CGC Ebook 5.0

Leisure and Tourism

What kind of person do I need to be? You will need to have excellent people skills as well as a confident and friendly manner. Can you be sensitive and supportive towards people who are upset, yet be capable of adopting a polite and firm approach with difficult customers? Can you work calmly under pressure whilst demonstrating that you can be tactful and discrete? It is important to display vitality and enthusiasm for this role. Depending on your chosen career you should have a passion for travel, languages, geography, historical sites, the natural environment or sport. How do I get there? Although some careers in leisure and tourism have no formal entry requirements, it’s worth knowing that competition for jobs can be intense. You’ll find more opportunities become available to you if you have a good standard of education, including GCSEs in English and maths at grade 5 or above. Previous experience in a customer service role will also improve your chances of success. Elsewhere in the industry, experience of working abroad and knowledge of a foreign language will be required. In some instances age restrictions and Disclosure Barring Service clearance may apply. A variety of certificate and diploma courses are also available at Level 1 and Level 2 as well as a number of industry specific qualifications. Entry requirements for some careers will require you to have studied in higher education although it is possible for you to find employment as a trainee and work towards professional qualifications.

What skills will I learn? An important skill you will develop is the ability to form relationships with people of different ages and from different backgrounds. You will become an excellent communicator capable of providing a first class customer service. Leisure and tourism is about helping others to enjoy themselves, so you will also need to develop the ability to motivate and inspire. Depending upon your job role you could find yourself balancing financial accounts, negotiating with suppliers, developing your sporting ability, learning how to administer first aid or becoming fluent in another language. Above all you will learn the true nature of what it means to multi-task.