Key Takeaways
- The right degree can turn your passion for travel into a global career or a digital nomad living and traveling abroad while executing remote work.
- Careers like tour operations, event planning and destination marketing offer paid travel opportunities beyond social media.
- Degrees in Hospitality, Event Management and Destination Marketing open doors to international travel jobs.
- UCF Rosen College connects students with global travel and hospitality opportunities through hands-on experience.
Turn Wanderlust Into a Career
The question isn’t whether you can get paid to travel (many already do as they teach English abroad, take advantage of remote work opportunities overseas, earn through affiliate marketing, or build impressive careers as travel influencers or travel bloggers), but it’s how to build the credentials that make it happen.
At UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management, students don’t just dream about seeing the world. Located in Orlando’s tourism corridor, UCF Rosen College gives students access to the kind of experiential learning that turns passion into profession.
Travel, Education and Income
Getting paid to explore new places sounds aspirational, but it’s grounded in preparation. One in eight jobs will be in the leisure and hospitality sector by 2033, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Employers prioritize candidates with formal education in hospitality or event management. A degree shows you have the competencies to manage a resort in the Maldives or coordinate a global conference in Singapore.
Travel Careers Beyond Social Media
Travel influencers and travel bloggers may be the most visible examples of getting paid to travel, sharing their adventures on social media platforms, but the reality of the job market is both more expansive and stable. Traditional roles like travel consultants and emerging roles like international event planners continue to be key in an increasingly global world. These roles offer consistent income, benefits and professional advancement — not just sponsored trips.
Travel Jobs in the Hospitality and Tourism Sector
Hospitality and tourism careers provide some of the most reliable pathways to global work and travel.
- Entertainment Managers: Coordinate activities, such as operations managers on cruise ships who oversee guest services while visiting dozens of ports annually. Median Salary: $77,180
- Marketing Managers: Plan programs to generate interest in services, often at properties worldwide. Median Salary: $161,030
- Sales Managers: Those working for hotel brands travel frequently to meet clients and support property openings. Median Salary: $138,060
Educational Foundation for Travel-Based Success
Employers hiring for international roles want candidates who can step onto a property in Dubai or a conference center in Barcelona and immediately contribute. That requires fluency in financial management, human resources, marketing analytics and regulatory compliance — all of which are covered in accredited hospitality programs.
Entertainment Management, Event Management and Hospitality Degrees
If you’re drawn to experiences that bring people together, transport guests to luxurious new worlds and deliver life-long memories, a degree in entertainment management, event management or hospitality may be for you.
- Entertainment Management degrees prepare students for careers with theme parks, sports franchises and live entertainment companies
- Event Management degrees focus on the logistics and financial planning required to execute everything from weddings and festivals to conferences and galas.
- Hospitality Management degrees equip students to oversee hotel and restaurant operations around the world.
With your degree, you could score a role that spans continents and impacts lives along the way.
Destination Marketing and Management Degree
Cairo. Tuscany. Machu Picchu. Everyone has been sold countless visions of these destinations, making them the tourist meccas they are today. If you want to be part of curating tourist destinations like these, a degree in destination marketing and management could be for you.
Where a Rosen College Degree Can Take You
Our alumni have traveled to over a hundred countries, won awards that have taken them across oceans and led operations for cruise lines. Recent alumna Brooke Taylor helped NBC win a Sports Emmy Award during the 2024 Paris Olympics — before she had even graduated. With 99% of students securing full-time jobs upon graduation, this is only one of our incredible alumni stories.
Real-World Learning That Travels With You
At Rosen, education goes beyond the classroom. With Orlando as our backyard, students have the chance to intern with premier hospitality organizations. Our Study Abroad programs also enable students to build a powerful international network in hospitality. These experiences develop the cultural competence and operational problem-solving necessary in any travel-intensive role.
Proof That It Pays Off
$50,000-$70,000 is the average starting salary for our graduates. The jobs they secure are often with leading hospitality employers, including Disney, Universal and Norwegian Cruise Line. Additionally, employment in travel, tourism and event management occupations is projected to grow 11% through 2033, according to Lightcast data.
Faculty With Experience That Inspires
Rosen College faculty do more than teach ideas; they put them into action. With 68 faculty members from 18 countries, the Rosen College faculty have lived the experiences students dream of discovering. Doctor Manuel Rivera has extensive experience working with music festivals in the Caribbean, and professors like him support students outside the classroom as mentors.
Partners in Opportunity: Orlando’s Advantage
Orlando is far more than a college town. It’s a living laboratory for hospitality innovation. The city welcomes more than 75 million visitors annually. That scale creates opportunities that students can’t access anywhere else. Rosen College’s location means its students can intern at places like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld without ever relocating.
Preparing for Work & Travel
If you want to get paid to travel, start by choosing a degree based on where you want to go. Then, build experience early through summer internships, industry conferences and networking with international alumni. Most critically, be willing to relocate — saying “yes” to an employer’s opportunity in another market is the fastest path to a travel-intensive career.
Your Next Adventure Starts Here
Travel careers aren’t reserved for the lucky few. They’re built by people who study the right subjects, complete competitive internships and graduate from programs that employers trust. UCF Rosen College offers all three. Explore Rosen College programs and see where your degree can take you — from Orlando to anywhere.
“[UCF’s] location in Central Florida gives students an edge.”
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FAQs
Absolutely. Many hospitality and tourism professionals, such as tour operators and cruise line employees, earn competitive salaries while traveling for work.
Yes. Careers in hospitality, event management and destination marketing offer regular travel as part of the job.
Hotel development consultants, revenue management directors and senior destination marketing executives often earn six-figure salaries while traveling extensively. Compensation increases with experience and specialization.
Travel consultant, hotel sales director and entertainment venue director are just a few jobs that pay you to travel. These jobs require specific skills often developed through a degree in hospitality.
Major hospitality and entertainment companies like Hilton, Disney and Universal regularly hire for roles that include travel. Destination management organizations and convention bureaus also offer global opportunities.