The travel and tourism industry, in recent years become one of the most popular courses and career choices for many people. This is a competitive career path to follow and only the most ambitious and passionate candidates are successful. This was kick-started by Thomas Cook in 1841, when they were arranging package trips from Leicester to Loughborough. Since then the travel industry has expanded tenfold and has now become one of the biggest industries in the world.
Taking tourism training can consist of on the job training or a long-term studying plan. Most jobs require the candidate to have had some training qualifications under their belt before they start working for them, to save time from training new employees from scratch. Those with different languages to offer are more likely to be taken on, as the tourism profession are in need of people with language skills.
Some companies offer training to staff allowing them to gain some qualifications whilst working within the company. Tourism training does not necessarily have to be exclusive to colleges, universities or any other classroom setting. However, other companies use a number of other types of training techniques, such as the following training opportunities.
* Training on the job, either by following another member of staff or being mentored by your employer. * Training while working with an assistant through an NVQ course. * Going through a modern apprenticeship - this can often lead to a fulltime permanent position * Studying for a course through an external agency, whilst still employed. * Studying a tourism training course at your local college. * Studying for a distance learning course from home, so you are able to work and train at the same time if you are not able to get training opportunities through a tourism company.
The above methods of training will guarantee an accredited qualification in tourism training, however, some companies may not offer accredited certification and you may end up being qualified to work for only one company. This could change for anyone looking to break into the tourism industry, as it may take a number of years before you find yourself in the position that you want to be in.
People who opt to work in the tourism industry will find that they will need to work with customers, so you must enjoy being a people person and communicating with customers on a regular basis.
Tourism is measured as the worlds largest industry with a global market value of over a colossal 500 billion dollars. Many developing countries rely on the tourist trade as their gross domestic product with some countries employing up to 60 percent of their workforce within the industry. It is also one of the most competitive industries to work in with employment stretching over all imaginable sectors of the industry and tourism training is essential to succeeding.
The main industry sectors being destinations, cruises, tour operators, airlines, hotel and resorts, and car hire. All rely on and network with the other business sectors however possess their own tourism training requirements. This article gives a concise account of each industry sector with an overview of helping candidates to stand out in the tourism industry.
The term destination refers to a specific location where people travel on leisure visits. It is ultra-competitive with effectively every destination competing with every other, especially when it comes to neighbouring destinations. Tourism training is essential in this industry sector, as tour operators must know all the benefits of visiting a destination and any health, safety or security issues that might be associated with a set destination.
Cruises are one of the most elitist and affluent industry sectors. It offers positions ranging from cabin crew to entertainment and demands the highest standards of customer service. When employed on the ships there is stringent protocol to follow whilst at sea or docking for a day trip. Each operator has their own systems and procedures and specific tourism training can be obtained for individual operators.
Tour operators arrange package deals to various destinations. This involves coordinating all of the other industry sectors and selling this information to clients. An excellent overall industry knowledge is required and tourism training provides this, however top professionals monitor trade publications and industry bodies for updates in legislation. Tourism training and qualifications are essential for tour operators as standards of customer service are extremely high.
All airlines are part of the IAFA and airline operators adhere to their tourism training regulations. With the current security climate it is essential that anyone working for an airline or airport in any capacity has a clearly referenceable history. Tourism training is essential when working for an airline as some destination knowledge is required and excellent customer service skills are required. A second language will also put you ahead of the competitions, even at a basic level.
One of the largest employment sectors is that of hotel and resorts. This sometimes this gets confused with destinations, however there can potentially be thousands of hotels and resorts in any one destination. Tourism training is paramount in this sector as you are required to advise guests on the local attractions and services. It involves interpersonal skills and can provide wonderful travel opportunities to the right candidate.
The car hire industry is not generally associated with much of the glamour that other industry sectors are, however there are fantastic benefits that come with the work. Tourism training is important as you are required to be knowledgeable about the driving legislation of many different destinations. It involves dealing with customers and as with most other tourism industry sectors, if you are multi-lingual you have a real head start.
Both Anna Stenning & Shaun Parker are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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