Careers in travel > If you’re interested in starting a career in travel, ABTA can point you in the right directionThe travel industry is an exciting place to be and opens doors to a wide range of possibilities. It offers the chance to be part of a sector which takes people on holiday, helps business travellers to connect, and reunites friends and families. Behind every journey is a team of passionate people making it happen and you could join them.Hear from ABTA member travel agents and tour operators explaining why they work in the industry. More people are looking to use the expertise of travel companiesWe continue to see more people choose to book through a travel professional, according to research we’ve conducted. The reassurance and expertise that customers get when booking with a travel company are highly sought-after. Travel companies are evolvingMany ABTA travel companies are evolving their businesses and attracting new recruits with their standout brands, travel perks and hybrid working schemes.The jobs in travel are wide ranging, from sales, marketing, IT and digital transformation, to managing sustainability programmes and working abroad. And don’t forget that the corporate travel sector also offers exciting career opportunities with a range of attractive employment packages such as dynamic work environments and opportunities for remote working. Travel is full of new opportunities for everyoneThe routes into travel are changing and the sector is actively looking for people with different experiences and skill sets. Whether you’ve been working for 20 years and looking for a change or just starting out, working in travel could put you on a new career path. The culture of working in travelWe asked ABTA members about what keywords they associated with working in travel and these were the most popular: exciting, fun, dynamic, versatile, challenging.Ways to find your next job in travel:Look at a travel company’s career page to find out about job opportunities and their company culture to see if your experience would be a good fit.Set up LinkedIn alerts for travel companies that you would like to work for so you can be among the first to apply.Get in touch with a travel recruitment specialist – such as C&M Recruitment or Travel Trade Recruitment – and send them your CV.Check out Indeed.com and its travel industry jobs board.Register with travel industry trade news sites such as Travel Weekly and TTG Media as they often share the latest opportunities and information about working in travel.Travel Gossip has a guide on the best travel companies with homeworking opportunities here. Career development opportunities in travelOnce you start working in travel, you can go anywhere. Many travel companies engage their staff in learning and development programmes. Popular schemes at the moment include digital marketing apprenticeships, MBAs, top talent programmes, coaching and mentoring opportunities. Travel companies have also changed their approach to training and are making them hybrid so you can learn online and in face-to-face meetings. Take off in Travel career guideABTA also supports an annual career guide Take off in Travel which is produced by trade publication Travel Weekly. This gives an excellent overview of the range of careers in the travel industry. Various routes to entry are discussed and it includes a range of career case studies. You’ll also find contact details for universities, colleges and companies with opportunities in the travel industry. ABTA Conferences and EventsIf you’re new to the travel industry, there are lots of ways to develop your knowledge and understanding about the sector. ABTA’s Conferences and Events programme covers a wide range of topics from marketing, sales, customer service, financial and legal issues, with the content completely unique to travel industry matters. If you work for an ABTA Member, you can access discounts to attend ABTA’s events and conferences. Many of our events are also relevant for lecturers, apprentices and students studying travel and tourism. Certificates of attendance are available to delegates. View our upcoming programme of events. Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT)ABTA is represented on the Institute of Travel and Tourism’s Education and Training Committee. The ITT offers student membership, as well as networking opportunities for students and graduates.Useful resources for students studying travel and tourism-related courses include the ITT Education & Training Hub and the ITT Future You initiative; which organises inspiring careers in travel events across the UK each year.
