You’ve accessed this page, so you are obviously interested in a career as a holiday representative!

Our aim is to provide you with all the information you will need in regards to this highly sought after position, be it through the free information on this web page or the career advice book that we sell.

So, what does the job entail?
Holiday Representatives are responsible for ensuring that the guests holidaying with their Tour Operator are looked after to an acceptable level and to generate income via the sale of excursions and other related items. They:

Carry out airport duties. These include collecting guests at the airport and transferring them to their accommodation, and the reverse where guests are returned to the airport in preparation for their flight home.
Liaise with hotel guests and staff to assist in the public relations between them and the company. This is done at welcome meetings and during visits to the accommodation. It is the representative’s responsibility to handle any complaints and deal with any problems that arise.
Sell excursions and other related products such as car hire, sun cream, phone cards etc.
Organise and take part in entertainment for the guests. This can be anything from being involved in cabaret shows to taking guests on pub/club crawls.
Complete office duties. It is here that the rep sorts, collates and analyses their paperwork, attends resort meetings and raises any relevant issues or problems.

Being a holiday representative has advantages and disadvantages which are found in few other careers. The main advantages are working in a warm climate, having the opportunity to live in a foreign country and working with guests who are there to enjoy themselves. The disadvantages are that you will be in resort for up to eight months at a time with no opportunity to return home (exceptional circumstances are usually considered), the hours of work are extremely long, you will be working over weekends and public holidays and you are not allowed to take any personal holidays.

Entry and Training
Although there are some variations between the companies, the following is a guide to what you will have to adhere to if you are to become a Holiday Representative.

Age - This can usually start from 21 years and has no definite maximum.

Education - Education standard to G.C.S.E. Level or equivalent, Higher Education certificate in ‘Leisure and Tourism’ is beneficial. Academic certificates are required for presentation at the interview. Clear diction is essential.

Work Experience - Employment in direct contact with the general public and sales experience is an advantage. Therefore, if you have ever worked in a shop, café, travel agency or bar, this is the kind of experience that the holiday companies are looking for. It is also helpful if you have handled money in any of these jobs. It is recommended that you have at least 12 months experience in any of these fields.

Training - Individual tour operators provide their own training which normally takes 2-3 weeks. Courses vary in content but cover all aspects of holiday representative duties. After training there is usually a period of on-the-job assessment under the supervision of experienced holiday representatives.

Personal Qualities
These requirements are common to all tour operators:
A genuine interest in people.
A friendly, polite and caring personality.
Common-sense, tact and calmness.
Neat, fresh and smart appearance.
Ability to work well in a team.
Clear speaking voice and good communication skills.
Plenty of energy, stamina and enthusiasm.
Willing to work unsociable hours and to spend long periods away from home.

Prospects
There is a lot of competition for holiday representative vacancies. Most companies recruit temporary staff on a season-to-season basis, although as you progress through the ranks permanent positions can be obtained. Opportunities may exist for you to move to another tour operator or into other work such as administration, training and recruitment.