Tour operator manager to travel 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.
58.6/ 100
1 How much of what a travel agency manager is expected to do is already part of a tour operator 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 travel agency manager role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A travel agency manager role treats 18 of its required skills as things a tour operator manager already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- 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 · 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.
- 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 · What you may need to learn
The 24 missing skills fall into 5 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 identify customer's needs required
- still to learn implement sales strategies required
- still to learn maintain relationship with suppliers required
- still to learn handle customer complaints required
- still to learn implement marketing strategies required
- still to learn implement strategic planning required
- still to learn 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
- still to learn oversee all travel arrangements required
- still to learn apply strategic thinking required
- still to learn motivate staff to reach sales targets required
- still to learn plan digital marketing required
- still to learn supervise crew required
- still to learn conduct search engine optimisation required
- still to learn use global distribution system required
- optional, not held manage online content optional
- still to learn monitor financial accounts required
- still to learn seek innovation in current practices required
- still to learn geographical areas relevant to tourism required
- still to learn tourist resources of a destination for further development required
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.
- 01 geographical areas relevant to tourism study this
- 02 identify customer's needs practise this
- 03 implement sales strategies 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 28 skills that carry over
- 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
- 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
- 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.
- still to learn geographical areas relevant to tourism required
- still to learn tourist resources of a destination for further development required
Other moves recorded from tour operator manager
- destination manager 56% covered · substantial
- tourism product manager 55% covered · substantial
- tour operator representative 45% covered · substantial
- tourist information centre manager 44% covered · substantial
- tour organiser 42% covered · substantial
- tourist animator 39% covered · substantial
- customer experience manager 34% covered · substantial
- accommodation manager 31% covered · substantial
Common questions about this move
Can a tour operator manager become a travel agency manager?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A tour operator manager already covers 52% of what a travel agency manager is expected to do: 28 skills carry over, 18 of which the travel agency manager role treats as required.
What skills does a tour operator manager need to become a travel agency manager?
18 required skills are missing, plus 6 optional ones. They fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is geographical areas relevant to tourism.
How hard is the move from tour operator manager to travel agency manager?
Its learning distance is 58.6 out of 100, which is the substantial 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.