Tourism officer: Training

Tourism officers can access training courses and seminars through key professional bodies such as the:

• Tourism Management Institute (TMI)
• The Tourism Society

Courses cover both general and specialist areas. Professional membership can also provide invaluable networking and other professional development opportunities.

Tourism officers who work for local authorities may be able to access council training programmes in areas such as funding applications, report writing, IT skills, personal development, presentation skills and networking.

Private employers may fund training in a specialised area, as required by the demands of a particular project.

Most of a tourism officer's training is gained on the job - through working with colleagues or by learning from the development of a specific project.

Postgraduate tourism qualifications are also available and can help develop a particular career focus. The TMI runs a Postgraduate Certificate in Destination Management, which consists of three modules to be studied online, part time, over the course of a year.