Careers Brief - Tourism & Events Management FdA
Overview
The Tourism industry (travel, visitor attractions, leisure and entertainment, accommodation, catering and transport) is one of the largest in the UK with excellent career prospects. It is a growing and fast-moving, customer-orientated environment. For success you would need to be mobile, adaptable and prepared to work flexible hours. These can be long and often unsocial.
Your course provides the knowledge and training to develop effective business management skills and competencies. Key employability skills such as: interpersonal social skills, effective verbal communication and negotiating, team work, planning, problem solving, IT and financial awareness.
Within event management, you could be working in a company or venue, as part of a team within an agency or be self-employed. Excellent planning and people management skills are essential for success, as well as energy, enthusiasm and effective communication skills.
These skills provide you with an excellent portfolio for a variety of careers both inside and outside this sector. You would improve your employment prospects by gaining appropriate work experience.
The tourism sector offers a wide range of job opportunities.
Job titles include:
tourism marketing officer; tour leader/trek leader; travel consultant; travel agency manager; tour operator resort representative; tour operator product manager; tour operator contracts manager; tour operator product development co-ordinator; tourist information centre manager; events manager or sales executive; attractions sales and marketing administrator;
public relations officer; hotel marketing executive; arts administrator; conference organiser; lifestyle consultant; magazine journalist; FE/HE college lecturer; catering manager; retail manager; Human Resources/Training officer; passenger service agents; airline and airport management; ferry or cruise manager and many others.
For an overview of the industry sector, go to National Guidance Research Forum for 'LMI Future trends' and 'Sectors covered'.
Go to the website links below to find out more.
To consider a wider choice of careers (matched to your interests) use Prospects Planner and other tools listed in the Career Planning section of this Careers Guide.
Further Study
You will be able to apply for a Top-up degree. Top-up degrees are designed as a direct progression from Foundation degree to achieve an Honours (or Ordinary) degree, though entry may be selective.
Alternatively, you could transfer onto a related Honours degree course. Entry point would depend on your grades, experience and overlap between courses but could be the final year.
As a Foundation graduate you may progress onto a Top-up degree or enter the final year of an Honours degree at Bournemouth University.
Go to http://onlineservices.bournemouth.ac.uk/courses/ for information on the Top-up degrees in tourism and hospitality at Bournemouth University.
Other institutions offering Top-ups including 'Events':
University of Brighton; University of Central Lancashire; University of Cumbria; University of Gloucestershire; Leeds Metropolitan University; Loughborough College; Manchester Metropolitan University; Newcastle College; Plymouth University; University of Salford; Sheffield Hallam University; Staffordshire University; University of the Arts London.
Other institutions offering related Tourism top-ups:
University College Birmingham; Coventry University; Craven College; Grimsby Institute of Further & Higher Education; Middlesex University; University of Northampton; Northumbria University; Norwich City College of Further & Higher Education; University of Sunderland; Teeside University; University of Westminster; Westminster Kingsway College.
To search degree courses go to www.ucas.com/ (UCAS - Universities and Colleges Admissions Service for the UK). Use the university/college links for course details.
You will need to use UCAS to apply for courses. Contact the Course Tutor of your chosen course to find out your position, before you make your formal application.
Find out how much this will cost you. Where is the funding coming from? Go to the university/college links for information on course costs and finance and to the section Financial support for additional help.
Alternatively, you could consider 'topping up' your Foundation degree to Honours through distance learning with the Open University. You could be awarded up to 240 credits and then only need 120 credits of OU study at level 3, to achieve an Honours degree. This would also give you the opportunity to take up employment. Go to www.open.ac.uk/ to search undergraduate courses and credit transfer.
With a good Honours degree (First or 2.1), you may progress onto an appropriate higher level Masters and/or PhD doctorate. This could be to develop your area of study to a more in-depth practical and/or academic level or to gain other specialist training.
For information on postgraduate study and finance, go to the national online directory at www.prospects.ac.uk/study.htm .
Go to the main section Further Study of this Guide for more information and help.
Useful Links
http://mycareerhub.bournemouth.ac.uk/
Bournemouth University Graduate Employment Service - job news, campus events, part-time work, placement, graduate jobs, ask a question, book an appointment
http://careerscope.springboarduk.net/
Springboard UK promoting careers in hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism
People 1st careers website for the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industries
www.prospects.ac.uk/starting_out.htm
Graduate Prospects - national careers site for HE students studying in the UK:
Drop down ‘Careers advice' for 'Options with your subject'
http://nextstep.direct.gov.uk/
Next Step careers site - go to sub-heading 'Planning your career' for 'Job Profiles'
http://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors
GTI Media publication for graduate jobs and careers advice
Association of Event Organisers
The Association of British Professional Conference Organisers
Eventia - the trade body for the events and live marketing industry
Ents Web - the entertainment and event management directory
Event - leading magazine online for exhibitions and live events, news and jobs
The Institute of Travel & Tourism - representing individuals employed in the travel and tourism industry
Tourism Management Institute - destination management section of the Tourism Society
The Tourism Society - professional membership body for people working in all sectors of the visitor economy
www.instituteofhospitality.org/
Institute of Hospitality - professional body for managers (and aspiring managers) working in the hospitality, leisure and tourism industries
British Hospitality Association
IMSPA The Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity
Federation of Tour Operators
Travel Weekly online magazine
TTG Digital online magazine
Big Hospitality online magazine
www.caterer.com/careers-advice
Totaljobs Group - careers and jobs
Conference & Incentive Travel online magazine
Career in Travel - information for Overseas Holiday Reps and Cabin Crew jobs
The White Book - annual directory of events suppliers, venues and organisers (very restricted free access online)
The White Book and other relevant company directories are available for reference at Bournemouth University Graduate Employment Service at Talbot Campus.
Go to the Employability section of this Careers Guide for additional help and advice with making applications.
