What you can do with your tourism skills

A tourist boat sails through Doubtful Sound, New Zealand

Your tourism skills can be transferred to other jobs and industries. Here’s how.

Tourism workers have great customer service skills, cultural awareness and high levels of professionalism. If you've been working as a travel agent, tour guide, hotel worker or customer service representative, find out how you can transfer those skills to other career options. 

What skills are learned in tourism jobs?

Tourism workers often operate in fast-paced environments where they provide quality service to both domestic and international customers. The wide range of skills gained in the tourism industry include:

  • a strong work ethic
  • being able to relate to people from different cultures and backgrounds
  • high attention to detail
  • planning, organisation and time management
  • public speaking
  • sales and customer service experience
  • the ability to maintain professionalism at all times.

What other jobs can these skills be used for?

The skills listed above are called transferable skills – the skills and abilities you have developed throughout different life experiences that can be transferred from one job to another. The transferable skills gained by working in tourism can be applied to a range of other jobs, including:

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Consider a career change

This might be a time to consider other career options.

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Updated 21 Nov 2023