Travel Professionals of Tomorrow
Published 3 February 2012
The University of Brighton and the Institute of Travel and Meetings (ITM) recently held the first “Travel Professionals of Tomorrow” conference to encourage more students to think about a career in the travel industry. More than 100 sixth form students from across Sussex and Surrey attended the event investigating the changing nature of the travel and tourism industry and the variety of careers available in this dynamic industry.
The day started with a tour of the American Express Community Stadium, home of Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club. It included a presentation from Richard Hebberd, head of operations at the stadium, on the importance of sport and tourism to the local economy and the role of the new stadium in developing the event and entertainment industry for Sussex
The tour was followed by a series of lectures on different aspects of the travel industry. Patrick Kuziw, travel manager at SOS International, explored what travellers should do if they get caught up in a disaster or conflict zone. Ian Jones, director of group sales at De Vere Group, encouraged students to join the diverse and exciting industry.
Ian Jones, director of group sales at De Vere Group and Ike Ihenacho, ITM board director and head of travel at Nokia
The speakers from Virgin Atlantic told the students to think differently and be unique. Kerry Douglas, global and multinational sales manager and Louise Lloyd, regional sales manager, outlined the growth of the airline and how it tries to differentiate from the competition. Ike Ihenacho, ITM board director and head of travel at Nokia, chaired a lively panel debate of issues raised by the students. This included how they could ensure career progression in the industry and the panellists’ views on how the industry would change in the next 10 years.
The panellists all agreed that technology and product differentiation were going to have a major impact on the future of the travel industry. They also stressed that there are always roles in this industry for those who are people-focused, know how to work hard, but most importantly enjoyed themselves.
Jack Hovell, a sixth form student at Varndean College, described the event as a “very interesting day”. He said: "There were some good facts, which were easy to listen and to understand". The event also assisted teachers in encouraging their students. Adam Webster from Imberhorne School said it was, "an excellent event that provided my students with an interesting glimpse into the travel industry".
The day was co-hosted by the University of Brighton with the ITM, reflecting the importance that the university places on making the degrees it offers both relevant to industry whilst educating the professionals of the future. The university and the TM have been in partnership in education for the past two years. The ITM accredits the university’s International Travel Management BA(Hons) degree, the only such accreditation in the country.
Simone Buckley, ITM’s CEO, said: “Bringing new talent into this industry is of the utmost importance to the ITM and we are proud of the work that we do with the University of Brighton in order to help make this happen.”
Senior lecturer, Janet Woolley, said: “It is very important for us to have strong links with local schools alongside industry organisations such as the ITM. Links with industry ensure our courses are relevant and our graduates are fully prepared for a career in the travel and tourism industry.”