The travel industry worldwide continues to thrive. With people always on the move, traveling to the different parts of the globe, major players in this sector are enjoying better days despite the competition.
Employment is also steady in the travel industry. In fact, the U.S. Travel Association reported a significant increase in employment in the month of August this year considered to be the highest achieved so far since 2008.
Meanwhile, a study on the Asia Pacific trends showed that travel professionals are doing an important job of influencing business travel policy. The research done by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Foundation also said that employees in the industry are now equipped with various online tools as they work to provide consumers with cost-effective travel opportunities.
In addition, this annual study that covered 1,500 respondents in Asia, Europe, North and South America revealed that 60 percent of travel professionals claimed they now have more control on policies compared to in the past. The authors of the study also stressed that social media as well as the internet and mobile technology have greatly helped in meeting the needs of people and achieving the business goals of major players.
The travel sector spans various sectors. These are the travel agent, retail and wholesale travel, tour operators, cruising, transportation, events and tourism services.
Those with a sales and computer background, are people-oriented and committed to providing the best customer service have a potential to become effective travel agents. Online travel agents are in demand today as more people now book for their travel over the internet.
The tour operator work is ideal for those who love to show people around places. The tourism services sector, on the other hand, covers recruitment suppliers, newspaper publishers and technology providers.
Common positions available depending on your level of experience and educational attainment are sales executive, marketing and administrative assistant, reservation agent, receptionist, product development manager, marketing manager, product manager, consultant and general manager.
If you’re planning to start a career path in the industry, it’s best to target a specific sector where your skills can fit well and where you think you’ll be working with passion. You have to know that jobs here do not always mean you’ll be visible to people all the time. The wholesaler, for instance, is one person that works behind the scene putting together travel packages for consumers.
About the guest author:
Gus is a marketing manager for a travel agency. He said he owes his job to the Progressive Personnel Travel Recruitment site.