Top Part Time Job Ideas In The Travel & Tourism Sector

A part time job that also indulges your passion for your favourite things in life is a great goal to have. After all, if it is your passion, it won’t be something that feels like work.

So, if you’re someone who gets itchy feet or you just love the world of travel and tourism, why not think about looking for part time jobs and careers within this sector?

Working in travel and tourism has lots of responsibility. On the tourism side of things, you are the person who is perhaps going to be making someone’s dreams come true as they go off to visit their dream destination.

Any type of travel for pleasure means you will be the person making that traveller’s or tourist’s time a happy one. And this is one of the hugely rewarding parts about working in this industry.

People travel for many different reasons and, within the industry, there is a wide variety of roles that you could do. Many of these jobs are entry level for those of you who are looking to get a foothold in the industry.

If you have previous experience either within the industry or in the types of roles on offer, there are, of course, part time career opportunities in supervisory and managerial positions.

So, if you think a part time career in travel and tourism might be your thing, let’s take a look at the types of jobs you could consider.

Entry Level Jobs In The Travel & Tourism Sector

First of all, if you are new to the travel and tourism industry – or even new to the workplace – let’s take a look at some part time job ideas for those of you looking for entry level work.

Hotel Receptionist

As a hotel receptionist, you will usually be the first person guests see when they enter the hotel so you are the face of the hotel.

As well as your day to day duties of the job, depending on the hotel, you might have a uniform or your own choice of clothing. Either way, you will need to be well presented so that guests get a positive first impression of the hotel.

Duties of a hotel receptionist

Some of the duties you will be required to do as a hotel receptionist are:

Greeting guests upon arrival and assisting with check-in and check-out processes. This will involve using the hotel’s IT systems and any necessary paperwork.
Handling guest enquiries, reservations and room assignments.
Helping guests by providing information about the hotel amenities, services, and local attractions.This could be informing them of breakfast times, making reservations at the hotel restaurant and booking excursions to attractions in the area.
Responding to guest requests and resolving issues in a timely manner. Things don’t always go smoothly at hotels so you need to be able to deal with any problems professionally so that the guest’s stay is as comfortable as possible.

Travel Agent

Working as a customer service assistant for a travel agency could see you working online or with customers face to face in a high street travel agency. As a travel agent, you are the person responsible for making sure your customers get the best holiday possible for their wants and requirements.

Duties of a travel agent

As a travel agent, you will have a variety of duties to carry out in your day to day job. Some of these will be:

Assisting clients with enquiries, bookings, and travel arrangements.Customers will have lots of questions, especially if they are going to a new place that is unfamiliar to them. You will need to research places and build a good idea of which resorts and locations suit different people.
Providing information on travel options, packages, and promotions.Depending on the company you are working for, you might earn commission on the sale of any promotions that are available for customers to buy.
Processing payments and issuing tickets or vouchers using the company software and online systems.
Maintaining customer records and following up with clients as needed. Building relationships with customers means you can get repeat business with them and they will trust your destination recommendations.

Part Time Tourism Assistant

Rather than being the agent, booking travel for customers, you could work on the other side of the industry doing part time jobs actually working with the tour operators.

Duties of a tourism assistant

The duties of a tourism assistant can vary and are perhaps more hands on. Some of your day to day duties can include:

Supporting tour guides or operators with administrative tasks.
Assisting with organising and preparing for tours and excursions.
Communicating with clients, vendors and suppliers for excursions and tours such as planning itineraries and for tours and arranging the calendar for them so that everything is in place.
Providing logistical support during tours, such as coordinating transportation and activities. This can include bookmşng coaches and drivers and making sure all passengers’ needs are catered for, including any special arrangements.

Part Time Guest Relations Assistant

In some big hotels and resorts, guest relations staff are employed to make sure the needs of guests are being met. Guest relations staff are the go to people for guests who have any queries or problems during their stay at the hotel or resort.

Guest relations staff need to be well-presented and be friendly and outgoing with guests whilst also being professional at all times.

Duties of a guest relations assistant

As a guest relations assistant, some of your day to day duties will include:

Welcoming guests and assisting with luggage handling and room amenities.
Providing information on hotel facilities, locations of different amenities, hotel and resort services and local attractions.
Responding to guest enquiries and requests promptly and professionally.
Ensuring guest satisfaction by addressing concerns and resolving issues.
Showing potential future guests around the hotel and its facilities.

Reservation Sales Agent

Reservation sales agents work in hotels, for airlines and in places like car rental companies. Whilst the job title may differ between companies, your duties can be similar.

Reservation sales agent duties

As a part time reservation sales agent, some of your daily duties will involve:

Processing reservations and bookings via phone, email or online platforms.
Providing pricing, availability and promotional information to customers.
Assisting customers with modifying or cancelling reservations.
Upselling additional services or amenities to enhance customer experience.
Making sure customers have the necessary documents for the services they are trying to book. For example, valid passports for travel and a relevant driving licence for car hire.

Airport Ground Staff

If you love the buzz of the airport, we have a detailed article about all the different types of part time jobs you could do in an airport. Airport ground staff have a varied set of duties and the role can sometimes be stressful, albeit rewarding.

Flight delays and cancellations can lead to stressed and unhappy passengers and it could be your job to make sure they remain as calm as possible.

Duties of part time airport ground staff

As airport ground staff, depending on the size and type of airport you are working at, your duties could include:

Assisting passengers with check-in, baggage handling and boarding procedures.
Providing information on flight schedules, gate assignments and airport facilities.
Ensuring compliance with security and safety regulations.
Handling customer enquiries, complaints and lost luggage claims.

The part time entry-level positions mentioned above provide valuable experience and opportunities for career growth within the travel and tourism industry. If you are looking to do seasonal jobs, some of the above roles also lend themselves well to seasonal work.

Cartoon image of a lady working in the tourism industry.

Travel Writer / Blogger / Vlogger

Again, working as a travel writer or a blogger gives you the opportunity to work from home or work from other destinations.

You could work on your own blog or vlog or you might write for other travel and tourism publications. Obviously, you will need to be a bit of a wordsmith or, in the case ıf vlogging, be comfortable doing presentations in front of the camera.

Duties of a travel writer, blogger or vlogger

There is lots of competition out there when it comes to travel content creation so some of the ways you can get yourself out there, mixing it with the competition are:

Making sure you keep on top of research around destinations and current travel trends.
Writing engaging and informative articles, blogs or guides about travel experiences.As well as your writing, depending on your work situation, you will need to be able to create visuals, as well – whether photo or video.
Taking photographs and creating multimedia content to accompany written pieces. This will all be used to complement and enhance your writing. If you are writing content for a company, there might be staff who do the visuals for you. As an independent blogger, however, you will need to do your own until you can employ someone to do it for you.
Building a following on social media platforms to engage with readers and viewers. Different social media platforms work well for different age groups so you will need to tap into the most relevant platform for your audience.

Part Time Tour Guide

If you have a skill for remembering lots of facts, you love being with people and you love the idea of outdoor jobs then working as a tour guide could be the perfect role for you.

Duties of a tour guide

If you work as a tour guide, whilst you might be touring similar sites and sights on a daily basis, no two days will be the same. Some of your duties will include:

Leading guided tours of historical sites, landmarks, museums or natural attractions.
Providing commentary and information about the destination. This is where yoır memory for facts will be of prime importance. You will also need to be able to present the information in a fun and engaging way so that your tour group has a positive experience on your tour.
Ensuring the safety and comfort of tour participants and making sure any special arrangements have been made for those who have extra requirements such as access and dietary requirements.
Managing logistics such as transportation and entrance fees.

Part Time Travel And Tourism Job Ideas For Leadership Roles

If you have previous experience in the travel and tourism industry or you have transferable skills that will lend themselves well to leadership positions, let’s take a look at some of the part time careers you could consider.

Travel Consultant

As a travel consultant, you could be in a place of work but this type of part time work is also something that could be done remotely as a work from home job.

Duties of a travel consultant

As a travel consultant, you will have a range of responsibilities:

Assist clients in planning and booking travel arrangements such as flights, accommodations, and activities.
Provide advice on destinations, travel options, and travel regulations.You will need to keep yourself right up to date with visas and other regulations in place for travel to various countries and also get to know your clients’ preferences so that you can recommend the best destinations that will suit them.
Handle bookings, reservations, and payments.
Keep up to date with travel trends and developments so that clients get the best recommendations.

Hotel Manager

Being a hotel manager will differ between hotels dependşng on their size and nature. Some hotels have bars and restaurants attached to them as well as function rooms. Others might be small hotels with just a few rooms.

Duties of a hotel manager

Whilst hotels will differ, general duties of a hotel manager will include the following:

Oversee the day-to-day operations of a hotel or resort.In a larger complex, you might be in charge of a team of supervisors who look after their own areas of the hotel.
Manage staff, including hiring, training and scheduling shifts.
Ensure guest satisfaction by addressing complaints and resolving issues. You will often be the last resort for any complaints and will need to make decisions on how to resolve any issues.
Monitor and manage budgets, expenses and revenue. Again, in a larger hotel complex, you might be in charge of staff who work in a finance department for the hotel.

Tourism Event Coordinator

If you have previous experience of working in events then you might want to work as an event coordinator with focus on the travel and tourism industry.

Some of the largest expos and events in the UK are centred around this sector so there could be lots of opportunity for finding work.

An event coordinator needs to have excellent organisational and communicatiın skills so that everyone knows what is expected of them and everything runs smoothly and to schedule.

Duties of a travel & tourism event coordinator

Some of the duties involved with being a travel and tourism event coordinator inclıude:

Planning and organising tourism-related events such as festivals, conferences, trade shows and expos.
Coordinating logistics including venue selection, catering, transportation and accommodation needed for those attending.
Marketing and promoting events to attract both attendees and participants.
Managing budgets and expenses to ensure profitability.

Destination Marketing Manager

Having a passion for a particular area or destination and convincing others to like it as much as you do. Wouldn’t that be a great part time role to have?

Duties of a destination marketing manager

Develop and implement marketing strategies to promote a specific destination. How are you going to convince people to visit this place?
Collaborate with tourism organisations, businesses and local authorities so that you are all on the same page and working towards the same goal.
Create promotional materials such as brochures, advertisements, websites and social media accounts on various platforms.
Analyse market trends and visitor data to inform marketing efforts so that you know what is working and what’s not.

Airline Customer Service Representative

A job that can be both stressful and hugely rewarding. An airline customer service representative will need to be able to deal with passengers who may be angry about flight delays and cancellations.

Some passengers might be confused about where to go to board their flight when there is a change of gate.

An airline customer service representative needs to be a good people person and be able to keep people calm when they are in a stressful situation.

As with lots of other travel and tourism roles, you will need to be willing to work flexible hours for this type of job as flights are taking off 24 hours a day.

Obviously, you will also need to live relatively close to an airport to be able to do a role like this.

Duties of an airline customer service representative:

Assist passengers with booking, check-in and boarding processes.
Handle inquiries, complaints and requests related to flights and travel arrangements.
Provide information on flight schedules, delays and cancellations.
Ensure compliance with airline policies and regulations.

Resort / Holiday Park Hospitality Manager

If you live close to a holiday park or resort, working as a part time hospitality manager could be an option. As with many roles in the tourism and hospitality sector, as well as having great organisational skills, you will need to be an excellent people person.

Duties of a hospitality manager

Overseeing all aspects of guest services and accommodation, making sure they are happy with what they booked.
Manage staff training and performance.
Ensure high standards of cleanliness and maintenance in the resort or holiday park.
Handle guest complaints and ensure their satisfaction.
Deal with any health and safety issues with guests such as getting timely medical help where necessary.

These are just a few examples and there are many more career paths within the travel and tourism industry, catering to various interests and skill sets.

If you think you could do part time work in the travel and tourism industry, take a look at current part time travel roles that are available on UK Part Time Jobs. There could be a role to suit you on our site today!