Leading the travel pack

According to Euromonitor International, the total number of outbound travellers is set to reach 16.3 million in 2011. Tour operators are preparing to take advantage of this boom in the travel market that has resulted in more job opportunities than ever in the industry. For those with a knack to understand a locale beyond the obvious, a career as a travel tour guide could well be the ideal way to turn one's passion into a fruitful career.
WORK PROFILE
Travellers look forward to hearing some anecdotes and trivia about a destination, which adds to the mood while travelling on one's own. This is where the role of a tour manager comes into play. Ensuring the safety of the group and keeping them together are the foremost priorities of a tour manager. Madhav Sai, COO, Leisure and Outbound, Thomas Cook India, shares, "A tour manager's job is to be a friend, philosopher and guide to the group. The tour manager's duty is to ensure that all that is promised is delivered. Other than this, he has to be an entertainer to give his clients the feel of a holiday."
Tour guides have to make the tourist spots aesthetically alluring, be it the ruins of an old city from another era like Rome or the imposing landscape of the Alps. He has to uphold the legacy of the place being visited and also talk of social customs, even local superstitions, as tourists are usually full of curiosity, especially first-timers .
The life of a tour manager is perceived to be of 'a person who is living out of a suitcase,' but the real scenario is actually different. "A tour manager can choose to work in phases and keep himself engaged in back end work when he is not on a tour," clarifies Shreemoyee Mitra Maity, a tour coordinator with Club 7, Kolkata.
TRAVEL PATH
While there are limited options for formal training, the good news is that tour guides get most of their training on-the-job , as most travel agencies train their tour operators at least for two months before sending them on solo trips. The finer tricks of the trade are learnt by assisting senior tour managers, observing them while they manoeuvre and make the trip exciting for travellers. "A professional course in tour management helps an aspirant to understand the nuances of the job and also get a real-life experience before the student begins his journey as a tour manager," says Shiraz Ahmed Ansari, Centre head,
Kuoni Academy of Hyderabad,
offering specialised training to be a tour manager. Tour guide training courses are also conducted by tourism offices of the government of India, and are held in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. To be eligible for this course you need to have a graduate degree from any stream. At the end of the course a license is given to students. Admission preference is given to applicants who are welltravelled . Knowledge of foreign language also helps in securing an admission.
BORN TRAVELLER
An undying passion for travelling and the ability to think on your feet are some of the prerequisites of this career. A good sense of humour can liven the gathering when the commentary gets monotonous. This helps the tour manager in keeping the sightseers perked up without being overbearing. Here, a trained voice acts as an asset. "It is very important that a tour manager enjoys his job because it shows in his work. A tour manager travels with the group for seven to 18 days. Every time he interacts with the group is a 'moment of truth' as the group can immediately make out if the tour manager is performing out of necessity or walking that extra mile to make their tour a memorable one," shares Madhav. Good interpersonal skills, excellent memory and crisis management skills are some of the personality traits that help a tour manager make a mark in the industry.
GROWTH PROSPECTS
Most tour managers are on contract and get paid on the number of tours they conduct. Other than group travel there are also FIT, meetings, incentives, conferences and expositions that take place, making sure that there is ample work for the entire year. While there is no fixed salary, an entrant in the industry can expect a salary of four to six lakh per-annum . Many tour managers, after several years of experience, also turn into entrepreneurs, adding a diverse dimension to their career." "I started my own travel agency as I wanted to offer travellers the experience of niche vacations and that is where my years as a tour manager helped," shares Manisha Phatak, director, Travel and You holidays which specialises in customised vacations.
The India Shining factor with an increasing number of Indians with bigger disposable incomes has contributed towards the growth of the travel industry. "Looking at the growth in tourism and the upward trend of outbound travel from India, the prospect of growth for tour managers is excellent," reasons Madhav who also shared that Thomas Cook has recruited a hundred tour managers in the last two years. An opportunity to see the world without spending a penny, a chance to meet people and interact, and individual growth are the other incentives which makes a career in this field worth it.