A LOT has been said
recently about the travel
industry’s ability to attract
and nurture young, motivated
staff.
Asata is working on its Young
Professionals in Travel (YPT)
programme for Asata members
and employees under the age
of 40, which will be launched
at the Asata Conference this
month. YPT will focus on skills
development in the travel
industry through curriculum
and mentorship initiatives,
helping young consultants grow
a career in the industry.
Travelport has joined with
the Global Travel and Tourism
Partnership (GTTP) in Southern
Africa, to launch training
sessions to develop teachers
in the field of technology in the
travel and tourism industry.
GTTP and Travelport in
Southern Africa have launched
the pilot for ‘Technology used
by the global travel industry
and travel professionals’ with
a two-day ‘Train the Teacher’
course in Cape Town and
Johannesburg. “We offer this
online training programme for
the teachers of South Africa,
who will educate and engage
their learners,” said Elsabé
Engelbrecht, director of GTTP
South Africa. “The debate
and interaction that will follow
is set to create a superb
foundation to expose the group
to the trade and the significant
employment opportunities
within the sector.”
The government is also doing
its bit. In December President
Zuma signed the Employment
Tax Incentive Act, an initiative
designed to complement
Government’s measures to
create jobs for young workers
and those in special economic
zones. The Act gives a tax
incentive to private employers
of these workers, with
government sharing the costs
of such employment for a
maximum of two years.
With both government
and trade associations
taking steps to promote the
employment of young travel
consultants, the focus is now
shifting towards retail travel
agencies and consortiums and
their part in helping recruit and
develop young talent.
The older generation of
consultants often don’t have
the time to adequately train
young recruits. Genevieve
Oosthuizen, travel lecturer at
Boston College, says: “Sadly
the interest in exposing
students and giving them
a chance to experience it
for themselves is limited
and operators are not
always enthusiastic about
participating in initiatives to
educate.”
Fiona Liebenberg, director at
Big Ambitions, says colleges
would benefit from regular
travel agency guest speakers
who “keep it real”. She says,
even in the workplace, very
few travel companies have an
effective sales management
system to coach, mentor,
and train young consultants
in the job. “Juniors need
constant support, recognition
and encouragement in their
first year.”
Gwen Harmsen, head of the
department at TVET College
(previously known as FET) in
Cape Town, agrees, saying
it is imperative that the roleplayers
and training providers
in the industry join hands to
make the current travel training
relevant and goal-orientated.
“The industry must own the
role of training and support
various training initiatives, both
financially via the skills funds
as well as through coaching
and mentoring initiatives. The
industry plays a vital role in
exposing students or recruits
to real-life scenarios.”
Gwen says the travel industry
should market the positive
aspects more visibly in the
media. The industry should
hold marketing drives with
fun travel activities and guest
speakers at schools, she says.
Jacqui McKnight, Asata’s
programme manager, agrees
that more needs to be done
to change the perception
that being a travel agent is
merely a ‘job’ and to convince
Generation Y that travel is
a great career choice, a
profession of which they can
be proud. Travel opportunities
are important, as younger
travel consultants need firsthand
experience, she adds.
Jacqui says young travel
consultants are leaving for
better pay in other industries,
when they are faced with
the reality that not everyone
gets the opportunity to
travel. “Young recruits don’t
realise the long hours and
complexities of being a
professional travel adviser and
the serious consequences if
errors are made with a client’s
booking. It is a pressurised
and competitive business.”
Travel consultant from
Seekers Travel, Ayanda
Khumalo, says travel
consultants are more confident
to sell a hotel or a country
when they’ve visited it. “Most
travellers can pick up when a
consultant is selling a place to
which they have never been.
This results in poor customer
service. Travel agents should
give their young employees
the opportunity to travel.”
She adds that consultants
are motivated to stay with a
company that will allow them
to travel and expand their
knowledge.
