Tour organiser to travel consultant
A tour organiser already meets 43% of what the travel consultant role asks for. The move turns on 16 required skills not yet in the profile.
63.9/ 100
1 How much of what a travel consultant is expected to do is already part of a tour organiser’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 this move works
A travel consultant role treats 10 of its required skills as things a tour organiser already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- apply foreign languages in tourism
- build a network of suppliers in tourism
- ecotourism
- educate on sustainable tourism
- geographical areas relevant to tourism
- maintain customer service
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 23 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 organiser background worth leading with.
- already held oversee all travel arrangements management skills
- already held build a network of suppliers in tourism communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held apply foreign languages in tourism communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held self-service technologies in tourism information and communication technologies (icts)
- already held geographical areas relevant to tourism services
- already held improve customer traveling experiences with augmented reality working with computers
All 23 carried skills, including the 10 the travel consultant role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 25 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 customise travel package required
- still to learn identify customer's needs required
- still to learn sell tourist packages required
- still to learn advertise travel insurance 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 develop inclusive communication material optional
- still to learn measure sustainability of tourism activities required
- still to learn maintain customer records required
- still to learn process booking required
- 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
- optional, not held comply with food safety and hygiene optional
- still to learn plan measures to safeguard cultural heritage required
- still to learn process payments required
- optional, not held oversee the printing of touristic publications optional
- optional, not held oversee the design of touristic publications optional
- optional, not held plan events optional
- still to learn use customer relationship management software required
- still to learn use global distribution system required
- optional, not held manage online content optional
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.
- 01 customise travel package practise this
- 02 guarantee customer satisfaction practise this
- 03 identify customer's needs 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 23 skills that carry over
- already held apply foreign languages in tourism skill
- already held build a network of suppliers in tourism skill
- already held ecotourism knowledge
- already held educate on sustainable tourism skill
- already held geographical areas relevant to tourism knowledge
- already held maintain customer service skill
- already held maintain relationship with suppliers skill
- already held oversee all travel arrangements skill
- already held self-service technologies in tourism knowledge
- already held use e-tourism platforms skill
- already held assist clients with special needs skill
- already held augmented reality knowledge
- already held build business relationships 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 perform services in a flexible manner skill
- already held promote virtual reality travelling experiences skill
- already held read maps skill
- already held support community-based tourism skill
- already held support local tourism skill
- already held use different communication channels skill
- already held virtual reality knowledge
9 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- 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 oversee the printing of touristic publications optional
- optional, not held plan measures to safeguard natural protected areas optional
- optional, not held comply with food safety and hygiene optional
- optional, not held develop inclusive communication material optional
- optional, not held oversee the design of touristic publications optional
- optional, not held plan events optional
16 held skills the travel consultant role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role check travel documentation skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate performance tours skill
- not needed by the target role ensure infrastructure accessibility skill
- not needed by the target role handle personal identifiable information skill
- not needed by the target role handle veterinary emergencies skill
- not needed by the target role inform tourist groups on logistical times skill
- not needed by the target role liaise with guest facilities providers skill
- not needed by the target role local area tourism industry knowledge
- not needed by the target role manage health and safety standards skill
- not needed by the target role manage visitor flows in natural protected areas skill
- not needed by the target role organise entry to attractions skill
- not needed by the target role organise transportation of tour groups skill
- not needed by the target role participate in tourism events skill
- not needed by the target role plan medium to long term objectives skill
- not needed by the target role tourist resources of a destination for further development knowledge
- not needed by the target role welcome tour groups skill
Common questions about this move
Can a tour organiser become a travel consultant?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A tour organiser already covers 43% of what a travel consultant is expected to do: 23 skills carry over, 10 of which the travel consultant role treats as required.
What skills does a tour organiser need to become a travel consultant?
16 required skills are missing, plus 9 optional ones. They fall into 5 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 organiser to travel consultant?
Its learning distance is 63.9 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.