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 in the Resources section to find out more about the variety of opportunities open to you, entry and training routes.
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 Guide.
Further Study
Top-up degree programmes are designed as a progression from Foundation degree to Ordinary or Honours degree.
Use the Links on the HE Home page for information on the one-year full-time Top-up degree BA (Hons) International Hospitality and Tourism Management at Bournemouth University.
Other institutions offering related Top-up degrees:
University College of Birmingham; University of Brighton; University of Central Lancashire; University of Gloucestershire; University of Greenwich; Leeds Metropolitan University; Loughborough College; Manchester Metropolitan University; Middlesex University;
Napier University, Edinburgh; Newcastle College; University of Northampton; Northumbria University; Norwich City College of Further & Higher Education (Associate of UEA); Staffordshire University; University of Sunderland; University of Teeside; Westminster Kingsway College .
You can progress into the 2nd or 3rd year of degree courses with similar content. Entry would depend both on your grades and overlap between your course and the initial year(s) you are missing. For courses not sufficiently similar, you would need to apply for year 1.
Use www.ucas.com/search (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service for the UK) to find suitable courses. 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.
Go to the main section Further Study in this Careers Guide for more information and help.
Resources
www.springboarduk.org.uk/careers/
Springboard UK - promotes careers in hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism. Use 'Careerscope online'.
Graduate Prospects is the careers website for higher education students in the UK:
- Drop down 'Careers advice' and click on 'Use your qualification' for 'Your foundation degree...what next?'
- Drop down 'Jobs & work' and click on 'Explore types of jobs' and 'Explore job sectors'
- Drop down Jobs & work' and click on 'What jobs would suit me?' for Prospects Planner
www.learndirect-advice.co.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles
Learn Direct Careers Advice
www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/
Jobs4U Careers Database - click on 'Job Families' for occupations in 'Leisure, Sport and Tourism'
http://targetjobs.co.uk/graduate-jobs/
GTI publication - Graduate jobs and careers intelligence
www.people1st.co.uk/career-guide/
People 1st - Sector Skills Council for Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism
People 1st UKSP - building a practical action plan for professional progress
The Institute of Travel & Tourism represents individuals employed in the travel and tourism industry
www.instituteofhospitality.org/
The Institute of Hospitality is the professional body for managers working in the hospitality, leisure and tourism industries
Careers database and links to jobs nationally. Search by either clicking on '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 is the professional institute for destination management in the UK
The Tourism Society is the professional membership body for people working in all sectors of the visitor economy
Federation of Tour Operators
Travel Weekly online magazine for news and jobs
Travel Trade Gazette online
ISPAL (The Institute for Sport, Parks and Leisure) the professional body for sport, parks and leisure professionals - news, careers information and jobs (Leisure Opportunities)
Go to 'Information Hub' to click on 'A career in sports, parks & leisure'
Hobsons publication - Graduate Employment and Training. Go to 'Career advice/advice by career area' and click on 'Leisure, hospitality and tourism'.
