Destination manager to tourism product manager
A destination manager already meets 59% of what the tourism product manager role asks for. The move turns on 16 required skills not yet in the profile.
52.4/ 100
1 How much of what a tourism product manager is expected to do is already part of a destination manager’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the tourism product manager role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A tourism product manager role treats 21 of its required skills as things a destination manager already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- assess an area as a tourism destination
- build a network of suppliers in tourism
- build business relationships
- comply with food safety and hygiene
- create annual marketing budget
- engage local communities in the management of natural protected areas
What stands in the way is 16 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 30 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A tourism product manager role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a destination manager background worth leading with.
- already held assess an area as a tourism destination information skills
- already held tourist resources of a destination for further development services
- already held manage production of destination promotional materials communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held manage yield management skills
- already held manage distribution of destination promotional materials communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held build a network of suppliers in tourism communication, collaboration and creativity
All 30 carried skills, including the 21 the tourism product manager role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 18 missing skills fall into 3 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn develop tourism destinations required
- still to learn implement sales strategies required
- still to learn participate in tourism events required
- still to learn produce content for tourism brochures required
- still to learn create new concepts required
- still to learn develop tourism products required
- still to learn implement marketing strategies required
- still to learn maintain customer service required
- still to learn negotiate supplier arrangements required
- optional, not held utilise cross-selling optional
- optional, not held apply foreign languages in tourism optional
- still to learn develop travel charter programme required
- still to learn carry out inventory planning required
- still to learn manage distribution channels required
- still to learn manage medium term objectives required
- still to learn monitor contractor performance required
- still to learn plan medium to long term objectives required
- still to learn tourism market required
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a tourism product manager role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 develop travel charter programme practise this
- 02 carry out inventory planning practise this
- 03 develop tourism destinations practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 30 skills that carry over
- already held assess an area as a tourism destination skill
- already held build a network of suppliers in tourism skill
- already held build business relationships skill
- already held comply with food safety and hygiene skill
- already held create annual marketing budget skill
- already held engage local communities in the management of natural protected areas skill
- already held geographical areas relevant to tourism knowledge
- already held manage conservation of natural and cultural heritage skill
- already held manage contracts skill
- already held manage distribution of destination promotional materials skill
- already held manage production of destination promotional materials skill
- already held market analysis knowledge
- already held measure sustainability of tourism activities skill
- already held plan measures to safeguard cultural heritage skill
- already held plan measures to safeguard natural protected areas skill
- already held sales strategies knowledge
- already held set up pricing strategies skill
- already held support community-based tourism skill
- already held support local tourism skill
- already held tourist resources of a destination for further development knowledge
- already held use e-tourism platforms skill
- already held augmented reality knowledge
- already held develop inclusive communication material skill
- already held ecotourism knowledge
- already held educate on sustainable tourism skill
- already held improve customer traveling experiences with augmented reality skill
- already held manage yield skill
- already held promote virtual reality travelling experiences skill
- already held self-service technologies in tourism knowledge
- already held virtual reality knowledge
2 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held utilise cross-selling optional
- optional, not held apply foreign languages in tourism optional
27 held skills the tourism product manager role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role apply strategic thinking skill
- not needed by the target role build a strategic marketing plan for destination management skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate efforts of stakeholders for destination promotion skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate operational activities skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate public-private partnerships in tourism skill
- not needed by the target role deliver presentations on tourism skill
- not needed by the target role design press kit for media skill
- not needed by the target role develop strategies for accessibility skill
- not needed by the target role develop tourist information materials skill
- not needed by the target role develop working procedures skill
- not needed by the target role execute marketing plan skill
- not needed by the target role lead the brand strategic planning process skill
- not needed by the target role local area tourism industry knowledge
- not needed by the target role maintain relationship with suppliers skill
- not needed by the target role manage budgets skill
- not needed by the target role manage staff skill
- not needed by the target role manage visitor flows in natural protected areas skill
- not needed by the target role measure customer feedback skill
- not needed by the target role oversee the design of touristic publications skill
- not needed by the target role oversee the printing of touristic publications skill
- not needed by the target role perform market research skill
- not needed by the target role plan digital marketing skill
- not needed by the target role recruit employees skill
- not needed by the target role report touristic facts skill
- not needed by the target role select optimal distribution channel skill
- not needed by the target role supervise crew skill
- not needed by the target role train employees skill
1 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn tourism market required
Common questions about this move
Can a destination manager become a tourism product manager?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A destination manager already covers 59% of what a tourism product manager is expected to do: 30 skills carry over, 21 of which the tourism product manager role treats as required.
What skills does a destination manager need to become a tourism product manager?
16 required skills are missing, plus 2 optional ones. They fall into 3 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is develop travel charter programme.
How hard is the move from destination manager to tourism product manager?
Its learning distance is 52.4 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.