Career Overlap Transition record Edition 1 · ESCO v1.2.1
Table 1Transition record

tour operator managertotravel agency manager

A tour operator manager already meets 52% of what the travel agency manager role asks for. The move turns on 18 required skills not yet in the profile.

From tour operator manager
52%
Overlap1
To travel agency manager
28 Skills carried over
18 Required, not held
58.6 Difficulty2
Career overlap Partial match

52%

Learning distance Substantial retraining

58.6/ 100

1 Share of the travel agency manager role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the tour operator manager profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Why

Why this move works

A travel agency manager role treats 18 of its required skills as things a tour operator manager already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

  • build a network of suppliers in tourism
  • comply with food safety and hygiene
  • coordinate operational activities
  • create annual marketing budget
  • engage local communities in the management of natural protected areas
  • manage budgets

What stands in the way is 18 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 28 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A travel agency manager role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a tour operator manager background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held prepare travel packages management skills
  • already held build a network of suppliers in tourism communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held self-service technologies in tourism information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held manage visitor flows in natural protected areas information skills
  • already held develop working procedures management skills
  • already held create annual marketing budget management skills

All 28 carried skills, including the 18 the travel agency manager role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 24 missing skills fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier
01 communication, collaboration and creativity 7 required, 5 supplementary
  • required, not held identify customer's needs required
  • required, not held implement sales strategies required
  • required, not held maintain relationship with suppliers required
  • required, not held handle customer complaints required
  • required, not held implement marketing strategies required
  • required, not held implement strategic planning required
  • required, not held negotiate supplier arrangements required
  • optional, not held participate in tourism events optional
  • optional, not held promote the use of sustainable transport optional
  • optional, not held develop inclusive communication material optional
  • optional, not held perform services in a flexible manner optional
  • optional, not held train employees optional
02 management skills 5 required
  • required, not held oversee all travel arrangements required
  • required, not held apply strategic thinking required
  • required, not held motivate staff to reach sales targets required
  • required, not held plan digital marketing required
  • required, not held supervise crew required
03 working with computers 2 required, 1 supplementary
  • required, not held conduct search engine optimisation required
  • required, not held use global distribution system required
  • optional, not held manage online content optional
04 information skills 2 required
  • required, not held monitor financial accounts required
  • required, not held seek innovation in current practices required
05 services 2 required
  • required, not held geographical areas relevant to tourism required
  • required, not held tourist resources of a destination for further development required
Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a travel agency manager role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 28 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held build a network of suppliers in tourism skill
  • already held comply with food safety and hygiene skill
  • already held coordinate operational activities skill
  • already held create annual marketing budget skill
  • already held engage local communities in the management of natural protected areas skill
  • already held manage budgets skill
  • already held manage conservation of natural and cultural heritage skill
  • already held manage staff skill
  • already held manage visitor flows in natural protected areas skill
  • already held maximise sales revenues skill
  • already held measure customer feedback skill
  • already held perform market research skill
  • already held prepare travel packages skill
  • already held recruit employees skill
  • already held set up pricing strategies skill
  • already held support community-based tourism skill
  • already held support local tourism skill
  • already held use e-tourism platforms skill
  • already held augmented reality knowledge
  • already held build business relationships skill
  • already held develop working procedures 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 distribution channels skill
  • already held promote virtual reality travelling experiences skill
  • already held self-service technologies in tourism knowledge
  • already held virtual reality knowledge
6 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to acquire Tier
  • optional, not held manage online content optional
  • optional, not held participate in tourism events optional
  • optional, not held promote the use of sustainable transport optional
  • optional, not held develop inclusive communication material optional
  • optional, not held perform services in a flexible manner optional
  • optional, not held train employees optional
23 held skills the travel agency manager role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role develop revenue generation strategies skill
  • not needed by the target role develop strategies for accessibility skill
  • not needed by the target role develop tourism destinations skill
  • not needed by the target role develop tourism products skill
  • not needed by the target role handle personal identifiable information skill
  • not needed by the target role identify suppliers skill
  • not needed by the target role maintain customer service skill
  • not needed by the target role manage contracts skill
  • not needed by the target role manage distribution of destination promotional materials skill
  • not needed by the target role manage production of destination promotional materials skill
  • not needed by the target role negotiate tourism experience purchases skill
  • not needed by the target role negotiate tourism rates skill
  • not needed by the target role oversee quality control 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 plan marketing strategy skill
  • not needed by the target role plan medium to long term objectives skill
  • not needed by the target role property management software knowledge
  • not needed by the target role provide customised products skill
  • not needed by the target role sales strategies knowledge
  • not needed by the target role select optimal distribution channel skill
  • not needed by the target role tourism market knowledge
  • not needed by the target role translate strategy into operation skill
2 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier
  • required, not held geographical areas relevant to tourism required
  • required, not held tourist resources of a destination for further development required
Index
Note

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.