Tourism is the act of people travelling to and staying in places outside of their usual environment for leisure, business or other purposes.
This usually involves people visiting different attractions around the world to experience and learn about new cultures, people and escape from their ordinary lives.
Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world and is one of the main contributors to job creation and the national economy in South Africa.
Working in this industry can be both exciting and very challenging because it requires you to be a very 'hands on' person.
The skills required to work in tourism include, communication skills, teamwork, flexibility, commercial awareness and enthusiasm.
One of the biggest draw cards of working in the tourism sector is the ability to travel and interact with people from different parts of the world. Conversely a major drawback is the long, unusual hours you will be required to work.
Career paths in the tourism sector usually overlap with those in the hospitality industry such as:
- Sightseeing
- Attractions
- Entertainment
- Accommodation
- Transportation
- Food & Hospitality
The popular careers in tourism within South Africa include:
- Travel Agent
- Tour Operator
- Tourism Administrator
- Guest Relations Officer
- Front-Desk Operator
All of these careers may require that you have a degree or completed studies in tourism which means you will have to find a higher education institution which offers programmes in this field.
The following are some institutions where you can pursue studies in tourism within South Africa:
Universities
- University of South Africa (Unisa)
- Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)
- University of Cape Town (UCT)
- University of the Western Cape (UWC)
- Nelson Mandela University (NMU)
- University of Pretoria (UP)
- University of Johannesburg (UJ)
- Central University of Technology (CUT)
- University of the Free State (UFS)
- Durban University of Technology (DUT)
- University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)
- University of Limpopo
- University of Venda
- Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)
- University of Mpumalanga (UMP)
- Vaal University of Technolofy (VUT)
- North West University (NWU)
TVET Colleges/ Academies
- False Bay TVET College
- Northlink College
- Livingstone Tourism Academy
- The Tourism & Business Institute of South Africa
- CTU Training Solutions
- SA College For Tourism
- MSC Business College
- Coastal KZN TVET College
- Nkangala TVET College
- Ehlanzeni TVET College
- Northern Cape Urban TVET College
- North West Hotel School
