Travel and Tour Through Life

The desire to explore the unknown and the unseen has been sustaining the human spirit since ages. The advancement of technology has enabled the world populace to fulfil this desire. Today, travelling has become not only a necessity in the period of Globalization but a way of life, promoting the travel and tourism industry worldwide.

Professional Skills

Work at every functional level in the industry involves interacting with people. Travel company personnel must be up-to-date on current rules and regulations and documentation required, in areas like cargo, ticketing and passports, visas etc. in order to correctly advise their clients, and to take care of the paperwork when necessary. Besides this, all tourism staff in marketing, counter sales, or guide services, should be knowledgeable about the places their clients visit, in terms of general background, how to get the connections by air, rail and road and the facilities available. Knowledge of history, geography, art and architecture, customs and traditions, proficiency in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian is preferred.

Personal Skills:

Charming, friendly and outgoing personality; good written and oral communication and presentation skills; the ability and patience to help and provide hospitality; ability to take decisions; organising ability ; must be good in problem solving and unflustered in very situation; should be adventurous in nature; should have the potential for management and administration; work effectively within a team.

Work Areas :

* Travel Agencies:

* Tourism Department:

* Hotels:

* Transport: Air, railways, road and sea are the categories in which transport is divided into.

* Tour operators:

* Holiday consultants:

* Banks:

Options

* Visa Executive/Immigration Consultant

* Tour Management Executive

* Reservations Executive

*Operations Executive

** Trainee Travel Consultant

* Junior Travel Executive       

* Ticketing Assistant

*Tour Operation Managers

*Air Hostess

* Cabin Crew

* Front Office Executive

* Lobby Manager

*Travel Agent

*Lodging Manager

*Travel Co-ordinator

* Executives (travel):

Eligibility: Graduation in any discipline. Additional management qualification preferable. Basic and advanced IATA/UFTAA or equivalent and airline sales and marketing qualification with 7-8 years direct selling experience in a reputed travel agency. He will assist sales manager (travel) in all the areas listed above , besides supervising a team of outdoor seals and ticketing staff. Knowledge of a foreign language would be an advantage. Age limit is 27-33 years.

*Executives (cargo):

Eligibility: A graduate in any discipline with additional qualification of IATA basic cargo handling procedures or air cargo/liner marketing with minimum of seven years experience in cargo sales /operations with any reputed cargo agency/airline/shipping line. An executive will assist sales manager (cargo) in all the areas listed above. Fluency in English and other Indian languages, and knowledge of foreign languages are an advantage. Age limit is 25-30years.

*Executive (tours -inbound/outbound):

Eligibility: Graduate in any discipline with additional qualifications of basic or advanced IATA/UFTAA qualifications with 5-7 years experience in marketing and sales of inbound/outbound tour programmes/ itinerary, sales development, tour operator tie-ups in international markets. Knowledge of foreign languages would be an advantage. Age limit is 25-30 years.

* Sales consultants (travel/tours/cargo):

Eligibility: Graduation in any discipline. Basic and advanced IATA/UFTAA or equivalent course and airline sales and marketing qualification or additional qualification relating to cargo handling procedures/DGR/IATA course on cargo marketing with 3-5 years experience in a reputed travel agency/tour operator / cargo agency/airline/ shipping line. Age limit is 22-25 years.

Services Provided

 Work in the Travel & Tourism industry is essentially concerned with providing services for people who are away from home, on business or holiday.

Commercial Services include Transport • Air • Rail • Road • Travel Agencies. Personalised services are Ticketing • Reservations • Documentation • Publicity

Commercial Services (Governments) Immigration is the first counter where the visitor has to be serviced. Curriculum in some universities now provides for teaching of immigration procedures.

Customs services is a separate cadre. And, as the volume of traffic increases, the number of counters will have to be considerably increased.

Career opportunities exist both in the public and private sector. The hierarchy that exists in the Travel & Tourism industry is as follows:

Hierarchy

• Counter Clerk/Counter Assistant - deals with designing itineraries, handling ticketing, reservations, suggesting suitable routes etc.
• Senior Assistant - supervises the counter clerks' work.
• Junior Executive - In charge of counter work as well as certain marketing and sales projects of the agency services.
• District Sales Manager - Regulates the marketing and sales of all the agencies in a particular zone or region.
•  Deputy General Manager - Assistant to the GM of the department or agency.
• General Manager - manage the agency or departments in a particular company.
• Vice President - Executive head of agency or organisation; designs policies in consultation with the managers, devises plans and projects to expand the agencies' services; has a responsibility towards the other employees and is answerable to a Board of Directors.

Officers in the Directorate and Departments of Tourism are recruited from among the candidates who have done civil service, drawn from the Civil/administrative services of the State and Central governments. A degree in travel and tourism is required for operational jobs in government organisations. Information assistants at the office of the Tourism departments are selected through competitive examinations held by the Staff Selection Commission. These vacancies are advertised through the employment news.

Remuneration:

Personnel get good returns as well as perks including opportunity to see many locales at low prices. Jobs in the travel and tourism industry offer good remuneration and perquisites, which include free travel for employees and their families. Salaries may vary within the industry and are higher in foreign airlines and agencies. Basic pay scales at different levels are approximately:

Expected starting salaries in fresher jobs in travel and tourism range from Rs. 5000/- to Rs.12000/- per month. Counter clerk, Rs. 1500/- onwards.

Assistant, Rs. 2000/- onwards.

Junior executive, Rs. 3000/- onwards.

Regional manager, Rs. 3800/- onwards.

General Manager, Rs. 5000/- onwards.

Airhostess, Rs. 6000 basic salary for domestic to Rs. 40,000/- in international airlines.

Eligibility:

The eligibility for admission to Travel and Tourism courses at the undergraduate level is, higher secondary examination pass. At post-graduate level, eligibility is graduation in any field along with a pass in the entrance test followed by group discussions and interview conducted by the institute. Proficiency in history and languages is preferred. A diploma in public relations or advertising is helpful from the career point of view. It is also possible to gain these qualifications through correspondence courses. The duration of training varies between one and two years, depending on the course. For certification courses the duration maybe below one year.

Courses

*IATA: International Air Transport Association (LATA) is a world orgnisation of transport with head offices at Geneva. IATA provides travel, tourism and cargo industry recognised standard in training.

*IATA/UFTAA Standard, Advanced & Travel Agents, Marketing Courses.

*IATA/FLATA Cargo Agents Introductory, International Air Cargo Rating, Dangerous Goods Refresher Courses.

A Post graduate degree can be helpful in getting into managerial and administrative positions in the industry. To succeed one has to be knowledgeable about this industry, competitive and willing to work overtime when required, especially during season.

Courses are offered at the graduate/postgraduate level by several universities. Short term diploma courses can be pursued for commercial services.

* Master of Tourism Administration (MTA),

* Post Graduate Diploma in Tourism Management (PGDTM),

* Post Graduate Diploma In Travel And Tourism Industry Management (PGDTTIM),

* Diploma in Destination Management (DDM)

*PG Diploma in Airlines

*PG Diploma in Cargo operation and Management

*Bachelors Degree course in Airlines, Tourism & Hospitality Management

*Bachelor of Tourism Administration

*Bachelor of Tourism Studies BTM (Hons)

*PG diploma course in Tourism Studies

*Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Tourism & Travel)

*Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Tourism & Leisure)

*PG programme in Travel and Tourism

*Master of Business Administration in Tourism and Hospitality Management

*Master of Tourism Management

*Travel and Tourism Management Associate's Degree

Institutes:

1. Trade-wings Institute of Management Ltd.

Mumbai:

Plot No. 171/173,

2nd Floor, Gauridutt Mittal Vidyalaya,

Sion (East), Mumbai - 400 022.

INDIA.

Tel.: 022 - 66627193 / 94

Fax : 022 - 24086430

Emails : headoffice@twinstitute.com;

timheadoffice@gmail.com

Goa

1^st Floor, Naik Bldg,
Opp Don Bosco High School,
Panjim, Goa - 403 001. Tel: 0832-2228376 / 6647681

S-1, 2nd Floor, Casa Alia Dos Building, Behind Gomant Vidya Niketan, Abade Faria Road, Margao, Goa – 403601 Tel: 2734995, 6573201. Mobile: 9881635665

D-11, Anant Viswas Hsg Soc.,

Near Santosh Garage, Aquem,

Margao, Goa - 403601. Tel: 2750385

2. Sophia College Polytechnic

Sophia Shree B.K. Somani Polytechnic

Bhulabhai Desai Road

Mumbai - 400 026 INDIA

Tel: 022- 2351 3157, 2351 4147

Fax: 022- 2351 5596

Email: sophiapolytechnic@sophiacampus.com

Website: www.sophiacampus.com

3. University of Mumbai

M.G. Road, Fort

Mumbai - 400 032 Maharashtra-400032

Phone : 022 - 2265 2819 / 2265 2825.

Fax : 22 - 2652832

Website : www.mu.ac.in

4. Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey (S.N.D.T.) Women's University

Mumbai Churchgate Campus
1, Nathibai Thackersey Road, New Marine Lines Mumbai-400020, Maharashtra(India)

Tel Nos. 022-22031879, 22032159, 22032328, 22032025

Email: sndt@bom2.vsnl.net.in
 Website: www.sndt.ac.in

Mumbai JUHU Campus
Sir Vithaldas Vidyavihar, JUHU Road, Santacruz (West), Mumbai 400049
Tel: 022-26608493, 26608462, 26604164, 26606648, 126603961,

Pune Campus
Maharshi Karve Vidyavihar
Karve Road, Pune 411038
Tel No. 020 – 2542 1678

5. Goa University

Taleigao Plateau, Goa, India, 403206

Tel: 2451345-48, 2456480-85

6. Frankfinn Institute Of Air Hostess Training

Panjim :

2nd Floor, Sf-4/5/6, Rani Pramila Arcade, Next To Bomaby Bazar, 18 June Road, Panaji, Goa – 403001

Tel: 2428031, 2428032, 2428033, 2428035

Margao:

2nd Floor,E Wing,Osia Commercial Arcade, Near Kadamba Bus Stand, Margao Goa – 403601

Tel: 2732936, 2732937