Despite the backlash caused by the pandemic emergency, the remains one of the most prosperous sectors of the Italian economy. Overcoming the health crisis caused by Covid-19 and the contingent easing of restrictive measures have allowed operators in the tourism sector to resume their activities, significantly narrowing the gap with the pre-pandemic period. At the same time, the job offer is also increasing again, with accommodation facilities and the HORECA sector that are once again looking for senior level figures to be entrusted with managerial tasks. One of these is the Tourism Manager (Tourism Manager), a particularly requested profile: just perform a quick search through the main recruiting platforms to find dozens of job advertisements relating to this kind of professional figure. Below, we see in detail what he does and what is the training path to take to acquire a qualification as a Manager in the tourism sector.
Who is the Tourism Manager
The tourism manager is a professional, properly trained, that deals with the creation and marketing of tourism products. In addition, it has the task of seeking sponsors and implementing promotion and marketing strategies; by virtue of his skills, a Tourism Manager can operate in the most disparate tourism sectors, since tourism is an extremely varied sector characterized by an increasingly pronounced sectoriality.
What training is required
Those who want to work in the tourism sector as a Tourism Manager must face an adequate course of study, consistent with their professional goals. Consequently, it may be worthwhile to achieve a diploma from a professional hotel school and then continue their training with a degree in Tourism Management or Tourism economics and management. Alternatively, once the secondary school cycle of studies has been completed, it is possible to enroll in a Master in Tourism Management, such as the one offered by a specialized portal such as Uplevel.it.
Activities and responsibilities
A Tourism Manager performs numerous tasks within a structure or company operating in the tourism sector. Specifically, it can:
- join the definition of the management processes of tourism activities and the services offered by a hotel or other subjects that carry out tourist reception activities;
- collaborate with the regional tourism office for the purpose of develop development plans for local tourist attractions;
- develop marketing and promotion strategies for tourism products and services;
- carry out market research to support promotional initiatives;
- modulate the accommodation offer in relation to the target to which the structure is aimed;
- develop a package of tourist services calibrated on the basis of the characteristics of the reference target;
- take care of the initial reception of customers in the structure, giving directives of a technical and practical nature;
- monitor the status of supplies and interact with suppliers to guarantee the structure an adequate level of supplies and materials to be used in its activities;
- guarantee the maintenance of the highest quality and operational standard within the accommodation facilities.
The main requirements of a Tourism Manager
The requirements of a Tourism Manager change according to the type of structure or company in which it will be located. In principle, however, a figure of this type must have a very specific set of skills and competences:
- leadership skills, organization and coordination of personnel;
- bilingualism; being able to speak multiple foreign languages (without including English) is a fundamental requirement for the entire tourism sector;
- propensity for problem solving;
- specialist sectoral skills, concerning the regulatory standards of the tourism sector and the main management and operational practices;
- ability to manage customer relations both in person and through digital communication tools.
Great information!