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

tour operator managertotravel agent

A tour operator manager already meets 31% of what the travel agent role asks for. The move turns on 26 required skills not yet in the profile.

From tour operator manager
31%
Overlap1
To travel agent
17 Skills carried over
26 Required, not held
77 Difficulty2
Career overlap Distant match

31%

Learning distance A rebuild

77/ 100

1 Share of the travel agent 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 agent role treats 12 of its required skills as things a tour operator manager already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

  • comply with food safety and hygiene
  • ecotourism
  • educate on sustainable tourism
  • engage local communities in the management of natural protected areas
  • maintain customer service
  • manage conservation of natural and cultural heritage

What stands in the way is 26 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 17 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A travel agent 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 provide customised products 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 support community-based tourism communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held improve customer traveling experiences with augmented reality working with computers
  • already held ecotourism natural sciences, mathematics and statistics

All 17 carried skills, including the 12 the travel agent role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 41 missing skills fall into 8 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 15 required, 4 supplementary
  • required, not held distribute local information materials required
  • required, not held identify customer's needs required
  • required, not held implement sales strategies required
  • required, not held maintain relationship with customers required
  • required, not held maintain relationship with suppliers required
  • required, not held produce content for tourism brochures required
  • required, not held sell tourist packages required
  • required, not held achieve sales targets required
  • required, not held advertise travel insurance required
  • required, not held apply foreign languages in tourism required
  • required, not held develop inclusive communication material required
  • required, not held handle customer complaints required
  • required, not held implement marketing strategies required
  • required, not held present reports required
  • required, not held upsell products required
  • optional, not held promote the use of sustainable transport optional
  • optional, not held work in a hospitality team optional
  • optional, not held execute email marketing optional
  • optional, not held use communication techniques optional
02 management skills 3 required, 2 supplementary
  • required, not held oversee all travel arrangements required
  • required, not held handle financial transactions required
  • required, not held process payments required
  • optional, not held manage time in tourism optional
  • optional, not held coordinate events optional
03 assisting and caring 3 required, 1 supplementary
  • required, not held provide tourism related information required
  • required, not held ensure the privacy of guests required
  • required, not held quote prices required
  • optional, not held follow ethical code of conduct in tourism optional
04 information skills 3 required, 1 supplementary
  • required, not held manage digital archives required
  • required, not held maintain customer records required
  • required, not held process booking required
  • optional, not held manage database optional
05 working with computers 1 required, 5 supplementary
  • required, not held use customer relationship management software required
  • optional, not held search databases optional
  • optional, not held use global distribution system optional
  • optional, not held use microsoft office optional
  • optional, not held use presentation software optional
  • optional, not held use spreadsheets software optional
06 services 1 required
  • required, not held geographical areas relevant to tourism required

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a travel agent 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 17 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held comply with food safety and hygiene skill
  • already held ecotourism knowledge
  • already held educate on sustainable tourism skill
  • already held engage local communities in the management of natural protected areas skill
  • already held maintain customer service skill
  • already held manage conservation of natural and cultural heritage skill
  • already held manage visitor flows in natural protected areas skill
  • already held measure customer feedback skill
  • already held provide customised products skill
  • already held self-service technologies in tourism knowledge
  • already held support community-based tourism skill
  • already held support local tourism skill
  • already held augmented reality knowledge
  • already held improve customer traveling experiences with augmented reality skill
  • already held promote virtual reality travelling experiences skill
  • already held use e-tourism platforms skill
  • already held virtual reality knowledge
The 2 learning areas not shown above
Skill to acquire Tier
07 business, administration and law 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held social media management optional
08 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held office software optional
15 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to acquire Tier
  • optional, not held manage time in tourism optional
  • optional, not held follow ethical code of conduct in tourism optional
  • optional, not held promote the use of sustainable transport optional
  • optional, not held work in a hospitality team optional
  • optional, not held coordinate events optional
  • optional, not held execute email marketing optional
  • optional, not held manage database optional
  • optional, not held office software optional
  • optional, not held search databases optional
  • optional, not held social media management optional
  • optional, not held use communication techniques optional
  • optional, not held use global distribution system optional
  • optional, not held use microsoft office optional
  • optional, not held use presentation software optional
  • optional, not held use spreadsheets software optional
34 held skills the travel agent role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role build a network of suppliers in tourism skill
  • not needed by the target role build business relationships skill
  • not needed by the target role coordinate operational activities skill
  • not needed by the target role create annual marketing budget skill
  • 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 develop working procedures 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 manage budgets skill
  • not needed by the target role manage contracts skill
  • not needed by the target role manage distribution channels 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 manage staff skill
  • not needed by the target role maximise sales revenues 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 perform market research 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 prepare travel packages skill
  • not needed by the target role property management software knowledge
  • not needed by the target role recruit employees 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 set up pricing strategies skill
  • not needed by the target role tourism market knowledge
  • not needed by the target role translate strategy into operation skill
3 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
  • optional, not held office software optional
  • optional, not held social media management optional
Index

Other moves recorded from tour operator manager

Full index of moves from tour operator manager

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.