From planning extravagant galas and regional trade shows, to packaging and booking travel products, to serving the needs of the tourism sector – the area of Travel Services covers a lot of ground.
Within this sector, you have the flexibility of working in various capacities with event and conference planning organizations, travel companies and organizations, as well as associations, government agencies and companies that specialize in serving the needs of the tourism sector as a whole.
Events and conferences contribute substantial dollars into communities. Not only do travelers spend money on the event or conference itself, but “spin-off dollars” are spent on everything from accommodation to transportation to souvenirs.
Planning and organizing special events can be complex and demanding as all the details must be precisely coordinated to ensure the event runs efficiently and profitably. A career in events and conferences offers many paid positions, as well as volunteer opportunities to gain industry exposure and experience.
The Travel Services sector group also covers the area of travel trade, which refers to organizations that are responsible for the packaging, booking and ticketing of travel products – and includes both consumer-direct and business-to-business companies.
Employees in this area generally create travel packages, recommend vacation locations, investigate travel rates, and make the requested reservations for travel items such as accommodations, tours, transportation and activities.
A British Columbia Perspective:
- In the area of travel trade, anticipated labour demand by 2015 is 500 new workers.
The area of tourism services is also covered within this sector group. As opposed to serving the needs of travelers, tourism services pertains to organizations, associations, government agencies and companies that specialize in serving the needs of the sector as a whole. Simply put, tourism services connects business and people, and generates destination awareness and information among potential travelers.
Employment opportunities in this area greatly vary – and include research, advertising and marketing, public and media relations, sales and marketing, industry relations, and distribution of general information, such as statistics. Tourism services also includes retail businesses that benefit from the tourism and travel sector.
Whether you’re interested in event planning, creating exciting travel packages or working to market and promote your destination, it all begins with the Travel Services sector – making this a vital segment for the continued success and prosperity of tourism in British Columbia.
