It’s quite evident that there is a gap between what educational institutions teach tourism students in their undergraduate programmes and the industry’s expectations.
I am currently in my 3rd year in pursuit of a Tourism Management Diploma. I am majoring in three compulsory modules: Tourism Management, Tourism Development, and Tourism Practice.
I am also required to complete a six-month in-service training to obtain the qualification as part of the Tourism Practice module.
I was fortunate enough having found placement at a diverse tour operator in Durban. It’s a big inbound tour operator that specifically deals with selling Southern African destinations.
It’s been such a great learning experience and has given me great exposure.
But it’s scary how clueless one is when it comes to the complexity of our artistic industry. I call it ‘artistic’ because being entrusted with the responsibility of creating memories and unforgettable experiences is an art all its own.
It has been very challenging at times having to adapt to all the different web systems that are used, such as Tourplan and online booking systems. These are completely different to what we are exposed to and tested for in our examinations academically.
I believe that an in-service training should be the practical application of everything you learn in class. It’s where you should be applying the knowledge you’ve been acquiring in your studies and integrate it to practical work.
During my training, I first started working in the operations department, where I was doing all the re-confirmations of the services. I was then moved to the groups department and there I do a lot of ‘ops’ work too.
I must say it’s quite daunting to be so close to completing my diploma yet still be so blank about the ins and outs of the industry. I mean, when you complete your tertiary education, to some of us that is bread to feed our families. It’s how we market ourselves to potential employers and to some of us it’s the head start towards entrepreneurship within the industry.
I strongly believe that the educational system still has a long way to go in terms of integrating the theoretical education with the practical needs of industry to produce suitable tourism professionals. I think institutions need to focus more on taking us into the industry to experience everything first hand. This can be done through frequent educational trips, part-time work in different tourism entities and more workshops that aim to improve skills.
The fact that someone with no tourism qualification can do exactly the same job and, in some cases, do more than a graduate, should be a concern on its own.
Experience is the source of industry knowledge. We applaud all of the education initiatives such as the National Tourism Careers Expo, which aims to educate students about career opportunities existing within the industry, as well as the implementation of in-service training or internship programmes for graduates, but more could be done. We need to be equipped with practical and general transferable skills that enable us to be productive candidates within the industry.
I also think the internship programmes should be implemented in the early stages of the diploma curriculum.
Graduates should also be given a lot more in-depth knowledge of the different tourism businesses and what they offer, as opposed to just being given a broad overview. Students would benefit from a lot of practical work in terms of ticketing systems, reservations systems, knowledge of the different accommodation properties etc. This should not be a substitute for the six-month in-service training, but should enhance it.
The tourism world is a very complex, diverse, forever-changing industry affected by a lot of macro- environment-related factors. But it still manages to be one of the largest contributors to the economy. The government should be taking it more seriously and timeously investing in growing it and providing a platform to develop and enhance the competencies of students to bridge this gap. Through coalition, business and the education system can provide more opportunities for students.
