GUIDANCE PLUS
Go places with a career in travel industry
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We now focus our attention on the travel sector, to explore the related study options after Plus Two.
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JUST More than information: Those who work in the travel sector will need to have good skills in personal interaction and also mastery of travel-related knowledge in various domains.
The three areas of travel, tourism and hospitality are often considered together while discussing career options. We had covered training in hospitality a few weeks ago. Opportunities in tourism had also been discussed. Now, we would focus on the travel sector.
There is a surge in air travel at the national and international levels in recent times. Cheaper fares, increase in tourism, rising trends of global education, increase in business travel consequent on globalisation and growing numbers of people seeking overseas employment have contributed to unprecedented expansion in the travel industry.
The job of the travel professional is not confined to issuing journey tickets at the counter. There is much more than what meets the eye. Training has therefore to be on diverse lines. In spite of the online facilities available for securing air tickets directly by travellers themselves, the travel professional has a decided role to play.
Cost effective and convenient travel may have to be planned, in tune with the tastes and purse of the client. The demands of a corporate business executive would be totally different from those of a middle class tourist on a shoestring budget. The former would demand the best available facilities, while the latter would look for basic facilities at the cheapest rates.
A competent travel professional should be well versed in the know-what and the know-how in the travel-tourism domain.
Various aspects of flights; baggage rules; types of accommodation and cost; off-season concessions; special privileges given to clients; places of tourist interest; formalities relating to passport and visa; Customs regulations; hotel ratings; currency exchange; guided tours; package tours; airport pickup; car rental; computerised ticketing and related software; optimum fare construction; and travel geography are some of the elements to be mastered by those who want to make a mark in the profession.
Personal attributes
As in any service sector, the professional should have excellent personal qualities connected with public relations. In a competitive field with several competent players, only those who go the extra mile are likely to excel. Those with the best and latest information base, quick delivery style and service with a smile are likely to win the favour of clients.
Maintaining personal relations with the clients as well as with distant business contacts such as airline officials, tour operators and hotel managers is essential for success or even survival. Since there will be frequent changes in schedules and tariffs, constant efforts in updating travel information is important. Mastery in computerised travel operation and timely planning of work are essential for keeping effectiveness of service.
The online system offers updated information on most areas; but information on peripheral services may have to be followed up individually. Love for the travel profession and commitment to service are vital. Those who are devoid of these attributes may end up as mere birds of passage.
The job of the travel professional demands more of emotional quotient than intelligence quotient. Speaking in a pleasing tone with clarity in the style desired by the client makes matters easier. A well groomed person with a friendly disposition will certainly become the apple of the customer’s eye. An outgoing personality and an air of confidence even during tense moments will enhance the credibility of the professional. Resourcefulness and empathy with the clients are positive attributes.
Opportunities
There are different areas where a travel professional can work. Travel agencies, airline companies, tourism departments or corporations and call centres offer opportunities. The remuneration from the travel agencies may not be substantial. But most airlines offer handsome packages.
The new trend of call centres which carry out ticketing and reservation work even from distant continents has opened up an attractive avenue of employment. Travel jobs are concentrated in cities or big towns. Proximity to airports is a common feature. The work may not be confined to passenger tickets. Tour operations, accounting, arranging guides and handling cargo usually go with agency work. Rail or road tickets may also have to be procured to meet customer needs.
Training programmes
There are academic programmes conducted by universities and other institutions. Very often academic programmes combine travel and tourism.
Most of the programmes of this kind are at the postgraduate level, admission being granted to graduates in any discipline. Those who have passed the higher secondary examinations can undergo short-term programmes of four to six months conducted by small institutes or travel agencies. The candidates learn the elements of travel operations, including ticketing and fare construction and travel geography.
With this background and practical experience, they can work in travel agencies. Such candidates may not be able to climb to the top rungs of the professional ladder. They can, however, write the professional examinations held by IATA (International Air Transport Association), which is the international body that guides all activities relating to aviation at the global level. The certificates issued by IATA are honoured by all the airlines and travel offices throughout the world.
The knowledge gained from the short-term courses can be supplemented by self-study using the material supplied by IATA. Also, you can undergo systematic training in the training centres authorised by IATA. Such institutional training will be of great help in mastering the nuances of the job.
Next week, we shall discuss the details of the IATA courses. An indicative list of some of the other training facilities available in the travel sector for Plus Two holders is given below:
•IITTM (Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management), Govindpuri, Gwalior – 474 011 ( www.iittm.org)
This institute with units at Bhubaneswar, New Delhi and Goa is under the control of the Union Ministry of Tourism.
•Department of Tourism Studies, Pondicherry University
•Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies, Residency Compound, Thiruvananthapuram - 695 014
•B.Com. tourism and travel management or Master of Tourism Administration in the colleges affiliated to the University of Kerala
•Master of Tourism Administration in colleges affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam
•Master’s programmes in tourism at the Andhra, Madurai Kamaraj, Lucknow and other universities.
•Mother Teresa Women’s University, Kodaikanal, conducts Bachelor in Tourism Management and Master in Tourism Management programmes.
•BA travel and tourism management, University of Lucknow
Those who qualify these programmes may get IATA qualifications through parallel study, since they have global recognition for recruitment.
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