Careers in Tour Operation

MOST PEOPLE WANT SOME EXCITE¬MENT in their lives. Tour operators provide excitement in doses small enough to squeeze into real life and big enough to make memories to last a lifetime. There are tour operators to cater to every fascination, from classic adventures like safaris and exotic camping trips, to simpler excursions like neighborhood tours and organized pub crawls. The market for tours is endless, and so are the opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship. According to the United States Tour Operators Association, an industry trade group, Americans spend about $15 billion every year on organized tours and vacation packages. A growing number of Americans have discretionary income and like to use it to do things that are out of the ordinary. Most people are also a little leery of diving into complicated travel planning, especially when the travel is to far-flung places or involves some element of risk. Then there is the language barrier. How many Americans can negotiate lodging arrangements in, say, Tajikistan? That is where tour operators come in. They take the hassle, confusion, and risk out of travel planning. You are looking into this profession at an opportune time. Americans are spending more on travel than ever before. Relatively inexpensive tours and vacation packages become more popular every year as more people decide to leave the detailed planning to somebody with knowledge and expertise. High-end tours also seem to know no bounds. The priciest tours can top $10,000 per day and take travelers to places they could never get to on their own. Would you like to be the one designing these experiences and making all the arrangements for a perfect journey?