Travel Agent, Hospitality Management, and Tour Guide

1
Travel Agent, Hospitality Management, and Tour
Guide

• The Travel Industry Association of America says
  that in 2004, the U.S. travel industry received
  more than 600 billion from domestic and
  international travelers, and that's not counting
  international passenger fares. These expenditures
  directly resulted in 7.3 million jobs and over
  162 billion in payroll income for Americans, as
  well as 100 billion in federal, state, and local
  tax revenue.

2
Travel Agent

• Design business or pleasure trips
• Work out of home or for an agency or company

3
General Steps for Future Travel Agents

• 1) Larger travel agencies may require an agent to
  have a liberal arts or business degree
• 2) Learn to speak a second language
• 3) 6-12 week travel agent course online or at a
  community college (though not required)
• 4) Consider lower level position such as ticket
  agent to gain experience

4
Travel Agent (cont.)

• 5) Work on computer literacy
• 6) Check with states department of commerce for
  requirements
• 7) Always be reading about the industry
• 8) Gain certification as a Certified Travel
  Counselor (CTC) (See Institute of Certified
  Travel Agents at icta.com
• Education- Penn Foster

5
Salary Travel Agent

• 30,000-40,000 per year generally, but varies
  based on experience, location, and largely on how
  much you want to work.

6
Hospitality

• The hotel, hospitality and casino industry is not
  only the third largest business in the nation, it
  also employs the second largest number of people

7
Hospitality (cont.)

• Theres a lot to do in this industry!!
• Make sure everyone has what they need
• Make reservations
• Organize outings for guests
• Organize dinners and other activities within the
  hotel itself
• Become a single hotel manager or a general
  manager

8
Steps Toward a Career in Hospitality

• 1) Make sure you have excellent communication
  skills (hint hint wink wink)
• 2) Degree in hotel or restaurant management
• 3) Look for work study programs at certain
  colleges to gain experience while training
• 4) This is an industry where most start at the
  bottom and work their way up

9
Hospitality (cont.)

• 5) Possibly start off as a manager with specific
  duties
• 6) Promotions but sometimes with a change of venue

10
Salary Hospitality

• Front Desk Management 34,000-50,000 generally,
  but some up to 60,000
• Hotel Management- 40,000-80,000 depending on
  location and experience

11
Tour Guides

• Great for those who grew up in a historical area.
  Dont necessarily have to work abroad.
• Not many formal education requirements because
  most training is on the job
• Tour guides must interact with groups of people,
  keeping them focused, entertained, and informed.
  Successful travel guides will also have a great
  deal of leadership ability. Above all, they must
  be able to plan and organize trips and outings so
  that they happen seamlessly.

12
Steps for becoming a Tour Guide

• 1) Hone in on your people skills!!
• 2) Get certified as a tour guide at places like
  the International Tour Management Institute
  (itmitourtraining.com) (not required)
• 3) Get hired by the largest tour company you can
  find
• 4) If you want to go abroad, sign up for a
  company thats based in the US

13
Tour Guide (cont.)

• 6) Constant research of the area
• 7) Make sure your organized and a good planner
• 8) Keep a level head, cuz things can get ugly
• 9) Although youll possibly be traveling, dont
  expect a whole lot of free time to explore and do
  your own thing
• 10) Dont forget that you set the tone!!

14
Salary Tour Guide

• 22,000 - 31,000 a year, not including extra
  income from tips or gratuities

15
Conclusion Things to consider

• 1) Possibly return to school for specialized
  skills, some of which can be picked up online
• 2) Keep in mind that salary is relative to
  experience and location
• 3) Work loads can very depending largely on
  yourself!

16
Good Sites for more info

• http//www.pennfoster.edu/travel/index.html?semkey
  Q087823
• www.ehow.com
• www.w3education.org/career
• itmitourtraining.com
• icta.com