THOSE keen on entering the tourism industry can smile broadly: not only is our tourism sector doing well, but September is also Tourism Month and the perfect time to investigate the career opportunities the sector offers. It’s wonderful that tourism has not lost its momentum” says Natalie Rabson of Boston City Campus and Business College.
“We all accepted that the World Cup was not an end in itself and that all hard work that went into this hosting the event would pay off- the sector is indeed looking healthy and attractive to n newcomers”. According to the Department of Tourism, foreign arrivals continue to grow and the number of South Africans making domestic trips has considerably increased in the past year.
Speaking at the launch on the Tourism Month last week, Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalwyk pointed out that the focus was now on domestic tourism. “Our foreign arrivals continue to reflect the consistent growth of our tourism industry and I have no doubt that 2010 is going to be a very successful year,” he said. “We have always understood, however that the backbone of any tourism industry is its domestic market.
“We will continue to promote the richness of our destination to South African travelers and during tourism Month we have a particular focus on showcasing our local tourism offerings.” He said the nearly R70 million spent on domestic marketing over the past six years was money well spent.
TV, radio, print and outdoor advertising and events served to promote domestic tourism, with statistics showing that 14.6 million South Africans made about 30 million domestic trips and spent in the region of R22m. A total of 75 percent of all tourist volumes in South Africa last year was derived from domestic tourists, representing a contribution of 22 percent of total tourism revenues in the same year.
The bottom line is, the tourism sector can do with qualified and skilled people and a passion for service, commitment to efficiency and attention to detail can expect to get rewarding jobs in travel agents, tour guides, employment at resorts, lodges, casinos, hotels, luxury cruise ships, government tourism departments, foreign exchange, marketing and in the event management industry. In your first job you can expect to be put in a junior position, but there are many opportunities for career advancement.
Travel agents have the added bonus of getting the opportunity to travel as many agencies send their travel agents on educational programmes to various popular destinations so they can experience the attractions of the destinations first hand. To secure a good job in tourism, however, you need an adequate training from an accredited training provider.
Boston City Campus offers accredited qualifications in travel and tourism operations, hotel and catering operations, reservations and front admin, general travel, tourism and hospitality management.
Besides industry-specific modules such as tourism geography and customer service, courses include modules such as business English, bookkeeping and office practice to ensure students have all the skills needed to build a successful career. Furthermore, Boston students get the opportunity to speak to industry experts and to go on field trips to local tourist attractions to round off their training.
“Also keep in mind that you may study in other fields and still find work in the tourism industry,”Rabson adds. Because much of the success of the tourism industry relies on how well destinations are marketed, you can opt to study for the internationally recognized marketing qualification offered by Boston and specialize in tourism marketing.
Or you can enroll for media studies and become a journalist who specializes in writing travel articles. People like to see pictures of places before deciding where to go, so photojournalism at Boston Media to become a photographer focusing on tourism to showcase locations and illustrate travel literature. Investigate all the options and once you find where you fit best in the tourism industry ensure you get good qualification, “advises Rabson.
Boston City Campus and Business College offers more than 80 dynamic career qualifications at 48 branches nationwide. Unisa degrees and media studies are also available at selected branches. Call Boston at 011 551 2000, e-mail info@boston.co.za or visit www.boston.co.za.
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