Who works in tourism and hospitality?
People who work abroad in tourism and hospitality bring many different personality traits and professional backgrounds to the table. What most share in common; however, is a love for people – learning from people, listening to people, and caring for their needs and desires. “You have to be really good at building relationships,” says Jacqui Cameron, a British travel agent who has lived and worked abroad in Australia for the past two decades. “You need to be able to connect with people and hold the space for them – this is about their holiday. You need to get to know about your clients’ lives, about their families, friends, their aspirations and expectations.”
Regardless of whether you’re cooking for clients, teaching them yoga on white sand beaches, managing the hotel they’re staying at, or booking their travel arrangements, you need to excel at customer service. Those who thrive at a career in international tourism and hospitality possess a zest for getting to know people and supporting their needs, beyond anything else.
They must also have a strong passion for travel – all kinds of travel – and being able to “sell experiences” to diverse groups of people. Enthusiasm for geography, adventure, culture, food, and languages should radiate from the individual to the groups of people they’re catering to. Think back to your most cherished travel experiences. No doubt you met a tour guide, a server, or a hostel manager who demonstrated an open interest in getting to know you, the guest, and make your stay, or visit, as memorable as it could possibly be. That’s the kind of person who will excel in this industry. You will genuinely care about the people you serve.
That also means you must be capable with putting your own needs second. Depending on where you’re working in the world, and what you’re doing for tourists, that could carry different meanings. For example, Kevin Pattee works on a private yacht as a ‘yachtie,’ or ‘stew’, which is a jack-of-all-trades position—he takes care of a boat, cleans, and provides guest service, including fine dining, bartending and entertainment, amongst other things. “In the yacht industry, you’re providing high-end service to very affluent guests,” says Pattee. “Perfection is the absolute standard. The guests are treated like royalty – their experience comes far before the crew’s.” He admits that working on a yacht is less romantic than it sounds. During some stints at sea, he won’t step foot off the boat for months. On the yacht, he’s sharing tiny living quarters with other crew members and hardly has any personal down-time.
That said, you’ll need to be able to get along with many different personalities in this field, not only guests, but your fellow colleagues. Other professionals, including Amanda Gamel, an assistant manager of a lodge and winery in Chile, agree. “You need to have someone who is culturally aware, personal, open to learning new things, and open to admitting when something isn’t working and finding a way to change it,” says Gamel.
What kind of education, skills, and experiences are required to work in the field?
It’s not necessary to study, specifically, tourism and hospitality at college, or university in order to break into the field; but those globetrotters who do work in the field for the most part do agree that you need to gain some kind of education, whether it’s a Bachelor of Arts degree, or your yoga-teaching certification, or a diploma in the Culinary Arts. People of all ages and academic/professional backgrounds have entered the field of tourism and hospitality. Although experiences may vary widely, most professionals don’t just travel to a new country and attempt to find work empty-handed. They have a strong knowledge of who they are, and what they have to offer in terms of hard skills, personality, and professional experience.
Diana Morris is the founder and owner of the Lazy Dog Inn, an eco-lodge and hiking outfit based out of Huarez, Peru. She has lived in South America for more than two decades and has seen a number of foreigners try their hand at the industry. “I would recommend studying tourism, but I’d encourage people to put their studies into practical use before looking for international work,” explains Morris. “Theoretical knowledge and skills are important, but they’re not as transferable as being able to work practically, to dive in and get your hands dirty.”
Depending on the area of tourism that interests you, you may need to specialize, gaining a particular education, or a specific skill-set. For example, if you’re interested in working at a winery, a background in viticulture, or horticulture may be required. If you wish to work as a mountain tour guide, you’ll need specialization in wilderness survival, mountaineering, and first-aid. Similarly, working on a private yacht requires that you take a series of safety courses which allow you to legally work at sea, ensuring the well-being of guests and other crew members.
Aside from education, professional work experiences will be one of your greatest assets in finding work abroad. If you’re interested in working at a B&B in Switzerland, or an eco-lodge in Bolivia, employers will typically want to see that you have experience in your home-country. If you’re studying at university, consider spending your summers working at a hotel, or guest lodge at various tourist hotspots in your own country. Similarly, if you want to work abroad in fine dining, start early and learn the basics at home. Work at cafés, restaurants, and bars to understand how the food and beverage industry operates. “Employers want to hire experienced individuals,” stresses Pattee. “If you don’t yet have the experience, you’ll have to gain the trust of your employers, so they recognize you’re committed to learning the ropes.”
“You need strong facilitation skills. To help people feel comfortable and secure in a new environment and to be able to bridge them into the culture. Also being able to make decisions and take a bit of control at times, if necessary. When people are out of their element and depending on you, they need to know that you’re capable of making decisions and taking control of the ship in those moments, if required.”
– Ron Berezan, The Urban Farmer (agriculture and food tourism)
In summary, find ways to cultivate expertise at: customer service, communications, problem solving, public speaking, sales, organization and administration, marketing and advertising, and conflict management. Also, travel the globe to scope out places where you could consider yourself living and working. If you have a passion for your chosen locale, you’ll be able to ‘sell’ the culture, geography, and other features in genuine ways with others.
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