Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Tour operator manager to travel consultant

A tour operator manager already meets 30% of what the travel consultant role asks for. The move turns on 20 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From tour operator manager
30 % overlap
Distant match
To travel consultant
18 You already bring
20 Still to learn
48 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance Substantial retraining

74.5/ 100

1 How much of what a travel consultant 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 consultant role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

A travel consultant role treats 6 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
  • ecotourism
  • educate on sustainable tourism
  • maintain customer service
  • self-service technologies in tourism
  • use e-tourism platforms

What stands in the way is 20 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 18 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A travel consultant 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 oversee the design of touristic publications management skills
  • already held oversee the printing of touristic publications 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 improve customer traveling experiences with augmented reality working with computers
  • already held support community-based tourism communication, collaboration and creativity

All 18 carried skills, including the 6 the travel consultant role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 30 missing skills fall into 6 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.

Skill to pick up Tier
01 communication, collaboration and creativity 9 required, 5 supplementary
  • still to learn customise travel package required
  • still to learn identify customer's needs required
  • still to learn maintain relationship with suppliers required
  • still to learn sell tourist packages required
  • still to learn advertise travel insurance required
  • still to learn apply foreign languages in tourism required
  • still to learn devise tailor-made tourism itineraries required
  • still to learn handle customer complaints required
  • still to learn upsell products required
  • optional, not held demonstrate intercultural competences in hospitality services optional
  • optional, not held assist clients with special needs optional
  • optional, not held develop inclusive communication material optional
  • optional, not held perform services in a flexible manner optional
  • optional, not held use different communication channels optional
02 information skills 3 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn measure sustainability of tourism activities required
  • still to learn maintain customer records required
  • still to learn process booking required
  • optional, not held read maps optional
03 management skills 3 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn oversee all travel arrangements required
  • still to learn plan measures to safeguard cultural heritage required
  • still to learn process payments required
  • optional, not held plan events optional
04 assisting and caring 2 required, 2 supplementary
  • still to learn guarantee customer satisfaction required
  • still to learn provide tourism related information required
  • optional, not held follow ethical code of conduct in tourism optional
  • optional, not held plan measures to safeguard natural protected areas optional
05 working with computers 2 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn use customer relationship management software required
  • still to learn use global distribution system required
  • optional, not held manage online content optional
06 services 1 required
  • still to learn geographical areas relevant to tourism required
Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a travel consultant 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 18 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held build a network of suppliers in tourism skill
  • already held ecotourism knowledge
  • already held educate on sustainable tourism skill
  • already held maintain customer service skill
  • already held self-service technologies in tourism knowledge
  • already held use e-tourism platforms skill
  • already held augmented reality knowledge
  • already held build business relationships skill
  • already held comply with food safety and hygiene skill
  • already held engage local communities in the management of natural protected areas skill
  • already held improve customer traveling experiences with augmented reality skill
  • already held manage conservation of natural and cultural heritage skill
  • already held oversee the design of touristic publications skill
  • already held oversee the printing of touristic publications skill
  • already held promote virtual reality travelling experiences skill
  • already held support community-based tourism skill
  • already held support local tourism skill
  • already held virtual reality knowledge
10 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held demonstrate intercultural competences in hospitality services optional
  • optional, not held follow ethical code of conduct in tourism optional
  • optional, not held manage online content optional
  • optional, not held plan measures to safeguard natural protected areas optional
  • optional, not held assist clients with special needs optional
  • optional, not held develop inclusive communication material optional
  • optional, not held perform services in a flexible manner optional
  • optional, not held plan events optional
  • optional, not held read maps optional
  • optional, not held use different communication channels optional
33 held skills the travel consultant role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • 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 manage visitor flows in natural protected areas skill
  • not needed by the target role maximise sales revenues skill
  • not needed by the target role measure customer feedback 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 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 provide customised products skill
  • 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
1 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 pick up Tier
  • still to learn geographical areas relevant to tourism required
Index

Other moves recorded from tour operator manager

Full index of moves from tour operator manager

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a tour operator manager become a travel consultant?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. A tour operator manager already covers 30% of what a travel consultant is expected to do: 18 skills carry over, 6 of which the travel consultant role treats as required.

What skills does a tour operator manager need to become a travel consultant?

20 required skills are missing, plus 10 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is customise travel package.

How hard is the move from tour operator manager to travel consultant?

Its learning distance is 74.5 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

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.