Have you ever wished that you could combine your desire to see the world and experience its many cultures, terrains, people and foods with your day-to-day career? Many have dreamed, and you will be pleased to learn that many have actually managed to achieve this goal, too.
After the events of the past year and a half, a lot of people have been re-evaluating their lives and wandering if there is more out there for them, and with the ability to travel freely quashed, plenty of these musings included headed out into the wider world.
Now that things are slowly edging their way back, you may think it’s a little odd to be considering a career in the travel industry, but the need is certainly picking up and there are plenty of ways to get involved. Keep your eyes peeled on luxury travel industry recruitment channels and consider how your past experience can be transferred to a new role. If you’re making a significant change, it won’t necessarily be simple, from gaining a pilot’s license to putting in years of graft in the hotel industry, no one said success comes easy, but when you’re realising your passions, it makes it somewhat worth the effort.
If you’re looking for some inspiration on jobs which can provide you with plenty of travel and opportunities to actually enjoy the sights while you’re on foreign lands, then read on for a taster of six careers in the travel and hospitality industry that you should seek out.
Hotel manager
Taking on a range of roles, the position of hotel manager is an exciting one, but isn’t one that comes to those who aren’t willing to work for it. Whether you work your way up in the industry or graduate in a hotel management course alongside gaining relevant experience, there are many ways you put your finance, communication, marketing, training, supervising, and planning skills to good use. The good news is that if you are willing to change location, you could well see a raft of promotional opportunities available to you, especially if you work within a hotel chain. Who knows where you career could take you?
Cruise ship director
Sailing the oceans and seas may be a must for you and there are plenty of roles on board luxury cruise liners, yachts and other vessels that will see you realising your dream. One of the more exciting roles is that of cruise ship director. Responsible for being the public face of the company you are required to schedule events, activities and social events for passengers. This high-ranking role will need a person who holds a degree in hospitality or a related field, as well as experience in coordinating large groups of people and events, but all of the stops in all manner of glorious destinations will make the hours of travelling and working well worth it, and you’ll likely have a lot of fun in your day-to-day role as well.
Travel writer
There are plenty of ways to forge a career path in travel writing, whether you are starting out with your own blog or contributing as a freelance writer to existing publications or writing about travel in another form. Perhaps you fancy writing factual books or novels set in various places across the globe, either way, you will have to get out and about and explore and experience the places you are writing about.
Pilot
You will clearly have to have quite the set of skills and qualifications (here you can find more information on gaining a pilot’s license) to become an airline pilot, but if you think you’re up for the task, then go for it. Known to reach very favourable salaries, pilots, along with other airline crew, get put up in accommodation and receive transportation and allowances while on assignment. And there’s the obvious draw of being in a number of different countries on such a regular basis with free time to get out and explore.
Luxury travel adviser
When looking after the travel and tours of high-net-worth clients, it pays to have first-hand experience in what you are assisting your them with. This is why the role of a luxury travel advisor is an enviable one. Earning commission from hotels, airlines, tour operators and restaurants on top of a wage, unless you run the company that is, this job can successfully combine your knowledge of the finer things, your passion for organisation and your lust for travel.
Travel business development manager
Combining your business development skills with a luxury resort or similar is a great way to incorporate regular travel into your job. The role of a business development manager in the travel sector will see you travelling on a regular basis to meet with potential and existing business partners, attending conferences, seminars and other networking events to build your contacts in the industry, and identifying new ways to attract clients and partners.
