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The tourism industry is one filled with excitement, enthusiasm and exotic adventures. With tourism jobs available all over the world, and for a multitude of skill sets and personalities, the sector is one of the most diverse career paths you can undertake.
Tourism in Australia is one of the premiere sectors in the world, with people flocking to the nation’s beaches, culture and friendly lifestyle year-round. Australia also has a strong domestic tourism market, as a country that big has plenty of hidden treasures to explore.
Many different jobs come under the tourism umbrella. These include positions in various environments such as cruise ships, resorts, tourist buses, hotels and restaurants, as well as office and desk work.
Some common tourism jobs include:
Most travel and tourism jobs require some basic form of qualification, and prior experience also plays a large role in landing your dream job. Whilst many travel and tourism courses equip you with the required knowledge, often employers also require additional previous work experience.
Australia remains one of the most visited tourist destinations, and more than 7.4 million people visited in 2015. The industry employs approximately 5% of the national workforce and contributes more than $47.5 billion dollars to the economy every year.
With as many as 600,000 tourism professionals predicted to be employed in the sector by 2020, tourism in Australia is expected to continue as a steady employer all across the country, especially in tourist hotspots. The most visited areas are the cities of Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane so naturally, there are ample tourism jobs available in these areas.
However, for the more rural oriented, there are still plenty of places requiring qualified workers to maintain and share the pristine environments. Some of these include the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, and the Great Ocean Road.
The tourism industry can be competitive and requires skilled and hard-working employees. To make a career out of such an exciting and alluring industry, you must be qualified and willing to make every day count. With many travel and tourism courses available online, it is easier than ever to start your dream career no matter what your schedule is.
A certificate is the best way to start off a career and can offer a pathway into entry-level roles without prior experience. This is a common mode of entry into careers such as a travel agent. Another type of tourism certificate is in the hospitality sector, with many hospitality courses offered at a certificate level.
These certificates are best known for focussing on a wide range of practical skills such as preparing travel itineraries, providing services and gaining an understanding of tourism in Australia in a general sense. A Certificate III in Travel is a perfect example of one such course and can open doors to various positions. Travel consultant courses are also common at these levels because they are a great way to get into the tourism industry. Such courses are usually completed within 12 months, with a few running for 18 months.
For those wanting to further their education, or to enter higher positions within the industry, there are many tourism courses available at a diploma level. These may be required for more specialist positions such as hospitality management, hotel management, or positions in tourism marketing.
They offer a mix of theoretical and practical knowledge and focus on how to deliver quality customer service, manage complex projects and travel itineraries, as well as giving you the skills to work with the latest in technological advancements in software surrounding the industry.
A Diploma of Travel and Tourism is the next step from a Certificate III in Travel and will provide you with an expanded skill set and knowledge base. Such courses can also provide a deeper insight into the industry as a whole, with past, current, and future trends being explored offering insights into the direction the sector is moving, and are typically finished in 18 months.
If you’re a student wishing to kick start your career, or a tourism professional looking to further expand your knowledge, a Bachelor’s level course is the premier option for you. There are many travel and tourism courses that are required for jobs in Australian tourism.
Degrees such as the Bachelor of Hospitality Management and the Bachelor of Tourism offer high levels of knowledge and in-depth skill development required for the most difficult and in demand positions. Through these higher-level courses, you learn more about the strategies and policies involved in operating within the tourism industry, as well as further developing insights into niche sectors such as eco-tourism and cultural tourism.
During a Bachelor Degree, you become qualified for a broad range of positions in management and project coordinator roles. It is also a great foundation for a self-employed consultant or starting your own small tourism business.
For a successful career in tourism, you need drive, insight, and a love of travel. With crucial skills such as organisation, communication, and people skills necessary, there is a strong demand for soft skills. This is because you will be dealing with people every day, and assisting them in enjoying their well earned holiday time. These should be complemented with an educational background focussed on your area of expertise, and a love of making people’s trips great.
Whilst the career isn’t always flying from one exotic location to the next, there still exists a strong opportunity to travel and experience many of the things you help others to experience. As a flexible career with transferable skills and a highly active international and domestic audience, this vibrant industry is a great fit for anyone who sees themselves as a global citizen.
If this sounds like you, or someone who you would like to be, stop thinking and start acting! Find your dream career now by searching our courses in tourism to find the perfect fit for you.
