They are travel agents, counsellors, and consultants, along with tour operators and guides. They book flights, insurance, package deals, hotels and accommodation, transportation, and activities, and host travellers, guiding them along their journey in an unfamiliar place. Those who work in this industry draw on a number of different skill sets, including exceptional organizational skills, management, sales and marketing experience, and strong customer service abilities.
Working in tourism services can be highly demanding—at times, it may involve serving the needs of travellers 24/7—but it is also rewarding. “It’s amazing. I get to help people visualize themselves washing elephants in Laos, or visiting the amazing temples in Angkor, Cambodia, or visiting schools in India,” says Jacqui Cameron, a British travel consultant based in Sydney, Australia. “I love it when my clients get back from their trips and share stories about their experiences. It’s so rewarding for me that I helped make those memories happen.”
What’s the difference between a travel agent and a tour operator?
Let’s explore the various roles and responsibilities in the field of tourism services.
A travel agent (also called a travel consultant, or travel counsellor) works at a travel agency, or private consulting company, to provide services to the public on behalf of suppliers, such as airlines, car rentals, cruise lines, hotels, railways, travel insurance, package tours, and recreational activities. Travel agents might work for multinational travel agencies, such as Flight Centre, or run their own business out of their own home. Jacqui Cameron, an independent travel agent in Sydney, Australia, loves that she’s able to do her job from home, in a café, or even on the beach. “I do my work online to meet my client’s needs,” explains Cameron. “I provide airfares, tailor-made itineraries, travel insurance, hotels, B&Bs, villas in Tusca—I can do it all. I’m like a one-stop-shop because I’m available to my clients 24/7.” But she also points out that working abroad for a larger travel agency allows you to gain access to vital training, educational resources, and to benefit from working in a competitive environment.
Given the global boom of the tourism industry, travel agents will continue to be in high demand—and the good news is that with the proper accreditation, there are plenty of entry-level opportunities. Travel agents typically earn their living by making commission on their client’s payments for retail service items, like flights, hotels, and transport.
A tour operator (also called a tour guide), on the other hand, actually deals with customers in-person, on the ground, and hosts them in their destination country. For example, a tour operator company might market package deals to tourists, that include flights, hotels, safari fees—a vacation with all the bells and whistles. The tour guide might pick up tourists at the airport and take them from Point A to Point B on the particular tour they’ve chosen and planned out. Tour operators and guides can find work with all sizes of outfits, from grassroots start-ups to multinational tour operating companies.
Working abroad as a tour operator enables you to live amongst locals, but you must also become the cultural liaison between the local place and culture, and your clients. What’s the key to becoming a good operator, or guide? Along with having strong knowledge about the destination, organizational skills, stamina, troubleshooting abilities and languages, you must be very personable with clients—you need to be able to connect with clients, make them laugh and relax, help them learn about the local place and culture, and also learn from them. “Like any job, it can become routine for you, but for your client, this will be the first and probably the only time they visit any given spot on your tour,” says Don Forster, a seasoned guide with Goway. “You need to act and feel as though it is new EVERY time you go.”
Who works in the field of tourism services?
Whether they’re working behind the scenes or on the frontline of making people’s travel dreams come true, travel agents and tour operators possess a deep appreciation for travel and people. They must have superb people skills, be able to read social cues and adapt their presentation styles, and easily connect with different personalities. In order to keep guests on-track and safe, they have a fine eye for details and organization. Those who succeed in these careers are patient, warm, and friendly—and full of their own travel stories, or observations to share with clients. Effective travel agents and guides can identify their clients’ needs, and fulfil them so they have the best travel experience possible.
In order to become a travel agent, or consultant, there are no universal academic requirements. Much of the work is learned on the job, through practical means. That said, there are many options for certification or accreditation, and this training can give applicants a competitive leg-up when applying for jobs. For example, the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA) is a national trade association that represents the services sector of Canada’s tourism industry. ACTA offers online programs to become certified as a travel counsellor, and a travel manager.
Many universities and colleges offer degrees or diplomas in tourism-related fields, which are worth exploring. According to travel agent Jacqui Cameron, a degree in business or marketing could also be advantageous, particularly if you’re running a private travel agency, as this work requires good sales and marketing strategies to attract new clients. Once they have a foot in the door, many people specialize in certain areas of travel services, including weddings, honeymoons, voluntourism, or even food and agri-tourism.
Similarly, for those interested in becoming travel operators, there isn’t a universal certification program. A degree or diploma in tourism, business, communications, or marketing could be a useful academic pathway to explore. For field work, different kinds of tour and guiding outfits require different specialized skills—for example, languages, specialized local or technical knowledge.
What skills/experiences help people succeed in tourism services?
A passion for travel, positivity under pressure, people skills, organization and communication skills are just a few of the most important abilities that are sought-after in this sector. This is true whether you are guiding in the field, or supporting clients at an agency.
The Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA) estimates that the average travel agent spends 75% of their hours providing customer service (consulting and selling travel opportunities), while making and processing bookings only takes up 25% of their time. So, travel agents definitely need to practice their sales pitches and hone their listening, and public speaking skills. They have to “sell” travel experiences to people, including some clients who’ve never stepped foot outside their home country. As Jacqui Cameron says, “You’ll need the gift of gab [in order to sell] travel to people by painting pictures in their minds.”
A well-seasoned traveller knows that anything can happen while travelling, and that even guided tours don’t always go according to plan. In fact, they rarely do. Both agents and operators must be ready to handhold clients when the unexpected happens: buses or cars break down, flights are cancelled, clients become ill, or a natural disaster strikes the country—or, even if accommodation or another aspect of the tour doesn’t live up to clients’ expectations.
“Some clients can get very emotional when things don’t go according to plan,” admits Cameron. “As a travel agent, you’ll have to deal with people’s anxiety levels—you have to find ways to calm them down. People get very anxious about travelling; it’s natural, we’re scared of the unknown. But it’s your job to manage that, even if you’re doing it over the phone.”
Tour operators come from a wide range of backgrounds; for some, it’s a career that they find later in life, while others break into the field right out of university, or college. But because tour operators manage tourists of all kinds, all ages, ethnic backgrounds and cultures, it’s vital to have excellent people skills. Clients want to get to know their guides and learn from them. They also need to trust their guide’s expertise to keep them safe, bring them to the best spots in the country for scenic look-outs, or food, or cultural learning opportunities. Successful guides learn to radiate equal measures of confidence, positivity, expertise, and empathy.
Who is hiring in tourism services?
Private Travel Agencies
Consider starting your career as a travel/consultant with a larger travel agency. Agencies, including Flight Centre, The Global Work & Travel Co., and Zicasso, offer entry-level positions. They also offer opportunities to take new training, specialize, and move your way up the ladder. If working independently is in your long-term plan, it’s a great idea to first learn about the industry, gain a wide range of skills and specializations, and also have the opportunity to work in different offices/locations.
Home-Based Travel Agencies
After gaining professional experience with a private travel agency, you might consider starting your own home-based travel agency. Jacqui Cameron made the leap from working with a large agency to developing her own home-based consultancy by partnering with a UK-based company called Travel Counsellors. “Any bookings I make, I get a 60/40 split, so and I give the franchise 40% and, in return, they do all of my marketing, ticketing, accounts and ongoing training and support,” explains Cameron. She earns commission, but has found her work very financially rewarding. Learn more about home-based travel consultancy opportunities with Travel Counsellors and The Travel Agent Next Door.
Private Tour Operator Companies
Check out employment opportunities with a wide range of tour operator companies, from multinational tour companies to small, grassroots operators offering community-based tourism services. The perks of working for a larger company, such as Gray & Co, is that you can potentially move around, as they offer tourism services all around the globe. Read more about Travel & Leisure’s top 10 picks for the world’s best tour operators.
Freelance
Many tour operators and guides work on a freelance, or contractual basis, which enables them to travel around the world. It’s a good idea to first gain experience working for an established guiding outfit before you break out on your own; learn the foundational skills for being a good guide. Build up a network of employers, past clients, and people who can help you find work. You’ll need to create a personal brand, a website, and promote yourself as a guide via social media networks. In addition, you’ll have to consider things like transportation (moving guests from point A to point B), insurance, and marketing.
Resources
- Learn the ropes from the pros. Find out more about a typical ‘day in the life’ of a travel agent in this article by Sally Black, a seasoned travel agent and founder of Vacation Kids.
- Check out entry-level opportunities with large travel agencies. “I would encourage people to start by taking a job with a bigger company, where you can learn the basics of the industry,” explains Jacqui Cameron, travel agent. “They’ll teach you about fares, ticketing, and accounts. It will build your foundation as a travel consultant. Also, it can be beneficial to find a larger umbrella organization that have international offices. Once you get established, you can move around.” Learn more about career opportunities at Flight Centre.
- So you want to be a tour leader? Read this awesome article by Verge Magazine, which features interviews with four different tour operators about what it takes to succeed in the field.
- Become a member of the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) to learn about tour guiding ethics, check out their global membership database Guideapedia, and stay up-to-date on relevant news in the tour guiding industry.
- Read more tips for becoming a tour operator/guide. National Geographic Traveler provides excellent insight and advice about how to succeed in the guiding industry.
Job Boards
Conclusion
There are many ways to break into the field of international tourism services. Whether you want to become a travel agent or a tour operator, you’ll play a pivotal role in working with clients to plan and fulfil their travel dreams. Stick with the industry, and you’ll find success, says Cameron. “You need people skills, travel experience, and self-confidence. If you haven’t yet got the self-confidence – because many of us struggle with this – you have to just fake it until you make it!” she laughs, adding more seriously: “Stay positive, work hard, and you’ll be successful.”
Add to Favorites
