Travel and tourism: Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree

• Travel agency manager - usually works from a retail outlet offering consumer or business travel products; may be involved in sales development, staff and financial management, and daily operational management.
• Tourist information centre manager - manages all aspects of the tourist information centre, or visitor centre, providing information to the public and local businesses about visitor attractions, events, accommodation, transport and other facilities in the region or nationwide.
• Tour manager - organises and accompanies groups of holidaymakers on package tours in the UK and abroad from the start to the finish of their holiday.
• Holiday representative - looks after groups of clients on package holidays at holiday resorts.
• Tourism officer - develops and promotes tourism in order to attract visitors and produce economic benefits for a particular region or site.

Jobs where your degree would be useful

• Hotel manager - responsible for the management of a hotel and its staff, including planning, organising and directing hotel services, such as front of house, banqueting and housekeeping.
• Customer service manager - ensures that a company satisfies customer needs, which might involve managing a team of customer services staff, creating customer service policies or dealing with customers face to face.
• Outdoor pursuits manager - manages a centre providing facilities and instruction in a range of outdoor activities, such as climbing, mountaineering and water sports.
• Event organiser - responsible for the production of a range of events, such as conferences, promotional launches or exhibitions, from conception through to completion.
• Marketing executive - plans, advertises and promotes organisations and events (including those in the travel and tourism industry); also involved with public/media relations, product development, distribution, sponsorship and research.

Other options

Gain as much practical experience as possible. Part-time and voluntary opportunities can be combined with your current study. It may be a good idea to work evenings or weekends in a hotel, travel agency or visitor attraction. You could also consider summer work experience or spending time working abroad. This could include working at holiday or theme parks, in a resort or at summer camps abroad. You could also purchase a student railcard and travel through Europe, widening your cultural knowledge and language abilities. 

You may be able to take part in an exchange programme, spending some time studying abroad towards your degree. Consider looking at relevant short courses, such as TESOL or TEFL, which may present opportunities to work abroad teaching English language skills.

Although some of the jobs listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with your degree, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it’s not just your degree discipline that determines your options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here. Look at your degree... what next? for informed advice on career planning and graduate employment, or login/register with My Prospects to find out what jobs would suit you, a helpful starting point for self-analysis.

Explore types of jobs to find out more about the above options and related jobs.