"Many tourism companies in southern or eastern provinces may offer higher salaries than us in the northern provinces; 3,000 to 4,000 yuan per month is what we can usually offer. So it's harder for us to hire guides who speak foreign languages," he said.

Yu Zikang, 22, who majors in German at Changshu Institute of Technology in Jiangsu province and just graduated in June, said that language is a basic skill for a tour guide, and people who are extroverted may be more suited for the job.

Yu's friend Zhou Keying, who also studies German, said she wouldn't mind trying her hand working as a tour guide, though it's not her first choice of career.

"I may be not be competitive in finding a job in the industry because my spoken German is not that good," she said.

"Being a tour guide involves a lot of pressure handling possible emergencies every day, and paying attention to cultural differences when dealing with international travelers in case of any offensive words or behavior.

"I love traveling and I wouldn't mind trying to be a tour guide if I got the opportunity," she said.

Greater efforts should be made to boost the job status and pay of tourism industry workers to attract more college graduates and talented young people, experts said.

"Based on our survey, we found that except for the pay, young people also care about work-life balance, a fair and friendly company culture, and good career prospects," said Li Qiang, vice president of Zhaopin.

"So tourism companies can use more flexible work schedules and develop thorough training and promotion plans for young people who show a willingness to join the industry."

It's also important to tighten the management of tour guide positions and crack down on improper or illegal behavior that encroaches on workers' rights in order to bolster the image of the industry, he added.

"Also, tourism companies can develop more new products that appeal to international travelers to let foreign-language speakers get greater personal satisfaction from the work," Li Qiang said.

Zhou Huiying in Harbin and Han Junhong in Changchun contributed to this story.