Travel & Tourism Career
Go places with a great career in Travel and Tourism
New Zealand’s tourism industry is set to boom again. It’s predicted to again be our number one export earner and will grow bigger every year as visitors return and come to experience the beauty and excitement our country has to offer. That means a lot more jobs and careers for New Zealanders, and often in some of the most stunning parts of the country.
For students who enjoy helping people, meeting visitors from all over the world and who have a genuine interest in New Zealand history, Māori culture and the outdoors, a career in tourism and travel could be a fantastic choice. It offers a wide range of exciting and fun career pathways, ranging from sales, tour guides, travel agent and customer service roles, through to management, marketing and policy.
Students can begin an exciting travel and tourism journey at school, gaining skills and unit standards with ServiceIQ’s choice of training options.
Young people who have started a career in Travel and Tourism
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What to study at school
The New Zealand Certificate in Tourism (Introductory Skills) Level 2
This qualification gives students a great all-round introduction to the industry, plus the essential knowledge and skills they need before moving onto further tourism training. A compulsory section ensures they can demonstrate knowledge of tourist characteristics and needs, the business of tourism, destination New Zealand, world tourism destinations, and industry careers. The two electives cover basic literacy and numeracy skills, and specific skills relevant to New Zealand tourism, or the Cook Islands Tourism industry.
It’s the must-have qualification that prepares students for entry to the New Zealand Certificate in Tourism, that can lead to qualifications and careers in outbound travel, such as travel consultancy or wholesale travel, and inbound tourism within the New Zealand tourism industry.
Gateway Tourism
ServiceIQ offers three Gateway tourism training options: Gateway Tourism – a great way to gain insights and first-hand experience of what it’s like to work in the industry. Gateway Tourism Introductory – ideal for students who haven’t studied any tourism, travel or aviation. Gateway Tourism Advanced – designed for students who have completed the New Zealand Certificate in Tourism (Introductory Skills) in the classroom, the focus is on good communications skills and knowledge, and customer service in a tourism business.
What to do after school
Many roles in the travel and tourism industry do not require a formal qualification. Perhaps one of the best ways to get started is to apply for an entry level position and upskill and qualify on job.
Some of New Zealand’s top travel and tourism businesses, from large organisations to small operations provide on-job training to give staff the skills they need for career and business success. From retail, customer service and travel agent skills, up to supervisor and management training.
These on-job qualifications include: ServiceIQ’s New Zealand Certificate in Tourism (Visitor Experience) Level 3, ServiceIQ New Zealand Certificate in Travel – Level 4, New Zealand Certificate in Business (First Line Management) Level 4CareersNZ
You and your students can find out more about careers in travel and tourism at:
Career & Qualification Pathways
Students can find out more about our ServiceIQ career and qualification pathways.
Success stories
Read about how others are succeeding in their career of choice
Tenille McLeod
Tourism
“Visitors, especially people coming here from overseas, expect really high standards of service...”
Jessica Simpson
Tourism
“University doesn’t work for everyone, and it didn’t work for me. At the museum, it’s great to have an opportunity...”