Careers in Hospitality & Tourism: Combining Business with Pleasure

Most people have an inherent curiosity about•    Tour guide: Tour guides specialize in
exotic locales. They wonder about a place's uniqueleading people--either individuals or groups--on
cuisines, customs, and destination spots.tours through places of cultural or geographical
Sometimes the desire to get away stems from asignificance. These destinations may include
temporary need to escape and be pampered byarchitectural landmarks, geographical phenomena,
others for a while. The hospitality and tourismand museums. Guides should display enthusiasm
industry capitalizes on this seemingly universaland detailed knowledge of the destinations for
desire for both adventure and relaxation, and haswhich they are responsible.
spawned a host of jobs, which are, at their core,•    Travel guide: A travel guide's work is
all geared towards ensuring a vacationer's goodvery similar to that of a tour guide's, but usually
time. If you're passionate about travel and enjoytakes place on a larger scale and/or a longer
helping people, you may want to consider atimeline. Travel guides develop tours, cruises, and
career as a travel agent, tour guide, or travelexpeditions, often taking people to scenic areas
guide. Oh, and the perks don't stop withthey might otherwise have missed.
respectable salaries and the satisfaction of a job•    Travel agent: Travel agents arrange
well done. Have you ever wanted to travel butmultiple aspects of a traveler's trip. They may
didn't quite have the money to plan a trip? Thosebook a client's flights, cruises, and hotel
established in the hospitality and tourismaccommodations. At the heart of any travel
professions may never encounter this problem, asagent's responsibilities lies in-depth knowledge.
they often receive reduced fares andFrom weather reports to localized food safety
accommodations, and sometimes even enjoywarnings, a travel agent must be constantly
familiarization trips that come gratis with theappraised of every facet of his/her client's
territory. Before you pack your bags and reachdestination.
for the sun block, read up on this rewardingEducation Requirements
career path.Although a high school diploma is usually the only
   official prerequisite for entering the hospitality and
Popular Jobs in Hospitality & Tourismtourism field, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Hospitality and tourism serves as an umbrellaindicates that postsecondary training has become
term for a multitude of jobs, from hotel partyincreasingly attractive to employers. A few
planner to Costa Rican adventure guide. Some ofcolleges offer programs in travel and tourism, but
the most common professions in this field arestudents may also find vocational schools with
highlighted below:specialized training to be equally beneficial.