Travel
Have you ever dreamed of escaping the wet, windy, cold weather of Britain and working abroad? Sorry, silly question – we all have at some time. But if you’re really serious about it, you could do worse than think about a career in the travel industry.
You want a career with options? There’s a whole world of them. You could be a travel agent, work in a tour operator’s office, be a tour guide, a holiday rep, or work for an airline. The work would involve a lot of interaction with customers so if you’re a bright, sunny personality then this is a good choice of career.
Don’t think it’ll all be lazing on the beach though. Working in travel can be very demanding with last minute changes, problems to solve and plenty of challenges for you to overcome.
Travel and Tourism First Award/Diploma
This qualification is usually taken at a college or through a training provider, so you don’t need to already have a job, and is a good choice if you’re just starting out. The emphasis is on learning practical skills and you’ll get plenty of information and advice throughout the course.
Travel and Tourism
If you already have a job in travel then the NVQ will help you prove your skills.
Find out more about the levels and the types of qualification we provide.
Type of work:
Indoors and outdoors, both active and desk-based.
Who you could work for:
Tourist attractions, airlines, cruise lines, tour operators, travel agencies, tourist boards, etc.
Likely hours:
Depends on the employer and the job. Some office-based jobs will be 9–5 but you’re likely to have to work shifts, weekends and occasionally unsocial hours.
Starting salary*:
Varies according to your job role. Your careers service will have more information.
Perfect for you if you are:
Happy and sociable, good at solving problems, helpful and have good communication skills. Other languages are a bonus.
You could even go on to:
Supervisory and management opportunities. You may get to travel abroad and if you spot a gap in the market you could even set up your own company.
Salaries are only a guide. We’ve quoted average figures and there will be some variation around the country. There will also be variation from employer to employer.