Careers Brief - Tourism & Leisure Management FdA
Overview
The Tourism industry (travel, leisure and entertainment, accommodation, catering and transport) is one of 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, including:
tourism marketing officer; tour leader/trek leader; travel consultant; travel agency manager; tour operator resort representative; tour operator product manager; tour operator contracts manager; tour operator product development co-ordinator; 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; magazine journalist; FE college lecturer; catering manager; retail manager; Human Resources/Training officer; passenger service agents; airline and airport management; ferry or cruise manager and many others.
Leisure is one of the fastest growing job sectors in the UK, incorporating a wide range of jobs in a variety of settings, including: leisure centres; theme parks; professional sports; countryside and national parks; visitor attractions; health and fitness; tourist resorts; pubs and clubs; heritage; arts venues; horticulture; hotels and catering.
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 direct 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 one-year Top-up Honours degrees in International Leisure Marketing, International Tourism Management, International Events Management and International Hospitality and Tourism Management at Bournemouth University (click on sub-heading 'Courses').
Other institutions offering related Top-ups include:
University College Birmingham; University of Bolton; University of Brighton; University of Central Lancashire; University of Glamorgan, Cardiff & Pontypridd; University of Gloucestershire; University of Greenwich; Leeds Metropolitan University; Loughborough College; Manchester Metropolitan University; Middlesex University;
New College Nottingham; Newcastle College; University of Northampton; Northumbria University; Norwich City College of Further & Higher Education; Sheffield Hallam University; Staffordshire University; University of Sunderland; 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? Go to the university/college website for information on course costs and finance and to www.direct.gov.uk/uni/ for additional help with 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 postgraduate study, go to the national online directory at www.prospects.ac.uk/study.htm .
Go to the main section Further Study of this Guide for more information and help.
Resources
ISPAL (The Institute for Sport, Parks and Leisure) the professional body for sport, parks and leisure professionals for news, careers information and jobs:
Go to sub-heading ‘Information Hub’ to click on ‘A career in sport, parks & leisure’
Springboard promoting careers in hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism - go to sub-heading ‘Careerscope'
UKSP - Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism jobs, careers and qualifications
www.prospects.ac.uk/starting_out.htm
Graduate Prospects - national careers website for HE students studying in the UK:'
Drop down 'Job sectors' to click on 'Hospitality, tourism & sport'
Drop down ‘Jobs’ and click on ‘Types of jobs’
Drop down ‘Jobs' and click on ‘What jobs would suit me?’ to use Prospects Planner
http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/
Government 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’
GTI Media publication for graduate jobs and careers advice - click on sub-heading 'careers advice'
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
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
Conference & Incentive Travel - news and jobs
www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/
Leisure Opportunities online for news and jobs - drop down 'Jump to other Leisure Media publications' for other useful magazines
Local government jobs
GTI Media graduate careers publication - Advice by graduate career area
http://jobseekers.direct.gov.uk/
Search by clicking on side-heading ‘Careers’ and choose a category for profiles on occupations. Links to training, current Jobcentre Plus and other agencies job vacancies.
Go to the Job Applications section of this Careers Guide for additional help and advice with making applications
