Tourism clerk
Tourism clerk (clerk for private and business trips) is a state-recognized training occupation in Germany that replaced the previous job description of " travel clerk " on August 1, 2011. The focus of this training is on the production and brokerage of trips abroad and the organization of business trips. The job description “ businessman for tourism and leisure ” is another apprenticeship whose field of activity is focused on domestic tourism within Germany.
Training and jobs
Tourism salespeople work and learn the profession mainly in "classic" travel agencies, online travel agencies, business travel agencies or with tour operators. But also companies with their own business travel management, modes of transport such as airlines, train companies, bus companies, cruise operators or rental car providers offer appropriate training positions. Around 2,000 new apprenticeships are concluded every year. A total of around 65,000 specialists work in travel agencies or tour operators.
Training structure
The training lasts three years. During the training, skills and abilities for work in travel agency, travel management and the organization of business trips are imparted. Depending on the focus of the training company, the oral examination is carried out in one of the optional qualifications travel agency, travel event or business travel. If a training company does not have a clear focus, the trainee can apply for one or two additional elective qualifications to be examined and this to be recognized as an additional qualification. An additional qualification is an additional test and cannot be exchanged for the specified test. The dual training consists of practical training in the company and lessons in the vocational school. During the apprenticeship, the trainees work in sales, information or office rooms in order to plan, market or convey holiday or business trips to customers. Appropriate marketing measures are necessary to address and attract customers. The maintenance of websites, newsletters, the production of travel catalogs and the organization of events are becoming more and more important. Tourism clerks need communicative and organizational skills, affinity and understanding of technical processes as well as good commercial thinking. The vocational school provides the theoretical background that tourism salespeople need to successfully practice their profession. Classes take place either two days a week or in blocks of three or four weeks, for example.
Training content
The training content of the tourism clerk is divided as follows:
A) Professional profile-creating skills
Design of products and services
- Tourism-specific system
- Destinations
- Products and services
- Own events
- Sustainability and environmental aspects in tourism
Tourism Marketing
- Market analysis and marketing measures
- Advertising and promotion
- Distribution and sales channels
- public relation
Communication, customer advice and sales
- Customer-oriented customer advice and sales
- Complaint management
- Using a foreign language for specialist tasks
Service and quality
- Services
- Quality assurance in service
Legal foundations of tourism
- Contract law
- Travel and transport law
Commercial management and control
- Computational processing and payment transactions
- Cost and performance accounting
- Commercial control
- Entrepreneurial action
B) Skills that define the professional profile (elective qualification)
Travel agency
- Preparation and planning
- sale
- Follow-up and service
Travel event
- preparation and revision
- Purchasing services and drafting contracts
- Distribution media and channels
- Customer service
business trips
- Planning and organization
- Reservation and booking
- Travel Expenses
C) Integrative skills, knowledge and abilities
- The training company
- Position, legal form, structure of the training company
- Vocational training, principles of labor and social law, human resources management
- Health and safety at work
- environmental Protection
- Work organization
- Information and data communication technologies
- Communication and cooperation
requirements
Certain qualifications are required and checked by most companies.
- Sociability and adaptability (when dealing with customers and colleagues)
- Ability to advise (e.g. advising customers on vacation or business travel offers, arranging additional services such as visas, travel insurance, rental cars, etc.)
- Tendency to think commercially and towards economic success
- Creativity (e.g. when creating new products, sales letters)
- Interest in technology / internet (creation / maintenance of websites, newsletters, online competitions, accepting and processing online bookings)
- good manners, politeness, friendly demeanor
- neat appearance
- Empathy (dealing with demanding customers)
- Enthusiasm, persuasiveness (e.g. to convince customers of the offers)
- Good verbal and written skills in German (e.g. advising customers by e-mail, internet forums or communication with foreign and domestic partners)
- Good knowledge of English (use of special computer systems, contact with hotels, airlines, etc. abroad)
- Enjoy planning and organizing (e.g. at events)
Training opportunities
After completing dual training, there is the opportunity to specialize in certain topics with seminars and training courses. But information trips are also necessary in order to get to know products such as hotels, airports, transport routes, etc. personally.
For advancement training, the IHKs offer further training to become a certified tourism specialist . In Germany, this is a publicly recognized qualification at the master's level, which is awarded after successfully completing industry-related commercial advancement training in accordance with the Vocational Training Act. Skilled workers with a university entrance qualification and dual training can also begin academic training in order to achieve a bachelor's degree and then a master's degree.
Web links
- Information on training to become a tourism clerk
- Ordinance on vocational training as a tourism clerk (businessman for private and business trips) and tourism clerk (clerk for private and business trips)
- Training regulations for tourism clerks
- German Travel Association eV
Individual evidence
- ↑ training statistics of the DIHK dihk.de
- ↑ DRV Facts and Figures 2013 on the German Travel Market ( Memento of the original from February 18, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. drv.de
