Travel & Tourism

Introduction:

Travel and Tourism one of the world's largest foreign exchange earner among industries, provides employment directly to millions of people worldwide and indirectly through many associated service industries. A very wide industry, it includes Government tourism departments, Immigration and customs services, travel agencies, airlines, tour operators, hotels etc and many associated service industries such as airline catering or laundry services, Guides, Interpreters, Tourism promotion and sales etc. Travel and Tourism enterprises include major internationals with a workforce of thousands, to the small private travel agent with a handful of employees.

Work in the travel and tourism industry is essentially concerned with providing services for people who are away from home, on business or holiday. Travel can be leisure travel involving package tours, pilgrim travel, adventure travel etc or purely business. Work at every functional level in the industry involves dealing directly with people. Travel agents assess the needs of tourists and businessmen and help them make the best possible travel arrangements from the many travel options available. Also, many major cruise lines, resorts, and specialty travel groups use travel agents to promote travel packages to the millions of people who travel every year.

Travel company personnel must be up-to-date on current rules and regulations and documentation required, in areas like cargo, ticketing and passports, visas etc. so as to correctly advise their clients, and to take care of the paperwork when necessary. Besides this, all tourism staff in marketing, counter sales, or guide services, should be knowledgeable about the places their clients visit, in terms of general background, how to get there connections by air, rail and road and the facilities available.

In India, Travel and tourism, as an industry, has been somewhat slower to take off than in many other places. However, with increasing worldwide interest in travel, and with the Government's encouragement of its activities, it is undergoing massive expansion and improvement. This forecasts a bright future for all those who choose to make a career of travel and tourism. Young people with drive and a capacity for hard work can rise to top positions very quickly in travel and tourism or even head their own agencies. A job in the industry gives good returns as well as perks including opportunity to see many locales at low prices.

Personality Traits

The industry is highly competitive and the winner is the one who has access to a wide range of information, quick access to travel and transportation data and who can blend business skills with diplomacy. Essential qualities for success:

  • Personal knowledge and experience of travel to major tourist destinations.
  • Knowledge of accommodation, places of interest and local customs.
  • Effective communication skills.
  • Language skills.
  • Enthusiasm to interact with people, and social etiquette.
  • Business tactics, good memory and a positive attitude.

Courses/Training

Courses for Tourism:- In India, travel and tourism courses are available in these formats-

  • Bachelor’s Degree courses
  • Diploma courses
  • Certificate courses
  • PG Degree courses
  • PG Diploma courses
  • PG Certificate courses

1 BACHELOR’S DEGREE COURSES

  • BA in Travel and Tourism Management
  • BA in Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Management
  • B.Sc. in Travel and Tourism Management
  • BA Tourism Studies
  • B.Sc. in Hospitality and Travel Management
  • BBA in Travel and Tourism Management
  • BBA in Hospitality and Travel Management
  • BBA in Air Travel Management
  • Bachelor of Tourism Studies
  • Bachelor of Tourism Administration
  • B.Com. Travel and Tourism Management
  • BA Travel and Tourism

2 DIPLOMA COURSES

  • Diploma in Travel and Tourism Management
  • Diploma in Hospitality and Travel Management
  • Diploma in Tourism Studies
  • Diploma in Aviation Hospitality and Travel Management
  • Diploma in Tourist Guide
  • Diploma in Tourism and Ticketing
  • Diploma in Airfare and Ticketing

3 CERTIFICATE COURSES

  • Certificate in Travel and Tourism Management
  • Certificate in Travel Management
  • Certificate in Tour Guide
  • Certificate in Tourism Management

Training for Guides:

There is a great requirement of trained guides in tourist centers and monuments. The government has implemented a three tier training system for guides:

Regional guides - Regional guides undergo training by the Department of Tourism of the Government of India or by the Indian Institutes of Travel and Tourism Management or by the Indian Institutes of Hotel Management under the Department of Tourism.

State guides - State level guides are trained by the state governments or with arrangement with the Department of Tourism, Government of India.

Local guides - Local guides are trained by the local administration.

The training of guides incorporates a thorough knowledge of the social, political and economic policies of the government besides a thorough knowledge of the destination within a particular region .

South Asia Integrated Tourism Human Resource Development Project ( SAITHRDP) supported by the European Commission is an integrated effort of the private and public sectors of the tourism industry in seven south asian countries.

Training for travel agents:

International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Universal Federation of Travel Agents' Association (UFTAA) diploma courses are internationally recognized qualification for Travel Agents. The aim of the IATA-UFTAA training courses is to provide an opportunity to increase professionalism within the travel industry.

Agency Training Service has authorised certain schools to teach the IATA-UFTAA programme in their classroom courses. (The address of schools can be collected from International Air Transport Association Agency Training Services IATA Centre, Route de L' Aeropart 33, P O Box 672, Ch-1215 Geneva 15 Airport, Switzerland.)

The course is primarily designed for the counter and ticketing staff of travel agencies .IATA FIATA based in Geneva has appointed authorised training centres to enable new entrants to register for the course and get the required coaching.

Placements And Prospects

Common job profiles available in front of travel and tourism professionals include-

  • Travel Agency staff
  • Travel and Tourism Consultant
  • Travel Agent
  • Tour Operator
  • Ticketing staff
  • Air hostess
  • Airline employee / Airport staff
  • Entrepreneur
  • Tour Guide
  • Customer service manager
  • Tour manager
  • Tourism promoter / marketer

Placements:

In the Government sector:

Directorates & tourism departments:-

Departments of Tourism operate at the State and Central level. These departments formulate policy, select and develop tourist destinations, plan travel facilities, publicize the destinations and provide relevant information to tourists. The State Directorates are responsible for publicizing and promoting travel within their state. Information Assistants answer the queries of tourists and help them plan their itineraries in India. They also greet tourists on arrival and helping them with problems regarding lodging, places one can visit etc.

Immigration department:-

Immigration is the first counter where the foreign visitors have to go. The government immigration department is responsible for carrying out the immigration formalities.

Customs department:-

These services have been existing for a long time as a separate cadre. Custom officials are selected through the civil services examination.

Commercial Sector:

Transport Services: Tourists use air, railways and road transport systems and waterways in coastal regions. There is a variety of job opportunities particularly in passenger service.

Air transport: Airlines operate at both international and inland routes. One can be a part of the crew on board as a pilots, flight engineers, cabin crew or can join the ground staff for supervising technical and service sectors.

Road transport: Tourist coaches have guides and travel staff on board. Coaches and tourist cars with drivers qualified to be tourist guides, are in great demand.

Guides: Young graduates who have an aptitude in history and learning languages (especially foreign languages) could work as licensed guides. The Indian Institutes of Travel and Tourism Management (IITM) offers a course after which the person can be empanelled as a guide. This is a short duration course. Training in cultural tourism is very popular.

Prospects:

Opportunities in this field exist with government tourism departments as well as in the private sector with travel agencies, civil aviation, tour operators and as free lancers. Though travel agents are working in all parts of the country, they mainly concentrate in populated cities because there are better business opportunities. Self employment is a common feature in this sector. Generally, after gaining experience and recognition in an established travel agency, agents start their own firms.

Challenges of Airline Staff:

  • Tiredness, lack of sleep, and those 12-hour shifts. Oh, and let's not forget the jet lag on long flights.
  • Grumpy, annoying, and angry passengers—you will get at least one of them nearly on each flight. Some of them seem to travel just to annoy YOU. Some of them completely ignore the rules, thinking that they know it better (even though they have no qualifications in the industry). Also prepare yourself to be blamed for everything: delays, food, that crying kid in the last row, the weather, rising fuel prices, the mother-in-law . . .
  • Forget about the family get-together at Christmas, New Year's Eve, Easter, or other holidays. Most airlines fly every day of the year.
  • Bad diet. You will eat lots of junk at weird times. And no, it won't help your health or your figure.
  • Your skin, nails and hair will get weak and dry because of the flying. You will constantly need to use moisturizers and conditioners.
  • Saying, "Hello, welcome on board," and "Thank you, bye!" hundreds of times a day, with a smile. And jet lag. Not fun at all.

Note: There are other challenges of careers related to travel and tourism which are available in other relevant career clusters.

Remuneration:

Jobs in the travel and tourism industry offer good remuneration and perquisites, which include free travel for employees and their families. Salaries may vary within the industry and are higher in foreign airlines and agencies.

Basic Pay scales at different levels are approximately:

Counter Clerk Rs. 1,500-2,000 (scales)

Assistant Rs. 2,000-2,500 (scales)

Junior Executive Rs. 3,000-3,500 (scales)

Regional Manager Rs. 3,800 -4,500 (scales)

General Manager Rs. 5,000-6,000 (scales)

Air Hostess- The pay scale of an air hostess is very excellent in India. Average pay scale of an air-hostess ranges between Rs. 20,000 to 35,000 per month. . An air hostess who works in a worldwide aviation has an enhanced salary package than that of domestic in India.

Regional guides : Their charges may range from Rs 400 and above for an eight hour day. They may earn between 30,000-40,000 Rs or more in the three to four months of the tourist peak season.

A Travel Consultant earns an average salary of Rs 309,216 per year. Experience strongly influences income for this job.

Information Source: http://www.payscale.com/research/IN/Job=Travel_Consultant/Salary

Useful Links: http://www.apnaahangout.com/travel-tourism-courses/

Bibliography : Careers In Travel And Tourism." Icbse.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 28 Aug. 2017.