A Tourist Accommodation Consultant or Travel Consultant is the intermediary between a customer and travel service provider. He/she helps plan leisure and/or business accommodation as per the customer’s needs.
Roles and responsibilities
Tourist Accommodation Consultants have to work in a fast-paced, high octane environment that demands the following responsibilities,
- Assess custom
er needs and provide them solutions that best suit their plans and budget - Simplifying the itinerary of customers using their industry connections
- Planning the customer’s travel and stay, ensuring it is comfortable and hassle-free
- Offering cost-effective travel and accommodation plans
- Build lasting relationships with customers to ensure they maintain their association with the company
- Modify existing bookings to suit the customer’s current needs and circumstances
- Stay up-to-date on industry trends and updates and inform the same to customers
- Coordinate all aspects of travel to ensure the customer’s plans go smoothly without any hiccups
Skills required
Hospitality management is all about creating memorable experiences for customers by providing the right kind of service that will make them come back for more. Therefore, you should understand that, as a travel consultant, you are required to be highly organized, sociable, meticulous, interactive, energetic, enthusiastic, accommodating, and extremely dedicated to your customers.
You should have basic computer skills as you will be dealing with travel data on a real-time basis. When customers request hotel, hostel, or any kind of information about accommodation or travel, you should be able to provide it immediately. You should also be well-versed in sales as it requires a fair amount of selling to customers.
Typically, the job is set in an office with regular business hours. But there may be times when you may have to extend your shift or work during the weekends to accommodate the customer’s schedule. You should be flexible to work in shifts based on the customer’s time zone.
The most important skill that will help you succeed in this industry is excellent customer service. Building a good rapport with customers and maintaining it is vital to your growth in the industry.
Educational qualifications
A Travel Consultant position usually requires you have at least a high school diploma. Having a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree is an asset in this industry as you will be experienced in the art of customer service, which is the primary requirement of hospitality management. An MBA in Hospitality Management is apt for a career as a Tourist Accommodation Consultant.
Salary
Tourist/Travel Consultants can usually earn, on an average, approximately INR 3,10,000. The salary ranges between about INR 1,53,000 and INR 5,00,000. This range does not include perks associated with the job. Experience matters in this role as you have to learn how to handle the multiple tasks you’ll be entrusted.
MBA ESG’s Hospitality Management program is a great place to begin your journey as a Travel/Tourist Accommodation Consultant. You not only equip yourself with operational skills that the job necessitates but also imbibe the interpersonal traits that will help you excel in this industry.
Salary source: Payscale
