Travel consultant to tourist information officer
A travel consultant already meets 48% of what the tourist information officer role asks for. The move turns on 14 required skills not yet in the profile.
59.4/ 100
1 How much of what a tourist information officer 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 tourist information officer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A tourist information officer role treats 10 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
- build a network of suppliers in tourism
- comply with food safety and hygiene
- demonstrate intercultural competences in hospitality services
- geographical areas relevant to tourism
- identify customer's needs
What stands in the way is 14 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 25 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A tourist information officer 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 demonstrate intercultural competences in hospitality services communication, collaboration and creativity
- 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 process booking information skills
All 25 carried skills, including the 10 the tourist information officer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 22 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 coordinate efforts of stakeholders for destination promotion required
- still to learn develop tourist information materials required
- still to learn distribute local information materials required
- still to learn produce content for tourism brochures required
- still to learn communicate with customers required
- still to learn respond to customers' inquiries required
- optional, not held sell souvenirs optional
- optional, not held work in a hospitality team optional
- optional, not held apply social media marketing optional
- optional, not held ensure client orientation optional
- optional, not held sell tickets optional
- still to learn provide directions to guests required
- still to learn assist visitors required
- still to learn handle personal identifiable information required
- still to learn quote prices required
- still to learn collect tourist information required
- still to learn process reservations required
- optional, not held manage visitor flows in natural protected areas optional
- still to learn devise special promotions required
- optional, not held organise cultural events optional
- still to learn local area tourism industry required
- optional, not held integrate content into output media optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a tourist information officer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 collect tourist information practise this
- 02 coordinate efforts of stakeholders for destination promotion practise this
- 03 develop tourist information materials 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 25 skills that carry over
- already held apply foreign languages in tourism skill
- already held build a network of suppliers in tourism skill
- already held comply with food safety and hygiene skill
- already held demonstrate intercultural competences in hospitality services skill
- already held geographical areas relevant to tourism knowledge
- already held identify customer's needs skill
- already held maintain customer records skill
- already held maintain customer service skill
- already held process booking skill
- already held provide tourism related information skill
- already held augmented reality knowledge
- already held build business relationships 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 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 process payments skill
- already held promote virtual reality travelling experiences skill
- already held self-service technologies in tourism knowledge
- already held support community-based tourism skill
- already held support local tourism skill
- already held use e-tourism platforms skill
- already held virtual reality knowledge
8 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held integrate content into output media optional
- optional, not held manage visitor flows in natural protected areas optional
- optional, not held organise cultural events optional
- optional, not held sell souvenirs optional
- optional, not held work in a hospitality team optional
- optional, not held apply social media marketing optional
- optional, not held ensure client orientation optional
- optional, not held sell tickets optional
23 held skills the tourist information officer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advertise travel insurance skill
- not needed by the target role assist clients with special needs skill
- not needed by the target role customise travel package 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 maintain relationship with suppliers 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 all travel arrangements 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 read maps 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 different communication channels skill
- not needed by the target role use global distribution system 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.
- still to learn local area tourism industry required
Common questions about this move
Can a travel consultant become a tourist information officer?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A travel consultant already covers 48% of what a tourist information officer is expected to do: 25 skills carry over, 10 of which the tourist information officer role treats as required.
What skills does a travel consultant need to become a tourist information officer?
14 required skills are missing, plus 8 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is collect tourist information.
How hard is the move from travel consultant to tourist information officer?
Its learning distance is 59.4 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.