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What can I do with my degree?:
Travel and tourism
Job options
Jobs directly related to your degree include:
Holiday representative
Tour manager
Tourism officer
Tourist information centre manager
Travel agency manager
Jobs where your degree would be useful include:
Customer service manager
Event organiser
Hotel manager
Marketing executive
Outdoor activities/education manager
Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so dont restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here. To find out what jobs would suit you, log into My Prospects.
Work experience
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.
Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.
Typical employers
The travel and tourism sector comprises many different industries and sub-industries, including services such as retail travel, currency exchange, tour operators and tourist boards. It also covers passenger transport including coach, aviation, rail and waterways, and visitor attractions such as museums, theme parks, zoos and heritage sites.
A wide range of accommodation services also falls within this category, including hotels and holiday parks. Associated with hotels and core business operations are conferences and events, which provide considerable all-year-round employment opportunities.
Find information on employers in leisure, sport and tourism, charity and voluntary work, business, consulting and management and other job sectors.
Skills for your CV
Travel and tourism graduates gain knowledge about products, structures and operations within the tourism industry, learning about tour operators, airlines, hotels and tourist boards.
Through a combination of vocational and academic study you learn about the relationships between consumers and the providers of tourism services, and about the issues relating to sustainability and social responsibility within tourism.
The course also equips you with a range of transferable skills, including:
Leadership;
Problem-solving;
IT skills;
Research and communication skills;
Presentation skills;
Teamwork; and
The ability to work to deadlines.
Further study
Specific in-house training is likely to be available within the industry and is often encouraged to enhance promotion prospects and knowledge of particular issues.
Relevant postgraduate study in this field includes courses with an emphasis on management skills, particularly in areas such as hospitality, heritage and sustainability. Postgraduate courses in specialist areas such as ecotourism or rural development may also be helpful. General business topics such as marketing or human resources could be relevant and can be applied across various disciplines.
For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see postgraduate study in the UK and search postgraduate courses.
What do travel and tourism graduates do?
Around three-quarters of travel and tourism graduates are in employment six months after finishing their course. A large number are working within the industry as holiday representatives, travel agency workers, tour guides and general travel administrators.
Approximately a quarter of those employed work within the retail, catering and bar work industry.
Travel and tourism
Job options
Jobs directly related to your degree include:
Holiday representative
Tour manager
Tourism officer
Tourist information centre manager
Travel agency manager
Jobs where your degree would be useful include:
Customer service manager
Event organiser
Hotel manager
Marketing executive
Outdoor activities/education manager
Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so dont restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here. To find out what jobs would suit you, log into My Prospects.
Work experience
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.
Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.
Typical employers
The travel and tourism sector comprises many different industries and sub-industries, including services such as retail travel, currency exchange, tour operators and tourist boards. It also covers passenger transport including coach, aviation, rail and waterways, and visitor attractions such as museums, theme parks, zoos and heritage sites.
A wide range of accommodation services also falls within this category, including hotels and holiday parks. Associated with hotels and core business operations are conferences and events, which provide considerable all-year-round employment opportunities.
Find information on employers in leisure, sport and tourism, charity and voluntary work, business, consulting and management and other job sectors.
Skills for your CV
Travel and tourism graduates gain knowledge about products, structures and operations within the tourism industry, learning about tour operators, airlines, hotels and tourist boards.
Through a combination of vocational and academic study you learn about the relationships between consumers and the providers of tourism services, and about the issues relating to sustainability and social responsibility within tourism.
The course also equips you with a range of transferable skills, including:
Leadership;
Problem-solving;
IT skills;
Research and communication skills;
Presentation skills;
Teamwork; and
The ability to work to deadlines.
Further study
Specific in-house training is likely to be available within the industry and is often encouraged to enhance promotion prospects and knowledge of particular issues.
Relevant postgraduate study in this field includes courses with an emphasis on management skills, particularly in areas such as hospitality, heritage and sustainability. Postgraduate courses in specialist areas such as ecotourism or rural development may also be helpful. General business topics such as marketing or human resources could be relevant and can be applied across various disciplines.
For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see postgraduate study in the UK and search postgraduate courses.
What do travel and tourism graduates do?
Around three-quarters of travel and tourism graduates are in employment six months after finishing their course. A large number are working within the industry as holiday representatives, travel agency workers, tour guides and general travel administrators.
Approximately a quarter of those employed work within the retail, catering and bar work industry.
