Tourism is measured as the worlds largest industry with a global market value of over a colossal 500 billion dollars. Many developing countries rely on the tourist trade as their gross domestic product with some countries employing up to 60 percent of their workforce within the industry. It is also one of the most competitive industries to work in with employment stretching over all imaginable sectors of the industry and tourism training is essential to succeeding.
The main industry sectors being destinations, cruises, tour operators, airlines, hotel and resorts, and car hire. All rely on and network with the other business sectors however possess their own tourism training requirements. This article gives a concise account of each industry sector with an overview of helping candidates to stand out in the tourism industry.
The term destination refers to a specific location where people travel on leisure visits. It is ultra-competitive with effectively every destination competing with every other, especially when it comes to neighbouring destinations. Tourism training is essential in this industry sector, as tour operators must know all the benefits of visiting a destination and any health, safety or security issues that might be associated with a set destination.
Cruises are one of the most elitist and affluent industry sectors. It offers positions ranging from cabin crew to entertainment and demands the highest standards of customer service. When employed on the ships there is stringent protocol to follow whilst at sea or docking for a day trip. Each operator has their own systems and procedures and specific tourism training can be obtained for individual operators.