry
- Errand runs
- Booking travel for employees and guests
Virtual assistants face diverse challenges and a fast-paced environment. It’s an ideal entry-level role for working your way up the hospitality ranks!
IT Specialist
All IT specialists need are a desk and a decent internet connection to do their jobs. The broad scope of IT roles in hospitality range from building security systems to creating digital bookings and loyalty programs.
The various responsibilities of an IT specialist in the hospitality industry can include:
- Software installations
- Keeping software up to date
- Simplifying day-to-day tasks with administrative and automation software
- Ensuring data safety
- Providing IT-related solutions for other employees
- Training internal teams on new software integrations
- Educating employees on best practices for cybersecurity.
Hospitality IT specialists need an understanding of hospitality operations and strong technical skills. The job itself can be challenging, juggling several voices and advocates for design. Specialists work as a mediator, listening to concerns while explaining why their decisions will help business.
Course Instructor
All hospitality professionals need top-tier training to perform at their best. Thanks to technology, employers can offer seamless online training courses. Employees can take these courses as their schedules allow.
Online course instructors develop e-learning curricula and upload courses to online portals for trainees to watch. Examples of helpful training courses for hospitality workers include:
- Bachelor’s or master’s programs in hotel management
- Certifications in front desk operations
- Certifications in restaurant management
- Certifications in food and beverage services
- Menu and ingredient training
- Barista certifications
- Alcohol serving certifications
- Other hospitality-related certifications
Online hospitality instructors can teach employees via video sessions, recorded lessons, and follow-up questions through an LMS (learning management system).
Travel/Vacation Planner
Whether independent or on-staff, travel/vacation planners are a vital cog in the wheel of the hospitality industry. These professionals help clients plan trips and vacations from start to finish, booking accommodations, flights, ground transportation, and activities.
Most travel planners work from home offices or booking centers, never directly meeting clients. They generally have former backgrounds as reservation agents or hotel front desk associates.
Working as a travel planner requires excellent communication skills and a kind disposition, due to regularly talking with clients over the phone and via email.
Great attention to detail and keen organizational skill streaming the jobs of travel planners. When booking trips for others, employees must correctly input reservation details before sending them for final approval. Details include transportation, hotel reservations, airport pickup/dropoff details, and other expected travel arrangements. Other responsibilities include:
- Informing travelers about all visa requirements and travel prerequisites
- Sharing helpful information on cultural customs and landmarks (i.e., currency exchanges)
- Creating custom-tailored travel itineraries for their clients
- Ensuring overall satisfaction during a client’s stay at a hotel
- Warning travelers of dangerous locations and troublesome actions
Project Manager
The responsibilities of a remote project manager working in the hospitality industry can vary depending on their specific job and company.
Some responsibilities may include:
- Creating an actionable roadmap
- Managing stakeholder expectations
- Monitoring project metrics
- Tracking document version control
These responsibilities typically fall under three main categories: planning, implementation, and monitoring.
There are a few different ways that you can become a remote project manager in the hospitality industry. You can start by working as a remote project manager in another industry and then applying for a remote position in the hospitality space. Another option would be to apply for a remote PM position in hospitality out of the gate. The final option is to find an “in” at your dream company by networking and forging relationships with people who already work there.
No matter which option you choose, you’ll want to make sure that you have the necessary skills and experience for the position.
Travel Writer
There are countless ways to make money as a travel writer or content creator. You can blog, offer your services to hotels and tour operators, or work with a publication on a full-time or freelance basis.
You can find all kinds of independent contractor gigs on sites like Upwork and Fiverr. Online job sites are another great place to find full-time work as a travel content writer.
Working as a paid travel writer offers cash flow and networking opportunities. Given that this industry is rapidly growing thanks to the surge of online content creators and social media influencers, now is an excellent time for aspiring writers to explore this career path.
Find Success Hunting for Remote Hospitality Jobs
Remote work is easier to find today than ever. One can browse through job portals using the word “remote” and find hundreds of open opportunities. It allows employees to find a position that best fits their needs. These arrangements also benefit employers, cutting thousands in annual expenses.
Check out our blog and read similar blog posts to explore other career options in the hospitality industry.
