As every country gradually opens its border after the world’s worst pandemic since 2020, many people are travelling overseas again. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) projects that by the end of 2023, close to half of the 185 countries will have either fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels or be within 95% of full recovery.
Jobs in tourism are expected to recover to 324 million this year, which is close to the 333 million reported in 2019. In Singapore, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) plays a crucial role in creating new jobs. Besides promoting the development of new tourism products and experiences, it has also been supporting the development of training programmes for workers in the industry and providing funding support for businesses to upgrade their capabilities and adopt new technologies.
So, if you are passionate about making people happy, you can explore a career in travel and tourism, joining what experts termed the ‘happiness industry’. There are many opportunities in this sector, and getting a degree in hospitality and tourism may possibly open up a variety of career options, ranging from food and beverages (F&B) to convention sales and management.
Since some of the career options in this industry may not be immediately obvious, here’s an overview on 12 potential jobs requiring a degree in travel and tourism that you might not have known or considered before.
MICE, Entertainment and Leisure Industries
The MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) sector refers to business-related tourism or events, while the entertainment and leisure industries refer to any sectors that provide customers with relaxation or recreational activities, such as spas and tourist attractions.
- Event Manager or Conference Organiser
Event manager or conference organiser needs to have strong organisational skills as they are responsible for planning conferences and trade shows. These skills may include planning itineraries, engaging keynote speakers, and planning seating arrangements.
- Wedding Consultant
A wedding consultant oversees a wedding reception, which includes managing the budget, preparing invoices and contracts for the wedding, and recommending bridal outfits and accessories, such as jewellery, veils, gloves and headpieces.
- Theme Park Manager or Director of Resort Operations
A theme park manager or director of resort operations is responsible for the overall operation and management of a theme park, such as developing and implementing policies and procedures, and overseeing park operations and maintenance of the rides.
Food and Beverages Industries
There are many job opportunities in the food and beverages (F&B) industry, which is segmented into production, procurement, and retail, such as restaurants, breweries and hotels.
- Catering Director
A catering director’s main duties include ordering supplies, managing the F&B budgets, planning menus together with the chefs, hiring, training and supervising staff, and ensuring that health and safety regulations are observed at all times.
- Restaurant Manager
A restaurant manager is responsible for the operational efficiency of a restaurant or an entire restaurant chain. He is also in charge of managing the staff, inventory, customer complaints, financial reporting and ensuring that health and safety regulations are strictly complied to.
- Food Service Business Operator
A food service business operator plans, organises and coordinates the food service activities and employees, as well as controls the movement of goods and services within the organisation.
Accommodation Sector
There are many job opportunities in the accommodation sector, such as at the hotels, resorts and other types of accommodation.
- Hotel General Manager
A hotel general manager makes sure that all guests receive a high quality service. This is on top of other duties, like planning the budget, analysing sales figures, setting sales targets, and overseeing staff recruitment, training and supervision.
- Front Office Manager
A front office manager is in charge of the front office team. He coordinates reservations and guest services, and ensures that the property’s policies and processes are adhered to.
- Boutique Hotel Entrepreneur
As the hotel owner, a boutique hotel entrepreneur is responsible for everything related to the hotel or hotel chain, such as the maintenance of the property, hotel operations, and standard of services and F&B.
Other Career Opportunities
There are also many other career opportunities in the tourism sector, such as:
- Hospitality and Tourism Lecturer
A hospitality and tourism lecturer imparts knowledge of the industry to students in a polytechnic or university. He or she writes research papers, attends relevant meetings and conferences, and plans and delivers lectures to provide an active learning experience.
- Travel Writer or Blogger or YouTuber
A travel writer, blogger or YouTuber creates content about travelling for different media, such as online newspapers and other digital publications or platforms. They can even become content creators of their own blogs or video channels, and create a business for themselves.
- Sales and/or Marketing Manager
Sales and/or marketing managers are in demand at resorts, hotels, tourist attractions, event facilities and entertainment venues to help bring in consistent leads, monitor budgets, analyse data and reports, and build and execute new sales plans.
Maximise Your Job Prospects with a Diploma or Degree in Tourism
The job opportunities listed here are not the only hospitality and tourism-related occupations you can pursue. But with a degree in tourism, you will be able to apply the concepts you have learnt to integrate them into a job that fits your goals and interests seamlessly. This industry is constantly changing and progressing, so you do need to stay updated on current trends and the economic outlook to know whether there are any changes to the job responsibilities. There could even be new types of jobs created in this industry in future!
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