careers | training | training packages | apprenticeships & traineeships
Tourism is defined as travel away from the traveller’s normal place of residence and is much more than just leisure travel. It encompasses travel for a range of reasons such as business, festivals and events, health, education and religion.
It includes both domestic and international travel and involves the consumption of a wide range of goods and services provided by transport and tour operators, travel agencies, accommodation providers, theme parks and attractions, tour guides, sporting, entertainment and arts venues, museums and historical sites, restaurants, cafes and clubs. Increasingly tourism operators are choosing to operate specialised tourism products, and terms such as ‘wine tourism’, ‘cultural tourism’ and ‘ecotourism’ are regularly used.
Skills and experience in the tourism industry can lead to exciting careers that may see you working and travelling throughout Australia and the world as an industry professional.
Personal attributes: 
The tourism industry is customer-service driven and people skills are an essential part of working in the industry:
- good communication skills
- a strong customer focus
- smart presentation and grooming
- organisational skills
- ability to work in a team
- ability to work well under pressure
- good technical skills and knowledge
- ability to work on your feet for extended periods
- flexibility to work days, nights, weekends and public holidays
Examples of careers in tourism include:
- Airlines and Airport Operations Personnel
- Attraction and Theme Park Personnel
- Booking Agent
- Casino Personnel
- Cruise Ship Personnel
- Customer Service Officer
- Hotel/Motel/Resort Manager
- Marketing Coordinator
- Indigenous Culture Tour Guide
- Reservations Officer
- Retail Travel Sales Consultant
- Sales Executive
- Tour Coordinator
- Tour Guide
- Tour Operator
- Tour Promotions Officer
- Tour Vehicle Driver
- Tour Wholesaler - Inbound/Outbound
- Tourism Product Manager
- Travel Attendant
- Visitor Information Officer
Want to know more about careers in Tourism?
FutureNow - The Creative & Leisure Industries Training Council Inc.
Contact: Michelle Sidebottom - Project Manager Tourism & Hospitality
Phone: (08) 9285 8555
Email: msidebottom@futurenow.org.au
Website: www.futurenow.org.au
Click on the following link for further infomation on careers available in the Tourism industry: FutureNow Hospitality, Tourism & Events Careers Flyer
Career Centre
Location: City Central Building, Level 2, 166 Murray St (Mall), Perth 6000
Phone: 13 23 98
Email: career.developmentcentre@det.wa.edu.au
Website: www.trainingwa.wa.gov.au/careercentre
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nationally recognised training
Nationally recognised training in tourism comes from the Tourism, Hospitality and Events SIT07 Training Package and is the national framework for skills development including nationally recognised units of competency and qualifications to train and assess individuals in a range of skills and occupations in tourism, hospitality and events.
Tourism, hospitality and events are in fact three separate industries but have such close links that they are often thought of and presented as one. The interrelationship exists because of the integrated products and services they produce, the close business-to-business relationships that exist across all three industries, the common customers they service and the sales and service staff employed, who often cross industries during their career. Many skills are common across these three service industries and this Training Package provides for both specialist and generic skills development.
Tourism qualifications include:
SIT10107 Certificate I in Tourism (Australian Indigenous Culture)
SIT20107 Certificate II in Tourism
SIT30107 Certificate III in Tourism
SIT30207 Certificate III in Tourism (Retail Travel Sales)
SIT30307 Certificate III in Tourism (Tour Wholesaling)
SIT30407 Certificate III in Tourism (Visitor Information Services)
SIT30507 Certificate III in Tourism (Guiding)
SIT40107 Certificate IV in Tourism (Guiding)
SIT40207 Certificate IV in Tourism
SIT50107 Diploma of Tourism
SIT60107 Advanced Diploma of Tourism
Click here for an overview of the Vocational Education and Training: Tourism, Hospitality and Events Training Package (SIT07) from Service Skills Australia, the National Industry Skills Council responsible for the Tourism, Hospitality and Events Training Package.
Click here for more information about this Vocational Education and Training Package via the National Training Information Service (NTIS) website.
apprenticeships & traineeships
Tourism Apprenticeships available in Western Australia
Currently there are no Tourism trade apprenticeships being offered in Western Australia.
Tourism Traineeships available in Western Australia
Certificate III International Retail Travel Sales - Tourism (Retail Travel Sales)
Certificate II Tourism (Attractions and Theme Parks) - Tourism
Certificate II Tourism (Guiding) - Tourism (Guiding)
Certificate III Tourism (Guiding) - Tourism (Guiding)
Certificate IV Tourism (Guiding) - Tourism (Guiding)
Certificate II Tourism (Sales/Office Operations) - Tourism
Certificate III Tourism (Visitor Information Services) - Tourism (Visitor Information Services)
Certificate II Caravan Park Operations - Caravan Park Operations
Certificate III Caravan Park Operations - Caravan Park Operations
About Apprenticeships and Traineeships
Apprenticeships and traineeships combine practical experience at work with structured training. As an apprentice or trainee, you enter into a formal training contract with an employer that leads to a nationally recognised qualification.
Apprentices and trainees spend most of the time in paid employment, learning practical skills on the job and putting them into practice. The rest of the time is spent in structured training at a registered training organisation like a TAFEWA college, or in the workplace.
People of all ages can undertake apprenticeships and traineeships. Most can be undertaken on a full-time or part-time basis, and many can be started at school.
What's in it for you?
• You can earn wages while you learn.
• You can complete your training early if you show you have the skills.
• You can get a qualification that is recognised Australia wide.
• You can start training while you're in school.
Get the best of both worlds by being paid to learn on the job while doing structured training at TAFEWA or another registered training organisation. Not only will your qualification be nationally recognised, you'll also have loads of experience in the industry of your choice.
Check out the ApprentiCentre website for further details on apprenticeships and traineeships available in Western Australia (http://www.det.wa.edu.au/apprenticentre), email: apprenticentre@det.wa.edu.au or phone: 13 19 54.
higher education
Higher Education Qualifications in Tourism provided by universities in Western Australia:
Tourism Management:
Associate Degree of Tourism Management
Bachelor of Business
Bachelor of Business (Tourism Management) Honours
Bachelor of Tourism Management
Bachelor of Tourism Management Honours
Doctor of Philosophy
Master of Tourism Management by Research
Hospitality & Tourism Management:
Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Management
Bachelor of Commerce (Hospitality and Tourism Management)
Bachelor of Tourism (Hospitality and Tourism Management)
Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration (International)
Western Australian Universities:
Curtin University of Technology
University of Notre Dame Australia
University of Western Australia