Tourism is on fire; therefore, you’d think it was a good job prospect.

Well, apparently that's not the case which is why moves are afoot to attract more young people into tourism jobs.

Tourism is the country's biggest export earner, bringing in over $14 billion a year, but that could be under threat. Because with all the investment and hotels on the go, there's not enough young people into it.

36,000 extra tourism workers are needed by 2025. But the Tourism Industry has done some research and found that young people perceived tourism as "low-wage" and a subject for "drop outs".

This is another example of young people being stupid and parents being guilty of not exploring opportunities.

In the 90s, I lived in the South of France working on an English language radio station. Yes, it was as good as it sounds. One day in a bar in Cannes I met an apprentice hotel manager. He had been studying in London for three years and was now working as an intern. He was front of house at the Carlton, which was like the place on the Croisette. He was loving it. The day before he'd checked in Lenny Kravitz. His food and accommodation was paid for and his wage was going straight into the bank. Four months later he was off for a six month stint in St Moritz.

As he told me, he was learning to run very complex operations with very big budgets and a lot of moving human parts. It was excellent training for a number of businesses and when he was tired of the fun he felt that the skills would be very easy to transfer.

25 years later, I took my oldest boy to a careers evening. There was a hotel management course guy there and out of all the stands his was the least visited. So knowing that this is a great career I asked him why no-one was talking to him. He said the parents told the kids that hotel management was a job for losers. I tried to get my boy interested but Chemistry had a hold of him.

Well, the only losers in all this are the parents. Hotel management is a tough gig but with benefits. It was fascinating last year to spend a night at the Hermitage at Mount Cook. Nearly all the staff were immigrants. People from other countries who realise the opportunity in ours. But we met one Kiwi who was having the time of his life. Earning good money, living in paradise. On his days off he skied. He proudly told me he'd skied every field in the South Island.

The hotel building boom in this country is astounding and they need people, so go for it. Hotel management is probably the world's most transferable qualification. Choose any town and you'll find a job. Yes, tourism has a lot of low level jobs but even they have incredible opportunities for anyone with an eye for the chance.

I have no idea why tourism has been painted with the loser brush. Making money for making people happy on holiday seems to me to be a real winner. All I hope is a new generation gets it and doesn't listen to the older generation with no imagination.