Tourism assistant

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Touristikassistent (short: TA) is a state-recognized qualification at vocational schools according to state law in Germany. According to the Standing Conference , this professional qualification is recognized nationwide. It can be acquired at state and private vocational schools in various federal states.

Offer and requirement

This training course is offered in various federal states at state and private vocational schools. Since the curriculum and the qualification are subject to the respective state law, there are different entry requirements and curricula as well as different names of the professional qualification in the individual federal states. In Baden-Württemberg, Saxony and Thuringia the general or technical college entrance qualification is required and the training lasts 2 years. In Berlin, the training is possible as a 2-year and as a 3-year variant with access through the middle school leaving certificate. In Rhineland-Palatinate, secondary school leaving certificate is sufficient as access. Previous knowledge of English and a second foreign language are usually also part of the entry requirements.

Training content

The training mostly includes different focuses. On the one hand, this is teaching in at least 2 foreign languages ​​(mostly English as the 1st foreign language and French / Spanish / Russian as the 2nd foreign language), in many cases a 3rd foreign language is also added (e.g. Spanish / Italian / Arabic etc. .) General economic subjects such as business administration, economics, bookkeeping and accounting form the basis for a solid commercial education and are often offered in the form of learning fields / areas of activity (e.g. preparing, implementing and documenting management processes, analyzing markets and designing marketing processes, sources of finance develop and use funds) . The tourism specialist knowledge is imparted in subjects such as travel geography, tourism management etc. or also in areas of activity (e.g. organizing and selling trips, procuring tourist services on the market) . In addition, there are general subjects such as German and sport, IT skills and knowledge of tourist reservation systems are built up, and communication, rhetoric, presentation techniques and application training are offered.

Practical training

In addition to project work and practical phases as part of the school education, the prospective tourism assistants must complete an internship of several months in a tourism company in Germany or abroad.

final examination

The training usually ends with a state final examination, which can be structured differently depending on the federal state. In foreign languages, it often consists of a written and an oral part, as a language certificate (see Common European Framework of Reference ) can also be acquired. In the other subjects or areas of activity, written or practical exams are taken.

Areas of activity and career prospects

International tourism assistants can be used in almost every area of ​​the tourism industry. You work e.g. B.

  • with a tour operator and are responsible for planning and organizing trips or for marketing the offers
  • in a tourist office or a spa administration and advise and look after guests from all over the world, create attractive package deals in cooperation with local companies or take care of advertising for the region, e.g. B. at trade fairs
  • at an event agency or event agency and plan and organize meetings, congresses or company events
  • in various holiday regions as tour guides for well-known tour operators and look after the guests on site
  • in different countries in an incoming agency , where they plan excursions and round trips and organize the stay of the guests on site in cooperation with tour operators from Germany
  • with marketing companies that take care of the marketing of various holiday destinations, foreign hotels or airlines (create marketing plans, establish contacts with organizers, plan trade fair appearances, and much more.)

Tourism assistants can also find interesting work opportunities in the hotel sector (guest relations, sales and marketing, event planning, etc.), with airlines or rental car companies.

Thanks to the very broad and practice-oriented training, the prospects for a job at home or abroad are good.

Further education and studies

Often there is the possibility of postgraduate studies and the tourism assistants can acquire a bachelor's and / or master's degree in tourism management. Many educational institutions cooperate with corresponding study institutions abroad.

See also

Vocational school in Germany

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Standing conference of the education ministers of the federal states in the Federal Republic of Germany: Framework agreement on vocational schools (PDF; 41 kB), resolution of February 28, 1997 i. d. F. December 7, 2007, accessed May 16, 2013
  2. ^ BFT vocational school for tourism gGmbH: State-recognized international tourism assistant

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