If you live for adventure, love travelling, and get bored staying in one place for too long, then why not consider a career as a Holiday Rep?
What do Holiday Representatives do?
A Holiday Rep is responsible for helping people get maximum enjoyment out of their holiday. You’ll work in some of the most popular holiday destinations – resorts, hotels, and/or tourist hot spots – answering questions, helping people get around, and giving advice and information on places to visit.
Travelling to somewhere unfamiliar can be a daunting experience, so you’ll aim to give people a more enjoyable experience by guiding their trip and providing local insight, so that they can spend less time planning and organising and more time enjoying their trip.
Your role as a Holiday Rep will include meeting and greeting guests from airports, hosting welcome meetings to introduce guests to their surroundings as well as organising tickets, equipment, and vehicle hire. You’ll also be expected to assist any ill or injured guests and deal with any complaints.
A travel company will place you in a location abroad for several months at a time. During the summer you could be placed in a beach resort in Spain while during the winter, you may find yourself working at a ski resort in France. It’s uncommon to work abroad during Autumn and Spring so you’ll usually return home during these periods.
During your stay in each travel destination, you’ll become a knowledge base for the area (you’ll pretty much become a local), so you can act as a guide for tourists travelling with your tour operator. It’s the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in a new culture.
What skills do I need to become a Holiday Representative
The right person will:
- Be friendly and approachable.
- Enjoy travelling and experiencing new cultures.
- Be eager to learn about different countries and cultures.
- Be confident, enthusiastic, and outgoing.
- Deliver excellent customer service skills.
- Enjoy a flexible approach to work.
- Present themselves well.
What will I love about being a Holiday Representative?
- The travel opportunities – it’s the perfect chance to explore new cities and cultures.
- The social aspect; you’ll meet a lot of different people and spend a lot of time with clients in a fun, relaxed setting helping them settle into holiday life.
- Hours and shifts will vary; so you can take advantage of the flexibility.
What are the challenges of being a Holiday Representative?
- You’ll move around a lot as you’ll be jetting off to different countries for work. This can be hugely exciting, but makes life difficult or unworkable for those with significant responsibilities at home.
- You won’t have conventional work hours because you’ll spend a lot of time travelling and adjusting to different time zones.
How much will I earn as a Holiday Representative
A Holiday Rep has a typical starting salary of £500 per month, potentially rising to £800+ per month. But there is a range of added benefits, which often include:
- Free flights and accommodation to and from the travel destination you’ll be working in.
- Free food – or food at a reduced price.
- Discounted holidays.
- The chance to travel and experience the world – which is priceless!
Are there opportunities to progress?
Once you become comfortable in your role as a Holiday Rep and build up some experience, there may be opportunities to progress to a Senior Resort Rep or Resort Manager position.
How do I get started?
Feel confident? Apply for a job straight away...
If you’re interested in becoming a Holiday Rep, then great news: there are no formal entry requirements needed to secure your first role. So if you feel happy and confident diving straight in and applying for a position, then go for it.
If you’re well-travelled and already have extensive knowledge and experience of different countries and cultures, then be sure to make this clear to employers with a well-drafted cover note alongside your application. Once you’ve landed a role, you’ll receive on-the-job training to fill in any blanks – so there’s no reason why you can’t hit the apply button today.
...Or build confidence and increase employability by gaining a qualification online
A Holiday Rep Diploma will equip you with the basic skills and knowledge needed to get you your first job.
New Skills Academy offers a popular 15-hour online diploma course which teaches you all you need to know about life as a Holiday Rep. You’ll gain a good understanding of British tourism, as well as explore the role of the Holiday Rep and what it means to provide fantastic customer service.
You’ll also establish what kind of Holiday Rep you want to be and learn how to secure yourself a job at a top holiday resort. This course is CPD certified and you will receive a graduate certificate when you successfully complete the course.