Career Opportunities
The Tourism Industry is diverse
and includes many sectors including: accommodation,
transportation, food and beverage, attractions, events and
conferences, adventure tourism, travel trade, and tourism
services.
The Tourism and Hospitality concentration integrates general
management concepts with the professional knowledge that is
required by the tourism and hospitality industry.
Graduates acquire knowledge and skills in communication,
research, analysis, problem solving, and organization. These
abilities will prepare them for professional management
careers in the expanding tourism industry in both
private sector businesses and public sector
organizations.
So what exactly can you do upon graduation?
Adventure Travel
Guide
The Job
* Organize and lead trips to exotic locations around the
globe.
* Make all travel arrangements, incl. reserving lodging and
dining, scheduling activities and arranging for visas.
* Responsible for educating the group on cultural customs,
coaching individuals on the basics of various adventurous
activities and overseeing all participants' well-being and
safety.
* Adventure travel may include activities such as mountain
biking, hiking, kayaking, skiing, horseback riding, diving,
sailing, cave exploration and white-water rafting.
Education
As a relatively new career, there is no accepted standard for
training. Universities and travel companies are just beginning to
offer programs. While there is no specific certification required
for adventure travel guides, some of the activities involved
require certification that can be obtained through intensive
programs.
Related Careers: Camp
Counselor, Naturalist, Park Ranger, Tour Guide.
Events Planner
The Job
* Design, organize and coordinate conferences, conventions,
meetings, seminars, exhibitions, trade shows, festivals and other
events.
* Responsible for participants' accommodations and
transportation, facilities, catering, signage, displays,
translation, audio-visual equipment, printing and security.
* Establish and monitor budgets to support these
ventures.
Education
Event planners typically possess bachelor's degrees in business
administration, marketing, tourism or hospitality
administration.
Related Careers:
Administrative Assistant, Executive Assistant, Marketing
Professional, Public Relations Manager, Sales
Representative
Flight Attendant
The Job
* Provide personal services to ensure airline passengers' safety
and comfort during flight.
* Greet passengers, verify tickets, explain the use of safety
equipment, and serve food or beverages.
* Keep passengers safe and evacuate them in an emergency. They
may also give first aid to passengers who become ill.
Education
Airlines require a high school education for flight attendants.
One or two years of college or experience working with the public
are helpful for getting a job. Attendants on international
flights must be fluent in a foreign language. Most large airlines
give new flight attendants four to six weeks of intensive
training, including practice flights. Trainees learn emergency
procedures, flight regulations and duties, and company operations
and policies.
Related Careers: Travel Agent,
Tour Guide, Waiter.
Market Research
Analyst
The Job
* Concerned with a product or service's potential sales. They
study past statistics to predict future sales, gather data on
competitors, and provide the necessary information for deciding
how to promote, distribute, design and price products or
services.
* Devise methods and procedures, including telephone, personal or
mail surveys, to assess consumer preferences.
* Conduct opinion research to determine public attitudes on
various issues.
Education
A bachelor's degree with a major in economics or marketing may
not be enough to obtain some marketing analyst positions, but it
is excellent preparation for entry-level jobs as research
assistants, administrative or management trainees, marketing
interviewers or professional salespeople.
Candidates holding master's degrees in economics have much better
employment prospects than those without. Because of how important
quantitative skills are to economists and marketing researchers,
courses in mathematics, statistics, econometrics, sampling
theory, survey design and computer science are extremely
helpful.
Related Careers: Economist,
Mathematician, Statistician.
Cruise Reservations
Agent
The Job
* Informs prospective customers about the types of cruise
vacations and accommodation options available and guides them to
the cruise most likely to meet their desires.
* Provide information on customs regulations, passports and
visas, certificates of vaccination and money exchange rates as
required.
* Use computers to get information and to keep up with changes in
package offers, pricing and schedules.
Education
Cruise representatives need, at a minimum, a high school diploma
or equivalent. Technology has had a profound effect on all
travel-oriented activities, and there is some specialized
training available from vocational schools, adult education
programs, community colleges and even four-year schools. Courses
in accounting and business management are important, especially
for those who want to start or manage agencies.
Specialized travel courses and certifications are available from
a number of professional associations that serve the travel
industry.
Related Careers: Cruise
Director, Customer Service Representative, Recreation Director,
Tour Guide, Travel Agent, Travel Planner.
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