4.1 Introduction
We have previously stated how the travel and tourism industry is multi-faceted and how that is going to be a good thing for you having a potential career. However, this clearly means that you have to be aware of the different sectors that exist within the industry to help you to determine the direction in which you want things to go.
4.2 The Most Popular Sectors within the Industry
To begin with, we will look at what is deemed to be the most popular sectors within the industry. The idea here is that by being aware of the largest sectors it will begin to show you the range of possibilities that are out there. In the easiest of terms, the travel and tourism industry is broken up into recreational, leisure and business and within each sector there are different reasons for people travelling in the first place.
However, this is really describing things in the most general of terms and we have to be more specific to help you to really get to grips with the areas where you would like to work. In the meantime, it is sufficient to say that you can easily decide that you wish to focus on business travel for example, or perhaps those that travel for specific reasons such as to watch football abroad.
If we break it down some more, then apart from reasons for people to travel there are other sectors that are extremely popular and which you may very well become involved in at some point.
These sectors include:
Transportation
Transportation is of course going to involve how you get people from A to B. This will generally include flights, cruises, trains, hire cars or even airport shuttle buses. This is one area where the customer is going to greatly rely on your ability to arrange what they need so they do not have to stress about how they will get to their destination and then back home.
Hospitality
The hospitality sector is quite self-explanatory. This is going to involve resorts, hotels, other forms of accommodation and practically anything that allows the customer to have a roof over their head and a bed to sleep in. Once again the majority of customers will be relying on you to make sure that they are going to be staying in the kind of place that they are looking for and that fits their budget or requirements.
Entertainment
One area that a number of people overlook when they are thinking about working in the travel and tourism industry is the entertainment side of things.
Customers can start to rely on you to advise them on the various things that they can do when they are at their destination. This means being able to discover the main shopping malls, tourist sites, theatre, amusement parks, and things for children - the list just goes on and on.
However, even though they will often want to explore these things for themselves, there is no doubt that they will first of all look to you for some advice.
Just by looking at these major sectors you can begin to get a better understanding of the possibilities that are out there and how varied your career can be when you move into this particular industry. It is clear that you need to think carefully about where you wish to launch your career, which is what we will look at next.
4.3 How to Get Started in the Sectors
When it comes to getting started in the sectors there are several important steps that you need to follow in order to get off to the best possible start.
We are not saying that these are all of the steps that you need to follow in order to have a career within this industry, but there is no doubt that you need to be aware of the basic steps that you should consider following to stand any chance of building a substantial foundation in your brand new career.
Understand the sector.
The first step is to actually have some kind of an understanding as to how the industry works. This means making sure you know what is involved in working in it, the role you have to play, the people you deal with, what is expected of you, and so much more.
With this, you have to be honest with yourself and ask if you do have the skills or the determination that is required to work in the industry.
For example
If you find sitting behind a desk quite boring, then would working in a travel agent be for you? If you love putting a smile on people's faces, then perhaps a tour guide or travel rep would be a better fit?
You only understand where to go when you understand the sector.
In all honesty, when you have an understanding of the sector, it does make it easier for you to come to terms with where you want your career to go.
Look at the requirements.
We mentioned career requirements in a previous module, but to begin in a sector it is important to know what you need to not only get started, but to go on and have a successful career for however long you plan on working there. If you are unsure about what is required, then simply ask a company and they will only be too happy to tell you.
Be aware of your own personal characteristics.
It is one thing looking at what the sector you are aiming for can bring you, but at the same time you have to also take a serious look at yourself. What are your own personal characteristics and strengths? How do they relate to the industry or sector that you are thinking about? If you are a people person then there are various possibilities open to you, but then if you are not too keen on working with people, then you do not have to be stuck in that part of the industry.
You need to understand your strengths to then put them to good use because no matter what you are able to do, or what you are good at, there will always be something available for you within the industry.
Be aware of sub-industries related to the sectors.
Remember that you can work in a sub-industry that is closely related to travel and tourism as this can open up even more possibilities for you to use your skills in an appropriate area.
The tourism industry is one sub-sector. Followed by the hospitality industry, aviation industry, shipping industry, logistics industry, and the transportation industry. In other words, you can often begin in one industry before moving over to another area, and still be working within travel and tourism in some capacity.
Start at the bottom.
The final point that we will make when it comes to you starting in the sectors is to always keep in mind that it is more beneficial for you to start at the bottom and work your way up. This allows you to learn the grass roots and to also be able to learn from your mistakes without it causing too much of a catastrophe.
In other words, there are several steps that you need to take before you are able to actually begin working in a part of the industry although as you can see it is certainly not an impossible task for you to undertake.
However, there is one other thing that you should do before you become too involved in one part of the industry, and that is understanding where that sector is going.
*Is there any future in it?
*How has it evolved?
*How does that have an impact on your potential career?
Clearly, being aware of this is going to make a big difference to what you should plan on doing next.
4.4 The Potential and Long Term Picture of the Sectors
Next, we need to be quite brutal and honest here and look at what the potential long term picture is of various sectors as this will help you to determine if this is indeed the part of the industry that you would like to work in.
First, you must remember that even when the world was virtually in a recession that the travel and tourism industry was still growing and it has a tendency to do so at a quite consistent 4% year after year.
However, as we will explore elsewhere in the course it is the way in which money is spent that can vary as people change their plans depending on their budget at any given time. The fact that the industry as a whole does continue to grow does put you in a better position than other industries and this should certainly give you confidence when it comes to moving into it in the first place.
Also, we need to think about how sectors evolve. If we look at transport as one example of why you need to stay on top of trends and what people are looking for, as well as how technology is changing a sector, then we see how things can vary a great deal.
For example
It used to be the case that the only real form of transport that could get you around the world was by ship. This was expensive and slow resulting in travel, or at least international travel, being left to those that were rich. However, that changed with the emergence of air travel. This led it to becoming both cheaper and faster, making it more attractive for a growing number of people.
This is not to say that travel by ship vanished as we know that the cruise liner industry is still huge, but the type of people that use this form of transport has certainly changed due to the options available.
Furthermore, due to the change in the way we travel, it has also led to there being a difference to the frequency at which we will become tourists as well as the length of time that we will be away from home.
In the past you would be looking at an individual being away from home for weeks or, more commonly, months at a time due to how long it took to get there. Now, thanks to air travel people will jet off for a couple of days and this is also starting to include people going further afield and not just a two or three hour flight.
What we are saying here is that if you are working within the transportation side of the industry then you need to be aware of what people are looking for and this is why your knowledge is going to be so important.
FACT
Since 2010 tourism has been the fastest growing sector in the UK in employment terms. Britain is forecast to have a tourism industry worth over £257 billion by 2025.
Source: Visitbritain.org
4.5 The Future of the Industry
If we think about the future of the industry, then as it is continually growing there will clearly be a constant need for people working in the industry to develop at the same time.
Indeed, with us being able to get to places faster than ever before due to advances in technology, it stands to reason that the need for us to have a better understanding of the world and what is out there will become more important than ever before.
In order to be a success in this industry, it does mean that you need to be willing to constantly learn new things. You cannot afford to just sit there with the knowledge that you have and to just be content. Your customers are going to always expect more from you and there is a very real need for you to be able to deliver this on a constant basis. The easier it is to travel, then the more they will require.
In addition, you have to plan ahead and predict where things are going. This allows you to help your customers to have the best possible time and it suits their needs, and at the same time you also know the areas where you have to improve your knowledge in advance.
Overall, the future of the entire industry is looking good and that does bode well for anybody that is looking at moving into the industry in general. There is no way that you cannot go on and have a successful career for your entire working life.
4.6 Issues or Problems You May Have to Contend With
In this section we are going to focus on problems or issues that you could have to contend with when you are dealing with various sectors of the industry.
You must remember that when a member of the public is dealing with you and looking for a service or product, you have to be in a position to provide them with pretty much whatever it is that they are looking for.
Special requirements.
One of the major things that you will have to contend with on a regular basis is special requirements. We are not going to go through the list of reasons as to why somebody requires certain things because it is how you deal with this that is the important thing. Your knowledge and time spent learning your industry will help a great deal.
Not keeping up to date.
Another problem that has to be dealt with is when you do not keep yourself up to date with what is going on in your sector and this can lead to you being caught out in the future. You will often find that your customers are aware of what they are looking for and if you are not able to come up with the correct answers then that is not going to bode well for you.
Budgets within sectors.
Clearly, when you are dealing with customers there is going to be a need for you to be able to work within a budget that is set by the individual you are dealing with. However, once again your knowledge of the market and what is available for various prices will come to the fore. This does mean that you need to be constantly aware of the changes in these prices so that your customer gets the best deal for their money.
A customer not knowing what they want.
Yet another issue that you will have to contend with at different times is the simple fact that not every customer is aware of what it is that they want or are looking for. This can occur for various reasons and yet the reason behind their lack of knowledge or awareness is not directly your problem. However, what is your problem is the way in which you deal with them not knowing what they want. The key? For you to be different and to be able to better understand the industry or sector, allowing you to point them in the correct direction.
In all honesty, it is impossible for us to be able to cover every issue that may occur in each sector of the industry. However, if you do find yourself in this position then the following points should be of use to you no matter what the issue may be.
Always seek to improve.
What we mean by this is to always improve your knowledge and understanding. We have mentioned this on a number of occasions, but it really is that important for you to get anywhere in your career.
Always listen.
Listening is one of the best tools that you have at your disposal. By this we mean listening to what is going on in your industry. Listening to what the trends are at this moment in time. Listening to what customers really want. The list goes on but you always have to keep your ears open.
Never be afraid to think outside of the box.
Whenever you are dealing with an issue in a sector that is constantly changing, as the travel and tourism industry is prone to do, then you have to be prepared to think outside of the box. Finding a solution to an issue is easier when you refuse to be tied down to what is expected of you as often the best solutions are those that were not expected.
Never be afraid to ask.
The fourth and final point is to never be afraid to ask for help or advice from others. It is impossible to know absolutely everything on your own, but this acceptance does make it easier for you to deal with any issue that you have to face.
Never be afraid to ask for help because that can often be the one way that you can get out of a particular situation.
MODULE SUMMARY
In this module we have focused on the different sectors of the market and what the future looks like for them. This in itself is extremely important because you have to understand what trends are going to be and where people want to go to so you can then provide them with the best service possible.
This does mean that there is a requirement for you to keep up to date with the industry and developments within it and to not just sit back and do the same thing over and over again. Failing to do this will make it harder for your career to really progress the way it should.
In the next module we are going to focus on getting to grips with the basics of tourism management.
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