When the economy is on the upswing, young people new to the job force have more options. In Hawai'i, you need look no further than the state's No. 1 industry, tourism, to find people who have interesting jobs that take advantage of some popular trends in travel — and they're making a living off it, to boot.

Thousands in tourism work in areas like housekeeping, retail and customer service. But as travelers look for new experiences, the visitor industry is working to meet their needs — and that's creating more jobs in specialty niches.

Barrow, 24, arrived in the workforce in 2002, fresh out of the University of Hawai'i with a bachelor's degree from the School of Travel Industry Management. She didn't want to work in a hotel, the common path for tourism industry managers. "I just never really had that much of an interest in that large of a scale," she said.

She did have an interest in health and wellness and wanted to work more closely with customers.

"I like the spa because it's smaller and more intimate than a hotel," said Barrow, now operations manager at SpaHalekulani. "You're able to have a little bit more one-on-one time."

Barrow sees lots of opportunity for growth. "The higher the stress level in America goes, the more spas pop up," Barrow said. With people working harder, "they like to take time to pamper themselves."

Tina Draper, who is staying with a friend on Maui, is one example.

"It just gives you a feeling of someone taking care of you, and you just feel so good," she said. "The people here are so wonderful, and they've carried that whole spirit into the spa." Draper, a spa enthusiast, visits the Westin Maui's spa a few times a week.

Bridget Phillips, director at the Westin Maui's spa that opened this year after a $5 million expansion, said the trend offers potential for people interested in a spa career.

"It's such a growing industry, and it seems to be like a new industry that's really budding and bursting, and it's got so much more potential. So there's a lot of future getting in this line of work," Phillips said.

Jessica Kaniho, a cosmetology instructor at Honolulu Community College, said there are growing opportunities at spas and for aestheticians, who give facials and beauty treatments.

"There's so many avenues you can go into. and it's a great career for those seeking something different, if you want to make a career change," Kaniho said. "So many people are really health-conscious nowadays ... so it's just a growing thing. They're more aware of their own well-being."

Barrow's boss, SpaHalekulani director Tony Young, said there's enough demand that "kids coming out of training schools have an easier time" getting starting-level jobs in the spa industry.

"The industry is so big right now and the demand is so high," he said.

SpaHalekulani is also planning to start a Hawai'i healing art program this summer involving yoga, workshops and spiritual exercises.

Barrow said she loves her job and most enjoys the reward of seeing a customer satisfied.

"That's probably the best feeling — when the guest comes back and says how incredible a time they had," Barrow said.

"If you want to be in the service business, to me the spa is just a wonderful place to do it, because there's so many different things going on that there's never a dull moment. ... It's really a fun job."

On a typical day, she does everything from coordinating with other departments at the hotel to talking with guests about their spa experience, helping at the front desk and helping to clean rooms. Pay for such a position can range from $25,000 to $50,000 a year.

The most difficult part is helping to create a relaxing spa experience during a hectic work day, Barrow said.

"People come there for a sense of calm and tranquility, so you have to have that on the outside, even though you may be really stressed out," Barrow said. "You can't have the hustle and bustle of, say, a restaurant. ... You have to work very hard to pull of this feeling of calmness."

The spa business is the newest component of the hospitality industry, Young said.

"It's such a new thing that even (Barrow) didn't understand how interesting a job it could be," Young said.

Elsewhere in Waikiki, John Paul Kaleopaa spends much of his workday standing in the clear blue water off Kuhio Beach.

He's a surf instructor, and has seen business grow as surfing gains exposure with movies such as "Blue Crush." Media images of surfing are sparking a growing interest among youths on the Mainland, which brings more customers to the beach boys in Waikiki.

It would be hard to top a beachboy's office environment or equipment, but landing this job requires more than knowing how to surf. Advertiser library photo • 1997

Sean Copp, president of Palekaiko Beach Boys, said he has seen a lot more competition in the surf school industry.

"It seems like every week or every month there's a new surf school," Copp said. "We are feeling a lot more competition, because I think they just see a demand and they want to try to provide the services."

Surf instructors are part of another growing trend in the tourism industry.

Kaleopaa, 19, said he gets down to the Palekaiko Beach Boys stand on Kuhio Beach at about 8:30 a.m. each morning and works until about 5:30 p.m. Like other surf instructors, he works as an independent contractor and receives a percentage of the price of a lesson. He can make as much as $20 an hour, he says, though the pay varies depending on the crowds.

"It's more fun than anything," he said.

As a contractor, he isn't paid a salary or benefits, but "it's your free will to come in whenever you want."

That doesn't mean it's easy to become a Waikiki beachboy, however.

"It takes a lot more than a person just knowing how to surf," Copp said. Safety is a top priority, and "you need to put in your time."

Kaleopaa, who also works at his uncle's surf shop part-time, has been surfing since he was 5 and teaching tourists to surf since he was 15.

His customers range from children as young as 6 to "Japanese grandmothers and grandpas."

"They're from all over the world," he said. Those who don't understand English well are the most difficult to teach, he said.

Patience is the most important asset for surf instructors, and good communication skills are a plus.

"If you're really patient with it, it's fun," he said. "Being on the beach — it's a good thing."