Are you looking for a rewarding line of work with growth and adaptation potential? Find out how a travel services degree can help you.
Getting into the career you want all starts with getting a college degree. Selecting your course of study carefully is important because it must suit your personal personality and life goals while also providing a potential foundation for a financially lucrative career. You may want to go into a specific industry, such as event planning. Alternatively, you may want to focus on learning successful business negotiation techniques or other corporate skills. Some degrees are focused on one specific industry, but others allow plenty of room to grow into any career you desire. One that offers such flexibility is a degree in travel services.
When you get a degree in travel services or a related field, it can help you in numerous other ways. That is because travel services specialists do not utilize skills unique to one particular type of work or work environment. Instead, they learn useful, transferable life and work skills that can help them in a wide variety of situations. Here is how to get a travel services or related degree and use it as a springboard to long-term success.
What is a Degree in Travel Services?
A travel services degree is a degree that prepares students to book travel for tourists and other individuals. Students typically learn how to use various automated reservation systems, how to interact with clients, and best current industry practices as part of the degree program. A basic two-year travel services associate degree program is used as a stepping stone. It allows students to qualify for entry-level positions in a variety of fields. Those fields include:
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Corporate Travel Departments
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Airline Reservation Departments
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Travel Agencies
What Are Some Related Degrees?
A travel services degree is one of many related degrees that can help a student obtain work in the travel and tourism industry. That industry is one of the largest in the world. In 2021, there were approximately 289 million travel and tourism jobs available globally. Depending on where travel and tourism courses are taught, sometimes they are separate. Other times they are combined into in-depth study programs. Some of the related degrees travel services students often obtain are:
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General Hospitality
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Tourism Management
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Travel and Tourism Specialist
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Casino Management
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Meeting and Event Planning
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Food Services/Restaurant Management
What Are the Benefits of Getting a Degree in Travel Services?
A degree in travel services provides the foundation for multiple careers. A degree holder can opt to go into areas of travel ranging from rugged outdoor excursion tours to high-end hotel work. Other work, like booking travel arrangements or planning events, is also available. Therefore, it is one of the most versatile degrees available. Other potential benefits of getting a degree in travel services or hospitality include:
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Ability to Travel Personally
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Industry Security
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High Earnings Potential
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Public Interaction Opportunities
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Ability to Frequently Utilize Creative Skills
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Constant Exposure to New Experiences
The exact travel services and hospitality benefits graduates experience vary based on where they choose to work. However, the hospitality and travel services industry is considered one of the most desirable. Many of the positions in the industry are offered in low-stress environments. They also often come with lucrative perks. For example, some workers in high-end hotels live in those hotels for free.
What Are the Requirements to Get a Travel Services Degree?
The educational requirements to enroll in most travel services degree programs are quite basic. Many schools only require students to hold high school diplomas or GEDs. Some do not even have that requirement. Although, certain higher-level courses may have some other prerequisites.
Enrolling in a travel services degree program does not require any personality traits or personal skill sets. However, becoming successful in the industry does. Therefore, it is imperative that students who spend time taking travel services courses have personality traits that set them up for industry success. They must feel comfortable working with the public. Staying calm under pressure and having friendly or welcoming personalities is key. Students can also benefit later in their careers from learning good listening skills and being detail oriented. Those skills can help them meet the needs of travelers in any situations they encounter.
How Long Does it Take to Complete the Educational Program for a Travel Services Degree?
Each travel services degree program has a specific length. A standard associate program takes two years to complete. A bachelor's degree program is a four-year course of study. Master's and doctorate degrees are also available. However, most students enter the industry after completing either a two-year or four-year program.
Another advantage of studying travel services is it does not require in-person learning. There are many entirely online degree programs available in hospitality and travel services. Each has varying completion timelines and requirements. Some may take longer than a standard on-site program, but many are shorter. Since most online courses allow students to study at their own paces, many finish basic courses in weeks or months, rather than years.
Despite the advantages of such online learning, many students prefer some in-person training. Learning on a campus often presents more opportunities to question professors. It also provides a space in which students can gain practical on-the-spot knowledge and tips from a professor or each other. Therefore, anyone looking for a degree in travel services must decide if online or in-person learning is right for them.