5 Unexpected Careers in the Travel Industry

5 Unexpected Careers in the Travel Industry While several graduates are perfectly okay with working 9 to 5 jobs, a few feel the need to travel and see the world in its full glory. These individuals have a sense of adventure, a longing to have varying experiences, and so they venture into the numerous job opportunities that the travel industry has to offer. The travel industry today is totally different from what it looked like years ago, due to the several upgrades in technology and the economy. This has facilitated the inclusion of many jobs that could not have existed some decades ago, meaning that people who want to keep a job while traveling can now choose these emerging careers. Below, some of these unconventional careers in the travel industry will be discussed. Travel Agents Travel agents help their customers ease the process of planning trips. A travel agent has to check the price of flight tickets, book hotels, and research schedules for their clients. The job description of most travel agents varies depending on the client they work for and the regions in which they’re employed. The major goal of every travel agent, however, is client satisfaction. Travel agents mainly work with individuals and plan everything pertaining to travel for their clients, with some working for agencies while others work freelance. Corporate travel agents mainly work with businesses and make travel plans for employees. While some travel agents work indoors all year round, others get to visit the destinations they promote and so they can make better recommendations to their clients. Travel agents also have several links in the industry that can facilitate discounts for their travels. Tour Guide If you’re good with people, then this might be the job for you. Tour guides enhance the experience and quality of trips for travelers by pointing out historical structures and giving a breakdown of past events that have taken place in the region. Tour guides work on foot, boats or buses while taking their clients through some of the most marvelous places on the globe. Heritage coach tour guides give archaeological and historical information on sites, adventure guides lead clients on tours that are likely to raise adrenaline levels, and nature guides help tourists enjoy animal and plant life. Some tour guides work other jobs during the year and others only on coach holidays. Auditor It’s quite surprising to many that a job in the financial sector would require frequent travel. Auditors make sure the financial statements presented by companies are true and fair so as not to mislead the public. In order for an auditor to be absolutely sure the numbers in a company’s books are accurate, they travel down to the company to verify the statements. This basically means an auditor has several companies to travel to in the course of a job. Although auditors spend several weeks at a single location where the company is based, they still get to travel to at least 5 different regions in the space of a year. This is an ideal career if you’re good with numbers and are looking for something different to do after your education. Hotel Inspectors Hotels need a hotel inspector to test the quality of food, accommodation and customer service in order to uphold its reputation. The job description involves booking several flights across the country to get to different hotels, making the most of its amenities and room service without really paying for it. You can visit multiple hotels in one destination, before jetting off to somewhere different and doing the same thing, sometimes accompanied by your friends and family. The only issue about being a hotel inspector is the differing qualities in hotels to be inspected. Some hotels could be downright horrible, which mean a couple of unpleasant days for the inspector. Travel Bloggers Travel bloggers travel a lot while documenting details about their tours and travels all you’d need is a laptop, a smartphone or a quality camera and you’re good to go. You can make money from it by choosing an aspect of your travels or goals that makes you unique, set up your blog and then build a brand, audience or following. While it’s not that easy making money from a travel blog, and you’ll certainly have to act like an entrepreneur of your own company. You will need to work hard to grow your business in order to become ‘valuable’ enough to companies for them to partner with you. This could result in sponsored posts, being offered trips to review, or setting up Ads or affiliate marketing on your site. It has been noted that travel bloggers need enough income that can sustain them for quite a while when first venturing out there. This is because of the time it takes to build the foundation needed to attract sponsors â€" it can take two years at least to grow a decent-sized following. Traveling the world is something many people would love to do but they don’t necessarily have the means to. There are certain careers in the travel industry that can take care of all expenses that come with travel while making a living, thereby killing two birds with one stone. These careers include auditing, hotel inspecting, blogging, and many more, each role incredibly different from each other, meaning that there is something for everyone in the travel industry. About the author: Ruby Clarkson is a freelance writer who specializes in career advice, startups and anything in between. Alongside this, she is passionate about seeing the world, and when she isnt writing, she can be found either planning her next trip or snuggled up with a book.