JOB experience/requirements help??

Question

i am currently in highschool and am thinking about my future. i have discovered that i love traveling and that i want a job in the tourism industry. i just recently got back from a cruise and think that working as a social host on a cruise would be my ideal job. so now i am wondering what type of schooling should i have, and what type of experience should i have before i apply.

Answer 1

There are several ways to get into the travel business and a variety of jobs from doing airline reservations to booking cruises and tours, to being a tour guide, or working on a cruise ship as you want to do.. So you need to decide first what track you want to be on, i.e. making reservations vs leading a tour group, or being a host..

The path to being a travel agent goes through a college program OR programs designed by companies in the travel business. I completed a company designed program sponsored by Carlson Travel, a nationwide travel company. The instruction entailed learning how to use the automated reservation system (you can learn Sabre or Worldspan) that the airlines, hotels and car reservation places use; learn how to prepare tour vouchers; and learn about the structure and procedures in the travel industry.

After completing your training you need to connect with a travel agency, like American Express or AAA, or go work for an airline or cruise line. If you want to eventually become an independent agent and , for example, work from home by PC, then you need to work for an agency long enough to get credentials and certified as a member of the professional travel agent's organization, ASTA (see web site below) That is your ticket to being paid.

When you complete a travel school they will provide placement assistance and information. Now the downside of the travel business is the pay is not very good. Years ago the airlines used to pay 4% and more commission on airline ticket sales. That has now been reduced to zero and the Internet has resulted in many more people just making air reservations online. So most commission will be on hotels and cruises and tours.

You can also get into the travel business by working for a travel agency and they will train you; or by working for a cruise line and learning in both cases the business from the ground up.  One really important thing that I have noticed about hosts on cruise ships, i.e., those who work at or around the Purser's Desk, is they are multilingual.  Many speak 3 or 4 languages well enough to talk to and help passengers from all over the world.  On one recent cruise we took there was a person making announcements who spoke eight (8) languages.  So my point is learning several languages will certainly help in getting a job.

Check out these web sites:

http://thetravelacademy.com/careers/trav...

http://www.collegeanduniversity.net/coll...

http://www.asta.org/Education/travelscho...

http://www.trade-schools.net/directory/t...

http://www.directoryofschools.com/Travel...