CGC Oakgrove Ebook 3.0

Travel & Tourism Services

Sector Outlook The UK is the 8th largest international tourist destination by visitor numbers. The sector that includes domestic travel and tourism is 9% of all UK revenue, a colossal £129 Billion. But travel and tourism is not just about inbound visitors. UK citizens made 56 million trips abroad with a staggering 1.4 billion day trips made to destinations in England in 2013. Although tourism and travel is booming it has been a challenging time for companies offering travel services as more of us are booking online. In 2014 ABTA recorded that 75% of all UK holidays were booked either with a comparison website or directly with the operator. This changing pattern of consumers buying online and at cheaper prices has affected travel industry services. One large company closed more than 149 stores in 2013 in efforts to reduce its administrative costs and be more competitive. However there are still around 6,600 travel and tour operators in the UK employing around 100,000 staff in travel services. Around 40,000 are travel agents working for various companies in high street, at home or in call centres. Others are involved in a variety of services such as tour guides, tour operators, administrative staff or coach drivers. The industry is youthful, with 39% of staff in the travel and tourism sector being under the age of 30. A good standard of education is important for entry into careers in travel services. There are also a number of qualifications beneficial to the industry including: NVQ in travel & tourism, Diplomas and HNC’s in travel & tourism, GCSE, A Level and Degree courses in International Tourism and Travel Management. An interest in travel or tourism, enthusiasm, and an aptitude for planning and organising is desirable. Additionally, the five most common skills are: technical, practical or job specific skills, customer service skills, oral communication skills, problem solving skills and team working skills. Foreign language skills may also be useful for a job role in travel services, depending on the type of work. You can aid your chances by building a portfolio of volunteering, travelling, getting part time work at a tourist destination or obtaining work experience. Jobs in the industry can be found in common places such as job websites, local newspapers or direct with travel and tour operators such as Thomas Cook, TUI or smaller companies such as Cosmos and Trailfinders. Visitor services roles may exist at country parks, zoos, local authorities, museums, heritage centres, organisations such as the national trust or with large leisure companies such as Merlin Entertainments which operates 105 attractions globally.