Travel consultant to tour organiser
A travel consultant already meets 54% of what the tour organiser role asks for. The move turns on 12 required skills not yet in the profile.
54.2/ 100
1 How much of what a tour organiser is expected to do is already part of a travel consultant’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 tour organiser role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A tour organiser role treats 12 of its required skills as things a travel consultant already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- apply foreign languages in tourism
- assist clients with special needs
- build a network of suppliers in tourism
- build business relationships
- engage local communities in the management of natural protected areas
- geographical areas relevant to tourism
What stands in the way is 12 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 tour organiser role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a travel consultant 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 support community-based tourism communication, collaboration and creativity
All 23 carried skills, including the 12 the tour organiser role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 16 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.
- still to learn welcome tour groups required
- still to learn check travel documentation required
- still to learn handle personal identifiable information required
- still to learn manage health and safety standards required
- still to learn inform tourist groups on logistical times required
- still to learn organise entry to attractions required
- still to learn liaise with guest facilities providers required
- optional, not held participate in tourism events optional
- optional, not held ensure infrastructure accessibility optional
- still to learn organise transportation of tour groups required
- still to learn coordinate performance tours required
- optional, not held plan medium to long term objectives optional
- still to learn local area tourism industry required
- optional, not held tourist resources of a destination for further development optional
- still to learn handle veterinary emergencies required
- still to learn manage visitor flows in natural protected areas required
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a tour organiser role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 inform tourist groups on logistical times practise this
- 02 organise entry to attractions practise this
- 03 organise transportation of tour groups 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 assist clients with special needs skill
- already held build a network of suppliers in tourism skill
- already held build business relationships skill
- already held engage local communities in the management of natural protected areas skill
- already held geographical areas relevant to tourism knowledge
- already held maintain customer service skill
- already held manage conservation of natural and cultural heritage skill
- already held oversee all travel arrangements skill
- already held perform services in a flexible manner skill
- already held support community-based tourism skill
- already held support local tourism skill
- already held augmented reality knowledge
- already held ecotourism knowledge
- already held educate on sustainable tourism skill
- already held improve customer traveling experiences with augmented reality skill
- already held maintain relationship with suppliers skill
- already held promote virtual reality travelling experiences skill
- already held read maps skill
- already held self-service technologies in tourism knowledge
- already held use different communication channels skill
- already held use e-tourism platforms skill
- already held virtual reality knowledge
4 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held participate in tourism events optional
- optional, not held tourist resources of a destination for further development optional
- optional, not held ensure infrastructure accessibility optional
- optional, not held plan medium to long term objectives optional
25 held skills the tour organiser role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advertise travel insurance skill
- not needed by the target role comply with food safety and hygiene skill
- not needed by the target role customise travel package skill
- not needed by the target role demonstrate intercultural competences in hospitality services skill
- not needed by the target role develop inclusive communication material skill
- not needed by the target role devise tailor-made tourism itineraries skill
- not needed by the target role follow ethical code of conduct in tourism skill
- not needed by the target role guarantee customer satisfaction skill
- not needed by the target role handle customer complaints skill
- not needed by the target role identify customer's needs skill
- not needed by the target role maintain customer records skill
- not needed by the target role manage online content skill
- not needed by the target role measure sustainability of tourism activities 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 events skill
- not needed by the target role plan measures to safeguard cultural heritage skill
- not needed by the target role plan measures to safeguard natural protected areas skill
- not needed by the target role process booking skill
- not needed by the target role process payments skill
- not needed by the target role provide tourism related information skill
- not needed by the target role sell tourist packages skill
- not needed by the target role upsell products skill
- not needed by the target role use customer relationship management software skill
- not needed by the target role use global distribution system 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 local area tourism industry required
- optional, not held tourist resources of a destination for further development optional
Common questions about this move
Can a travel consultant become a tour organiser?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A travel consultant already covers 54% of what a tour organiser is expected to do: 23 skills carry over, 12 of which the tour organiser role treats as required.
What skills does a travel consultant need to become a tour organiser?
12 required skills are missing, plus 4 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by assisting and caring. The single most important is inform tourist groups on logistical times.
How hard is the move from travel consultant to tour organiser?
Its learning distance is 54.2 out of 100, which is the moderate 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.