Profession Tourism Manager: Features of Training and Responsibilities

Choosing a profession is like choosing a fate. It is important to weigh the pros and cons, as well as get as much information as possible regarding the area of ​​interest. The profession of a tourism manager seems romantic, filled with travels around the world, meeting new interesting people. But is it really so? Let's try to understand all the nuances of this profession.

Profession Description

Tourism Manager is the generic name of a travel company employee position. The list of tasks in the job description in different agencies does not always match. The main task of the manager is to organize the rest of the client at a high level, taking into account all the wishes. In some companies, the tourism manager is a universal specialist who organizes all aspects of the tour. These include:

• conversation with a client;
• choice of direction;
• search and booking of tickets and hotels;
• registration of visas and insurance;
• signing of contracts;
• payment acceptance and much more.

In other firms, different stages are performed by different employees. In addition, responsibilities depend on the direction of the travel company. So, tour operators organize travel routes, and travel agencies sell finished tours.

Vacancies in the field of tourism

To navigate the posts in the field of tourism, we list what other vacancies exist:

1. The corporate customer service agent organizes business trips or vacations for employees and managers of large companies. It can be field seminars, corporate events or tourism. The manager must have the qualifications for servicing a business travel and be fluent in English at least conversational level.
2. The individual tours organizer serves VIP clients. His tasks include: developing and organizing personal tours, reserve hotels, issuing visas, searching for and renting exclusive vehicles. This position requires a presentable appearance, diplomacy and a good level of English, especially business and written.
3. The air transportation manager arranges intermediary services for booking and selling airline tickets. You need to know the reservation system, as well as some companies require a certificate.
4. A vacancy booking agent is suitable for beginners with no experience in the tourism industry.
5. The ecotourism manager selects tours to national nature parks and protected areas. This is a relatively new direction in the field of tourism, gaining popularity.

Is the profession in demand now?

How promising is the profession of tourism manager? Financial fluctuations and technological development are reflected in many areas of activity, and tourism is no exception. Increasingly, potential customers of travel agencies prefer to independently search and select tours. This is due to the desire to save money, and the fact that there are a large number of resources that allow you to organize your trip. But not everyone does this, and many prefer the "old fashioned way" to trust a specialist in this matter.

Another important point is the surplus in the market of candidates wishing to work in the field of tourism. With high competition, the requirements for applicants become quite high, and it is difficult for a tourism manager without work experience to find a place in a travel agency.

Requirements for a candidate

First of all, the manager needs the skill to work with a large amount of information. You need to remember the dates and times of flights, tourist areas of many countries, what kind of vacation is available in one or another resort place. Since one of the duties of a tourism manager is to promote tours, knowledge of sales technology will not hurt. In addition, you need to be sociable and diplomatic, to be able to "talk" to the client in order to offer a suitable tour. Initial knowledge of psychology will not interfere here.

Often, employers require knowledge of foreign languages, preference is given to English. If geography was a favorite subject at school, then consider yourself lucky. This knowledge is very useful in work. If you are a beginner tourism manager with no experience in this field, then higher education in this specialty will not interfere.

The profession is considered quite stressful. You will have to simultaneously control several processes, while always being polite and attentive to customers. Ready to be on an irregular working day and business trips.

Manager Responsibilities

As already mentioned, the responsibilities of a tourism manager in different companies can be different. We list the main functions:

• communication with customers, providing information about services;
• customer search and sale of company services;
• formation of routes;
• hotel reservation and ticket purchase;
• organization of charter flights;
• registration of visas and insurance;
• collaboration with the host;
• selection of excursions and entertainment;
• preparation of contracts;
• conflict resolution.

If you are applying for the position of assistant manager for tourism, then your tasks will be routine tasks that do not require high qualifications. Good computer skills and the ability to use office equipment will help here.

Place of work and salary

Travel agencies and tour operators provide jobs. There are vacancies for an assistant tourism manager and a specialist. Depending on the tasks, the salary will be different. As a rule, payment consists of the basic rate and percent of sales of permits. The average salary in Russia is 34 thousand rubles. The highest paid job is the tourism manager in Moscow - 49 thousand rubles.

Work specifics

A career in tourism begins with the position of Assistant or Account Manager. Having proved yourself well here, you can apply for the vacancy of a tourism manager. In a company that organizes tours, and not just sells ready trips, the manager will gain more experience in the field of tourism. Having mastered the intricacies of work, you can later open your own business.

Benefits of the profession

Choosing this or that profession, we want to realize creative and business potential. If you like to chat with people and travel, then work in the tourism sector will appeal to you. In order to successfully sell travel agency services, you will have to personally visit the countries where future customers will go. Farsighted managers organize study tours to hotels and resorts for managers at the expense of the company.

If a modern office equipped with everything necessary is important for you, then, as a rule, travel agencies do not skimp on the equipment of the manager’s workplace, because the overall impression of the client depends on this and whether he wants to arrange a ticket for this company. Travel agencies are often sent to trainings and trainings for tourism managers. Constantly growing and developing in the profession is another indisputable plus.

Cons of the profession

You need to know and be prepared for some negative aspects in the profession:

1. A large degree of responsibility. All stages of travel and leisure of the client depend on the manager. You need to keep a lot of control and be prepared for factors beyond your control and force majeure. Flight delays, errors of hotel employees or an unscrupulous host - for all this, the manager will be responsible to the client.
2. Irregular working hours. A working day will last as long as necessary to complete the paperwork, send important letters, arrange with the embassy.
3. The impossibility of vacation in the "hot" season. When working in the field of tourism, you can forget about summer holidays, as well as about holidays in May and September. This is the time of the greatest activity in the tourism sector.

Where to get training?

Of course, a specialized higher education when applying for a job will be a plus, but even without it you can get a travel agency. Training for a tourism manager can take courses. They last from 1 to 3 months and give a concise program, paying attention to important aspects of the specialty. In order not to miscalculate when choosing courses and not to waste time and money, study the reviews about the institution you are interested in on online forums. If there is no way to pay for training, then look for free courses and webinars on the same Internet. Now they are widespread and are a good help in the development of new skills.

Russian educational institutions

If you seriously decide to study this specialty, there are many higher educational institutions to choose from that train future workers in the tourism sector. There are both universities and colleges. The passing score in higher education institutions in the specialty "Tourism" ranges from 72 to 86. The average cost of training is 187 thousand rubles a year.

You can combine training for a tourism manager with employment in a travel company, being in the last courses of the university. In this case, you can get the position of assistant manager or courier.

How to become a tourism worker?

To become a good specialist in the tourism field, you need to master many skills. Here's what you need to know and be able to beginner:

1. Understand the difference between tour operators and travel agents and have a clear idea of ​​what they are doing.
2. Own search and reservation programs.
3. Know the technology of sales and be able to sell.
4. Be able to draw up contracts.
5. Know the geography of countries, the location of hotels and resorts, a list of attractions, features of entry into a particular country.
6. Know the rules of insurance and visa.
7. Be a confident PC and office user.

You need to understand that you will need to learn constantly, because changes in the tourism industry occur frequently. You will have to read and study a lot on your own, attend specialized trainings and seminars. If a travel company requires a specialist with experience, then the candidate must know the reservation programs.

Before you get a travel agency, even for a position that does not require work experience, study the information on popular tourist destinations. Here are some of them:

• Turkey (Antalya).
• Greece (Crete).
• Egypt.
• Thailand.
• Spain.
• Italy.
• Bulgaria.
• Croatia.

Recently, tourist routes in Russia have been popular.

Reviews about the profession

They will help to finally understand whether the profession of a tourism manager, reviews from thematic forums on the Internet are suitable for you. After examining the reviews, we can conclude:

1. The work of the manager is responsible and stressful.
2. Irregular working hours. In addition, customers can call at 3 a.m. and on weekends.
3. To work in this area, you need to be a very sociable and extrovert person. We must be able to find out the preferences of the client and offer an option according to his wishes and possibilities.
4. Salary is not the most competitive and depends on seasonality and the number of tourists.
5. The ability to sell is very important. If you well know popular destinations, know how to use search engines, book tickets and hotels, apply for visas and know several foreign languages, but don’t know how to advertise and sell goods, you won’t be able to stay on a manager’s post. In addition, the salary directly depends on the number of tours and tours sold.
6. The atmosphere in the team leaves much to be desired. In the work of a manager in a travel agency, there are often rumors that are not the best way affect the emotional state of employees. In addition, tourists are different, and they will express dissatisfaction with their vacation to you, even if something was not right through your fault.
7. Traveling abroad at the expense of the company is more of a myth. The company can pay half the cost, but, as a rule, managers travel at their own expense. In addition, you do not rest on such trips, but look at hotels for 20-30 per day.

Despite such not the most positive reviews, some found their calling in this profession. Many begin work in the tourism sector, but soon become disappointed and leave it. To work in this area for a long time, you need to love tourism and literally live it. If this is not about you, then it is better to think 100 times before choosing this path.

Like any other profession, the specialty of a manager in a travel agency has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. One of the reasons why many are interested in this field of activity is the possibility of employment without work experience and without specialized education. It also attracts applicants that the work is related to travel and leisure. But it is important to remember that organizing a vacation and relaxing yourself are two different things.