A travel director is in charge of overseeing the travel arrangements of employees of a company or of dealing with travel-related issues for tour company clients. A bachelor’s degree is usually required for someone who wants to work as a travel director. Furthermore, many companies prefer to hire travel directors who have traveled extensively because they are familiar with the challenges and difficulties that their clients may encounter.
Some universities offer degree programs in travel and tourism, and someone interested in becoming a travel director might consider enrolling in one of these programs. In other cases, companies hire people who have completed business administration or management degree programs because much of a director’s job entails contract negotiations. In addition, many travel directors supervise a team of travel administrators, so prior supervisory experience may be listed as a requirement. Some companies prefer to hire directors who have worked in the travel industry. As a result, someone who wants to be a travel director may need to work as a travel agent or a resort customer service representative first.
In-house travel directors are employed many large corporations, and these individuals are ultimately responsible for managing the company’s employees’ work-related travel activities. The director must try to negotiate lower rates with hotels, airlines, and tour operators. In most cases, the director is in charge of keeping the firm’s overall travel costs under the annual budget. As a result, someone interested in becoming a travel director may need to gain experience as a departmental manager in another department of the company.
Travel directors are often employed tourist resorts and tourism companies to manage the day-to-day operations at a specific hotel or resort. This person is responsible for ensuring that salespeople meet revenue targets maximizing cross-sell opportunities. The director must also make transportation arrangements with taxi companies, bus companies, and other companies to transport guests to and from the resort. Junior employees typically handle customer complaints and minor service issues, but serious issues are frequently referred to the travel director. As a result, someone interested in becoming a travel director should have excellent customer service skills, and many people in these positions have previously worked as managers in the hospitality or entertainment industries.
A director, like many others in the travel industry, may be required to communicate with foreign clients and business partners. As a result, someone in this position may be required to speak a second language. Some companies prefer to hire people who have completed language degrees, while others hire people who have taken short-term language classes.