Careers Brief - Tourism Management FdA
Overview
The Tourism industry (travel, leisure and entertainment, accommodation, catering and transport) is the largest in the UK with excellent career prospects. It is a growing and fast-moving, customer-orientated environment. For success you would need to be mobile, adaptable and prepared to work flexible hours, which can be long and often unsocial.
Your course provides the knowledge and training to develop effective business management skills and competencies. These skills provide you with an excellent portfolio for a variety of careers both inside and outside this sector. You would improve your employment prospects by gaining appropriate work experience.
Tourism provides a wide range of job opportunities and job titles, including:
tourist board international marketing executive; travel consultant; tour operator resort representative; tour manager; tourist information centre manager; events manager or sales executive; attractions sales and marketing administrator; public relations officer; hotel marketing executive; arts administrator; conference organiser; lifestyle consultant; youth worker; magazine journalist; FE teacher; catering manager; retail manager; Human Resources/Training officer; airline and airport management; ferry or cruise manager and many others.
Use the website links below to find out more.
To consider a wider choice of careers, matched to your interests, use Prospects Planner and other tools listed in the Career Planning section of this Careers Guide.
Further Study
You will be able to apply for a Top-up degree. Top-up degrees are designed as a progression from Foundation degree to achieve an Ordinary or Honours degree.
Alternatively, you could transfer into a related Honours degree. Entry point would depend on your grades, experience and overlap between courses but could be into the final year.
Go to the Links on the HE Home page for information on the Top-up degrees in International Tourism Management, International Events Management and International Hospitality and Tourism Management at Bournemouth University (click on sub-heading 'Courses').
Other institutions offering Top-ups include:
University of Bolton; University of Brighton; University of Central Lancashire; University of Gloucestershire; Leeds Metropolitan University; Loughborough College; Manchester Metropolitan University; University of Northampton; Sheffield Hallam University; Staffordshire University; Teeside University; University of Westminster; Westminster Kingsway College .
To search for degree courses go to www.ucas.com/ (UCAS - Universities and Colleges Admissions Service for the UK). Use the university/college links for course details.
You will need to use UCAS to apply for courses. Contact the Course Tutor of your chosen course to find out your position, before you make your formal application.
Find out how much this will cost you. Where is the funding coming from? Use the website www.direct.gov.uk/uni/ for information on student support.
With a good Honours degree (First or 2.1), you could progress onto an appropriate higher level Masters and/or PhD doctorate. This could be to develop your area of study to a more in-depth practical and/or academic level or to gain other specialist training.
For information on all postgraduate courses and research, go to the national online directory at www.prospects.ac.uk/links/pgstudy/ .
Go to the main section Further Study of this Guide for more information and help.
Resources
Springboard promoting careers in hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism - go to sub-heading 'Careerscope'
Graduate Prospects - online national careers service for HE students studying in the UK:
- Drop down 'Careers advice' and click on 'Use your qualification' for 'Your foundation degree...what next?'
- Drop down 'Sectors' to click on 'Hospitality, tourism & sport'
- Drop down 'Jobs & work' and click on 'Explore types of jobs'
- Drop down Jobs & work' and click on 'What jobs would suit me?' for Prospects Planner
http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/
Careers Advice Service
www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/
Jobs4U Careers Database - click on sub-heading 'Job Families & Articles' for occupations in 'Leisure, Sport and Tourism'
UKSP - Hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism jobs, careers and qualifications
The Institute of Travel & Tourism - representing individuals employed in the travel and tourism industry
www.instituteofhospitality.org/
The Institute of Hospitality - professional body for managers (& aspiring managers) working in the hospitality, leisure and tourism industries
http://jobseekers.direct.gov.uk/
Careers database and links to jobs nationally. Search by either clicking on side-heading 'Careers' and choose a category or type in job title.
Career in Travel - information for aspiring Overseas Holiday Reps and Air Cabin Crew
The Travel Association
Tourism Management Institute - professional institute for people working in destination management
The Tourism Society - professional membership body for people working in all sectors of the travel and tourism industry
Federation of Tour Operators
Travel Weekly online magazine for news and jobs
Travel Trade Gazette online
ISPAL (The Institute for Sport, Parks and Leisure) - go to sub-heading 'Information Hub' to click on 'A career in sport, parks & leisure'
GTI online publication - go to sub-headings 'Career sectors + 'Careers advice'
Hobsons/GTI graduate careers publication - Careers advice section
Go to the Job Applications section of this Careers Guide for additional help and advice with making applications.
