Studies & Degrees in Tourism Commerce

Choose where you would like to study Tourism Commerce:

Tourism Commerce is an area that covers a variety of businesses and activities, related to pleasure travel. Such travel can include weekend destinations, closer to one’s home, as well as foreign cities, natural wonders, and other attractions like recreational parks or museums. In order for this kind of travel to take place, numerous services are required – accommodation services (hotels, hostels, and other types of accommodation); travel services; guides, etc.

The main idea is that if you are involved in tourism commerce, you would be offering a product or a service that would cater for this industry. You could own a hotel, and be involved in hospitality management. On the other hand, you could also be the chef in the restaurant of this hotel, receiving many international guests. You could also work in a travel agency, helping individuals arrange their travel, accommodation, meals, as well as offer various packages that include guides and visits of different attractions. You could also be involved in organizing activities for tourists, such as hiking, and horseback riding.

Personal qualities

To be involved in tourism commerce, you definitely need to have an open-minded personality, be easy-going and enjoy working with people. It is also likely that you would need to speak at least two languages. Here is a fuller list of personal qualities:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Creativity
• Very good organizational qualities
• Problem-solving skills
• Excellent decision-making skills
• Willing to work long hours
• Willing to travel and study languages

Study Options

If you wish to get involved with tourism commerce, the study options available are numerous. It all depends on what kind of job and role you are planning to pursue. There are bachelor’s degrees in Hospitality Management, Event Management, Tourism/Hotel Management, Gastronomy, Sustainable Tourism Management, and other similar disciplines. The same courses are also available at the graduate and postgraduate level, which would be a suitable option if you wish to go onto management positions. Furthermore, a degree in History may be suitable if you are planning to go into the Cultural Tourism field, combined with some on-the-job training; some official sports training would be suitable for the sports tourism field; a degree in Philology or Literature would be useful for writing brochures, city guides, and other related material. On the other hand, there are many courses available as well as on-the-job training for those aiming for a role that does not require a degree. These courses would cover basic skills about serving clients and carrying out the tasks relevant for the specific job role (i.e. receptionists, waiter/waitress, animator, etc).

Career Options

Career Options in the field are numerous, and again, depend on which area you wish to concentrate on – whether you aim to own and manage your own hotel, manage a restaurant, or be a chef at a restaurant. You could also organize tours, be a guide, or work at a travel agency, assisting clients who wish to organize their vacation. You could manage a recreation park – deciding on what types of facilities to invest and manage, or you could work at a museum owned by the government. The field really is a wide one, and it is up to you to decide what exactly you wish to do within it.