Unit 1 Careers in Tourism

The travel and tourism industry is growing very fast. Today more people look for quality vacations where they can relax and also do something new and interesting. Unless tourist traffic grew, travel-related jobs would not increase. These relate to various related services facilitating travel, such as travel agencies, banking, hotels, guides, airlines and other services. Some of them may be seasonal, limited to the tourist season from September to March but others are permanent in nature. Travel-related jobs are best suited for individuals who enjoy meeting people and make them comfortable. They are for those who like adventure and traveling. True, some are desk jobs, but even these jobs entail understanding the needs of the traveler and making the best arrangements possible for him.

Some of the areas where careers can be made are described here.

Travel agencies

Without travel agencies traveling would be impossible. They require that travel agents deal with customers, guide them. Travel agencies plan holidays and finally offer tickets for the best routes. They also help in foreign exchange and visas. The requirements are a pleasing personality and the ability to deal with customers. It is desirable that travel agents possess knowledge of destinations.

Tour operators

There are many companies operating tours for the domestic as well as the international tourists. Some may be for the usual destinations like hill stations but others are for unusual activities like river rafting, gliding, rock climbing and camping. Tour operators need people for selling the concept and then to accompany the groups to the destinations. Again, the qualities required are a pleasing and outgoing personality, knowledge of the activities and often participation in them with the tourists. A person hoping to work with a tour operator must be able to travel with the groups and know people at the destinations to make the tours pleasant for the client.

Tourist guides

Three categories of tourist guides are known to be regional, state level and monument guides. The best guides and those who are in demand are those who are able to get the maximum advantage for the tourists. It is required that guides be in touch with foreign agencies. A fixed itinerary is offered and guides take the groups to those areas, which they are familiar with. Apart from the activities mentioned above, wildlife safaris are also becoming increasingly popular. If a guide understands the foreign tourist and his needs, he will be able to earn a round sum.

Holiday Consultants

This is a new concept, the idea is that the tourist gets all the details of travel and itineraries from one source. The holidays consultant will sell the holidays, plan out the itineraries and help in travel plans, and arrange for ticketing and other details as well. It is essential that holidays consultants know the destinations and the activities available.

Airlines

Airlines require people for ground as well as flight duties. On the ground the duties are in offices, at the airline desks in airports and for checking and managing flights. A course in travel or a qualification on hotel management helps to get in. Particular jobs that provide useful knowledge include those of ticket agent and reservations agent for the airlines. Airlines also require air hostesses and stewards for flights. The jobs are glamorous and afford the possibility of traveling to exciting destinations. Free tickets for the family offered by some airlines are an added advantage.

Banks

Foreign banks and dealers in foreign exchange demand that people assist their clients in their travel requirements. The idea is to provide services under one roof. The bank helps in hotel booking, ticketing and all travel-related services. The jobs expected from the person may sometimes be more than travel-related, since a personal touch is added to make the traveler feel at home. For the adventurous and the travel-minded, there are a lot of avenues that could be explored.

Careers in hotel management

With hotels coming up in record numbers to cater to the ever growing domestic and international travelers, the demand for trained professionals has multiplied in the industry.

The people who write about travel also receive lavish treatment from the tourist industry. There are relatively few travel writers, but they play an important part in publicizing the industry. Without them it would be impracticable to promote the tourist industry. There is a small industry involved in writing and publishing guide-books.

Ex. 1. Answer the following questions:

1. Does the travel and tourism industry grow very fast?

2. What individuals are best suited for travel-related jobs?

3. Do you remember the functions of travel agencies?

4. What are the three categories of tourist guides?

5. Why did the demand for trained professionals multiply?

Ex. 2. Match the words in A with their definitions in B:

A	B
1. customer	a. happening or existing for a long time
2. increase	b. something that a rule, law etc states that you must do
3. permanent	c. a person or company that buys goods or services
4. itinerary	d. to help something to develop
5. requirement	e. to become larger in amount
6. promote	f. a plan of a journey that you are going to make, including information about when and where you will travel

Ex. 3. Complete the gaps with one of the words given below:

travel-related	involved
require	reservations agent
operating

1. Airlines ……… people for ground as well as flight duties.

2. There is a small industry ……… in writing and publishing of guide-books.

3. The bank helps in hotel booking, ticketing and all ……… services.

4. There are many companies ……… tours for the domestic as well as the international tourists.

5. Particular jobs that provide useful knowledge include those of ticket agent and ……… for the airlines.

Ex. 4. Put the verbs in an appropriate tense and voice:

1. If a guide (understand) the foreign tourist and his needs, he (be able) to earn a round sum.

2. A fixed itinerary (offer) and guides (take) the groups to those areas, which they are familiar with.

3. Free tickets for the family offered by some airlines (be) an added advantage.

4. The travel and tourism industry (grow) very fast.

5. Travel agencies (plan) holidays and finally (offer) tickets for the best routes.

Ex. 5. Translate the sentences into Russian paying attention to infinitive and gerund constructions:

1. The hotel inspector has an opportunity of inspecting in deluxe hotels for 12 days each month.

2. During this tour you will visit Filerimos hill and you will be astonished of the spectacle of millions of butterflies swarming in their lovely valley. Thank you for choosing this excursion.

3. A hotelier might say that tourism is wonderful because it brings guests who fill rooms and restaurant.

4. Tourism can be defined as the idea of attracting, accommodating, and pleasing groups or individuals traveling for pleasure or business.

Unit 2