Tourism Consultant: What does he do and why?

The tourism consultant is an advisor who will not guide you in preparing your trip, but rather guide businesses in the tourism sector in order to help them develop. Let’s see together what exactly it does, how and why.

What is the role of a tourism consultant?

The tourism consultant is above all a person who advises businesses but also localities or agencies in the tourism sector. Offices, hotels, groups, and others use their services in areas such as:

• Development of products and services.
• Market analysis and trends, including changing customer behavior and needs.
• The pricing policy for services and products (travelers want to pay less).
• The growth of tourist activity.
• Analysis of the competitive environment (competition and potential partners)
• Analysis of the tourism business and its operations (revenues and costs).
• Marketing and distribution strategy

So, the role of the tourism consultant with its customers is to offer them a service that will allow them to develop with criteria such as those mentioned above. By analyzing their market, proposing changes to their business model, helping them define their positioning and more simply helping them implement their projects.

Who does he work with, and why?

The clientele of the consultant tourism is found, as with any consultant, in all sectors. Thus, he will advise tour operators, tourist offices but also hoteliers or even small towns to promote their product/destination.

Why use it?

At a time when the world is going through a crisis due to the economic crisis, everyone wants to save money. It is therefore more essential than ever for companies to adapt in order to maintain their turnover. But they need consultants who can help them develop more efficient, less expensive and more efficient management tools on the market. The tourism consultant provides this type of advice.

What are his skills?

The tourism consultant is generally a marketing expert and must be able to identify points of interest, features and opportunities for improvement of his product. He must also be able to manage questions related to customer service (customer needs, expectations)

Its action is oriented towards the long term; he does not guide his clients on how they should act within the framework of a trip or a conference for example, but rather on the strategy that he must implement over several years.

What does he do and where does he study?

The tourism consultant can be seen as a business angel: an expert who will provide advice on the basis of realistic criteria appreciated by businesses without having to manage or direct them. He must also master issues such as customer needs and the business model.

To become a tourism consultant, it is important to have developed expertise in this field and thus be able to highlight the points that must guide and direct businesses.

How to become a tourism consultant?

The role of a consultant is not easy, but it can certainly be very rewarding. To get started, you have several options:

The first option is if you have already worked in the tourism sector, whether by choice or by chance, holding a position of responsibility. The advantage is that you already have direct experience of the sector, which will allow you to quickly structure your approach. The downside is that your career may not take into account all the skills required for this consulting role.

The second option is to become an expert in the field by training at a school specializing in tourism. The advantage is that you will be trained as a consultant and your studies must include practical exercises such as business plans for example.

The third option is to first become an expert and then train as a consultant at a specialized school. The advantage here is obviously the expertise you will have acquired through experience: the more knowledge you have, the more valuable advice you will be able to provide.

Of course, school is not enough. It is essential to gain experience working in the tourism sector before embarking on this consultant role. And it can be quite demanding because you will have to advise companies where money is often tight. You will therefore need to demonstrate great perseverance and an open mind.

Before you start as a consultant, it is important to understand that you will not earn a lot of money at the start: 1,700 euros per month on average for consultants in the tourism sector. However, if you are focused and persistent, your income will improve quickly, as it highly depends on the type and number of contracts you get!

And you, did you know the job of tourism consultant?