Tour Manager

The job description of a Tour Manager varies from company to company, but in general the main duty of this individual is to organize, plan and facilitate long distance travel or expeditions for individuals or groups. Tour Managers tailor-make unique holidays for clients, ensuring that they offer a unique experience that is both authentic and memorable. A Tour Manager can be asked to perform reservations, deal with venue managers, and if the client is travelling for entertainment, deal with ticket agents, etc.

Job Roles

• Correspond with the overseas travel agent
• Put together competitive quotes and detailed itineraries
• Ensure that the payment is received from the overseas agent
• Overlook the day to day activities of the client’s holiday
• Travel for sales visits overseas to market the company and the country
• Lead the team and ensure a good performance and high revenue

Entry Level
Junior Executive: The specific job description varies from company to company, but their primary duty is to support the Executive Manager, Travel Manager or Travel Consultant. This position is seen as a ‘stepping stone’ to achieving a senior position following a few years of experience on the job.

Senior Level
Tour Manager/Travel Consultant/Executive Manager: The individual in this position will oversee all work related to developing the itinerary, and making tour plans on behalf of the traveller. They will have a team working under them.

Career Progression

Unlike other departments in the hotel and tourism sector, it is fairly easy to progress from a junior executive to a Travel Manager with the right amount of work experience, recommendations and exposure to various clientele. Essentially, hard work, dedication and a sense of responsibility is important to ensure the conversion of bookings and to generate revenue for the company as well. If you perform well you could get promoted within the first six months of work as a junior.

Knowledge and Skills

It is compulsory to finish school and ideally your Advanced Level examination. Higher education qualifications in tourism in the form of certificates, diplomas are a plus to move forward. There are tertiary and vocational institutes that offer higher national diplomas or NVQ that will help in climbing the corporate ladder.

Skills

• Punctual
• Responsible
• Good coordination skills
• Knowledge about Sri Lanka
• Ability to think outside the box
• Ability to speak a foreign language(s) is a bonus

Hiring Process

Just like other job titles, your resume, your past records, and recommendations will be needed to apply for a job as a Travel Manager or Tour Consultant. It is likely that you will be interviewed by the Human Resources Manager to see if you fit the bill of a junior or senior Travel Manager.

Salary Scale

The Salary scale varies from one company to another. The starting salary for a junior executive is likely to be about Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 60,000 or more for a Travel Manager.