Case studies: Product/tour manager: Sue

Sue has gained the majority of her experience by travelling. She now works as a product/tour manager, organising tailor-made holidays.

My employer, Last Frontiers, specialises in tailor-made holidays to Latin America and I got the job by answering an advertisement in Wanderlust Magazine and then visiting the office for an informal interview. Before getting this job, I worked for Trailfinders, a large travel agent, and then for Guerba, a smaller tour operator that specialised in group holidays – primarily to Africa but also to South America and South East Asia.

The advice I would give for getting a job in travel is to gain as much knowledge as possible by travelling. First-hand experience is invaluable.

My main responsibility in my present role is organising tailor-made holidays to Latin America and my day-to-day work revolves around speaking to clients, making suggestions to suit their interests, booking flights, making hotel reservations, providing detailed quotations and final itineraries, liaising with overseas agents and issuing airline tickets. One of the most important parts of the job is also travelling overseas to research new areas and properties so that I can provide up-to-date, first-hand information.

The parts of my job that I like most are having the opportunity to travel, sharing my enthusiasm for travel with clients and working in a small team with like-minded colleagues who all share the love of travel. The less enjoyable aspects of the work are some of the general admin tasks, sitting behind a computer, and dealing with awkward clients.

The tips I would give to a graduate looking to become a tour manager are to gain as much practical knowledge as possible by travelling and to have lots of enthusiasm. Communication skills are important and you should enjoy working with people.