Diploma of Travel and Tourism Management

The Diploma of Travel and Tourism Management is a one-year qualification for people who want to work in the travel industry, in a travel agency, a tour operation, a visitor information centre, an airline or a hotel's front office. You learn how the industry actually runs: how to sell travel products and destinations, how to plan and cost itineraries, how to manage a tourism business's finances and staff, and how to deal with the customers and clients who walk through the door every day.

TAFE NSW delivers this diploma through its higher education arm, so you are studying with an institution that has been training people for trades and service industries for generations. The course is made up of units of study, each worth credit points, and you complete them over one year, usually two semesters or three trimesters depending on the campus and intake. There is a work placement component, because tourism is a hands-on industry and employers want to see that you have dealt with real customers, real bookings and real problems. Assessment is a mix of practical tasks, projects and written work rather than exams alone.

What you come out with is a set of skills you can use on day one: interpreting tourism trends, preparing quotations and bookings, coordinating tours and transfers, applying health and safety and legal requirements, and using the industry's booking and reservation systems. You also learn how to supervise other staff, which matters if you are aiming for a team leader or duty manager role rather than an entry-level counter job.

This diploma suits school leavers who want a fast, practical entry into the industry, career changers who want to move into travel or hospitality, and people already working in tourism who need a formal qualification to move up. It also gives you a pathway into further study, many graduates use it as credit towards a bachelor degree in tourism, hospitality or business management. If you are an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while you study, and you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream after you finish, depending on your circumstances. Check the official CRICOS register and TAFE NSW's course page for current fees, intakes, campus locations and English requirements, which are set separately for admission and for the Student visa.

• Travel consultant or travel agent in a retail or corporate agency
• Tour guide or tour operations coordinator
• Visitor information officer at a tourism centre or attraction
• Reservations or front office supervisor in a hotel or resort
• Airline or airport customer service agent
• Event or conference coordinator in the tourism and hospitality sector
• Tourism marketing or destination promotion assistant
• Team leader or duty manager in a travel or tourism business

These roles are found across Australia in travel agencies, tour operators, airlines, hotels, resorts, regional tourism organisations, national parks services, event companies and government tourism bodies. The diploma also provides a pathway into further study, with credit towards a bachelor degree in tourism, hospitality or business management.