Black Meetings & Tourism - NEW REGIONAL WORKFORCE INITIATIVE EXAMINES TALENT NEEDS ACROSS THE VISITOR ECONOMY

Industry Briefs
NEW REGIONAL WORKFORCE INITIATIVE EXAMINES TALENT NEEDS ACROSS THE VISITOR ECONOMY
A new regional initiative bringing together industry and academic partners has been launched to better understand workforce challenges, evolving talent needs, and the impact of technology across the Washington, DC–Maryland–Virginia (DMV) visitor economy The broader Washington, DC–Maryland–Virginia visitor economy generates approximately $67 billion in visitor spending annually and supports nearly 470,000 jobs across hospitality, tourism, transportation, sports, meetings, entertainment, dining, retail, and related sectors. As technology, artificial intelligence, and evolving consumer expectations reshape the industry, employers across the region are facing growing workforce and talent pipeline challenges. Elliott L. Ferguson, II “Washington, DC’s visitor economy generated a record $11.9 billion and supported a record 114,000 jobs in 2025,” said Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO of Destination DC. “At the same time, a healthy workforce is critical to supporting growth, so new research is an important step. Equally as much, we are committed to introducing local students to our industry, like the programs for DC high school students created by Destination DC’s official nonprofit partner, NEXTDC.” Nationally, the travel industry supports more than 15 million jobs, yet continues to face significant workforce shortages, with approximately one million positions remaining unfilled, according to the U.S. Travel Association. “The travel industry is undergoing rapid transformation driven by technology, data, and artificial intelligence, and those shifts are impacting every sector of the industry — from operations to customer experience,” said Chicke Fitzgerald, CEO of Solutionz, a travel technology firm and sponsor of the study, “This initiative brings a needed, data-driven approach to understanding how workforce needs are changing so the industry can better prepare. The initiative will provide a regional assessment of workforce demand, hiring challenges, evolving skill requirements, and future talent pipeline needs, with direct input from employers throughout the visitor economy. The study is being conducted by Mandala Research in partnership with Airtifae Global Services and will culminate in a high-level industry convening at Marymount University, bringing together leaders from across the visitor economy to review findings, discuss workforce priorities, and identify actionable strategies to support long-term workforce development. Organizations can add proprietary questions and participate in the convening through a number of sponsorship opportunities.

Industry Briefs

NEW REGIONAL WORKFORCE INITIATIVE EXAMINES TALENT NEEDS ACROSS THE VISITOR ECONOMY

A new regional initiative bringing together industry and academic partners has been launched to better understand workforce challenges, evolving talent needs, and the impact of technology across the Washington, DC–Maryland–Virginia (DMV) visitor economy

The broader Washington, DC–Maryland–Virginia visitor economy generates approximately $67 billion in visitor spending annually and supports nearly 470,000 jobs across hospitality, tourism, transportation, sports, meetings, entertainment, dining, retail, and related sectors. As technology, artificial intelligence, and evolving consumer expectations reshape the industry, employers across the region are facing growing workforce and talent pipeline challenges.

Elliott L. Ferguson, II

“Washington, DC’s visitor economy generated a record $11.9 billion and supported a record 114,000 jobs in 2025,” said Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO of Destination DC. “At the same time, a healthy workforce is critical to supporting growth, so new research is an important step. Equally as much, we are committed to introducing local students to our industry, like the programs for DC high school students created by Destination DC’s official nonprofit partner, NEXTDC.”

Nationally, the travel industry supports more than 15 million jobs, yet continues to face significant workforce shortages, with approximately one million positions remaining unfilled, according to the U.S. Travel Association.

“The travel industry is undergoing rapid transformation driven by technology, data, and artificial intelligence, and those shifts are impacting every sector of the industry — from operations to customer experience,” said Chicke Fitzgerald, CEO of Solutionz, a travel technology firm and sponsor of the study, “This initiative brings a needed, data-driven approach to understanding how workforce needs are changing so the industry can better prepare.

The initiative will provide a regional assessment of workforce demand, hiring challenges, evolving skill requirements, and future talent pipeline needs, with direct input from employers throughout the visitor economy.

The study is being conducted by Mandala Research in partnership with Airtifae Global Services and will culminate in a high-level industry convening at Marymount University, bringing together leaders from across the visitor economy to review findings, discuss workforce priorities, and identify actionable strategies to support long-term workforce development.

Organizations can add proprietary questions and participate in the convening through a number of sponsorship opportunities.