More and more Italians are deciding to entrust the organisation of their holidays to tour operator able to meet their every need. Many, in fact, despite the many possibilities that the web offers, do not trust online travel bookings and that is why they feel the need for a professional figure guaranteeing that their trip runs smoothly. The tour operator, in fact, takes care of the travel planning, travel, attractions to visit, events to attend and insurance. In short, it takes care of all the steps to meet customers' needs. If you want to become a professional in an industry with great growth prospects, you can read about the 6 steps to become a tour operator.
6 steps to become a tour operator
Step 1. A university degree is not compulsory
In order to become a tour operator, a university degree is not mandatory. Obviously, however, it would be desirable to obtain one in the tourism sector so as to have a good basic knowledge and to know, at least in theory, changes, tools and perspectives.
Step 2. Cultural and linguistic knowledge
Customers have very different needs. There are those who prefer to spend their entire stay at the beach establishments enjoying the sea and sun and those who, on the other hand, would like to discover the beauty of the area. And this is precisely where the cultural knowledge of the tour operator. The latter, in fact, must know the artistic and architectural attractions so as to be able to indicate to customers which exhibitions they can attend, which monuments or palaces they can visit. The tour operator can thus organise specific itineraries that meet the customers' wishes. And he must also know the regulations or laws of the country or region in which he wants to operate. But that's not all...One of the most interesting aspects of this job is to come into contact with different customers, realities and cultures. And that is why you need know at least two foreign languages as well as a perfect knowledge of the Italian language.
Step 3. Knowledge of the tourism sector
Whether one is in a franchise or has one's own company, knowledge of the tourism sector is essential. The tour operator must have many contacts with tourist facilities, bathing establishmentsholiday villages and even information centres in cities. Having everything under control, they can organise the holiday for their customers to perfection.
Step 4. Find out which territory to specialise in
Being a tour operator for all areas of the world is almost impossible. And that is why it is necessary to understand which territories to target. There are, for example, tour operators specialising in trips to South East Asia or South America. How, then, should one choose one's area of interest? Surely we must start from what we like, from the territories that intrigue us most and for which we feel most inclined. Of course, we also need to understand how the tourism sector is changing, which destinations tourists are turning to, and then make our choice.
Step 5. Having a physical location
To be able to open your own tour operator you need a physical location, insurance to protect any third parties and also a technical director. In order to obtain the latter qualification, one must register for provincial or regional calls for applications and pass the examination, which is divided into a written and an oral part.
Step 6. Training
Among the 6 steps to become a tour operator is undoubtedly training. In Italy many schools offer masters or courses that prepare for the creation of travel packages by deepening the geographical and cultural knowledge of the future tour operator. A very important phase of training is certainly the in-company internship which allows you to show in the field what you have learnt in the classroom.
So here are the 6 steps to becoming a tour operator. If you want to become an industry specialist, discover the master's degree for tour operators of theEuropean Tourism Institute.
English 
Italian 
Spanish