A Guide to Tourism Careers, Education and Training in the Caribbean Compiled by: Shirlene A. Nibbs, Antigua, W.I. Nibbs & Associates, with assistance from Bonita Morgan, Director of Human Resources, CTO Edited by: Bonita Morgan Director of Human Resources, CTO Published by: Caribbean Tourism Organization 2nd Floor, Sir Frank Walcott Building Culloden Farm Complex, St Michael Barbados, West Indies Phone: (246) 427-5242 Fax:(246) 429-3065 E-mail address: [email protected] Website address:http//www.caribtourism.com Designed & Produced by: Devin Griffith #195 Frere Pilgrim, Christ Church, Barbados Tel: 437-4030 E-mail address: [email protected] Printed by: Caribbean Graphics, Wildey, St. Michael, Barbados Tel: (246)-431-4300 Fax: (246)-429-5425 Date: April 1999 AA Guide to Tourism Careers, Education and Training inin thethe CaribbeanCaribbean 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ........................................................................................................... 4 PART I: AN OVERVIEW OF CARIBBEAN TOURISM .................................... 5 The International Scene .................................................................. 6 The Caribbean .................................................................................. 6 One of the Premier Warm Weather Destinations .......................... 10 Strong Growth in Other Markets .................................................... 11 Geographic, Cultural and Ethnic Diversity .................................... 12 ‘Know Your Region’ Quick Quiz ................................................... 13 PART II: GETTING TO KNOW THE INDUSTRY ........................................ 15 Definition of Tourism ...................................................................... 16 The Eight Sectors of Tourism ......................................................... 18 A Breakdown of the Eight Sectors in Tourism .............................. 21 PART III: WHY CHOOSE A CAREER IN TOURISM? ..................................... 29 Is this the right career for me? - Questionnaire .............................. 31 Why Choose a Career in Tourism? ............................................... 32 The Career Planning Guide ........................................................... 35 Values ............................................................................................... 36 Nine steps to knowing what work is right for you ........................ 37 Learn as much about yourself as possible ................................... 38 PART IV: THE STEPS TO SUCCESS ............................................................... 39 Operational (Front-Line) Employees ............................................. 41 Supervisory Personnel ................................................................... 42 Management .................................................................................... 43 Senior Executive ............................................................................ 44 Occupational Standards and Certification ...................................... 45 Sample Occupational Standards .................................................... 48 Cross-Training and Multi-Skilling ................................................... 52 Cross-Cultural Training .................................................................. 53 2 A Guide to Tourism Careers, Education and Training in the Caribbean PART V: JOBS AVAILABLE IN THE EIGHT SECTORS OF TOURISM ......... 55 Summary of Jobs in the Eight Sectors .......................................... 56 Career Opportunities - Advertisements .......................................... 60 Sample Job Descriptions in the Eight Tourism Sectors ................ 62 1. Accommodation ..................................................................... 63 2. Food and Beverage ................................................................. 83 3. Adventure Tourism and Recreation ..................................... 103 4. Transportation ...................................................................... 118 5. Attractions ............................................................................. 133 6. Travel Trade ........................................................................... 142 7. Events and Conferences ......................................................... 153 8. Tourism Services .................................................................. 166 PART VI: EDUCATION AND TRAINING .................................................... 185 Student Considerations ................................................................ 186 Caribbean Tertiary Institutions Offering Tourism and Hospitality Training .................................................. 190 PART VII: INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS .................................................... 211 Ministries of Tourism ....................................................................... 212 Boards of Tourism ....................................................................... 215 Other Organizations and Industry - Related Associations.......... 218 PART VIII: BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................ 219 ABOUT THE CARIBBEAN TOURISM ORGANIZATION ...................................... 221 OUR THANKS .......................................................................................................... 222 AA Guide to Tourism Careers, Education and Training inin thethe CaribbeanCaribbean 33 PREFACE There is increasing, widespread recognition of the importance of the tourism/ hospitality sector in terms of its contribution to the Caribbean economies, the number of people it employs and the growth prospects for the rest of the 1990s and beyond. Within and outside the region there are growing education and training opportunities to encourage people of all ages to work in this dynamic sector, and to enhance their skills as their careers progress. In spite of these opportunities available there are a vast majority of persons who still consider working in this sector as a second-best career choice, to be explored with considerable reservation, if all other prospects seem dismal. It is clear that a communication and information gap remain, and that people, especially those who are about to make a career choice, have very few places to look for updated, relevant information related to career opportunities in the tourism/hospitality sector. This Manual has been compiled with a view to providing a comprehensive reference document on traditional and non-traditional careers in tourism and where education/training can be obtained within the region. It is intended to whet the appetites of the high achievers to seriously consider what contribution they can make to this important sector and to provide career and guidance counselors, among others, with first-hand, accurate information about the sector. Our sincere thanks to the Organization of American States, the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, Barbados and the European Union Caribbean Regional Tourism Sector Programme, for their support in making this project a reality and we look forward to helping to develop a better understanding and appreciation of the tourism/ hospitality sector through projects of this nature. Read with care! Jean S. Holder Secretary General, Caribbean Tourism Organization 4 A Guide to Tourism Careers, Education and Training in the Caribbean PART I AN OVERVIEW OF CARIBBEAN TOURISM The International Scene The Caribbean One of the Premier Warm Weather Destinations Strong Growth in Other Markets Geographic, Cultural and Ethnic Diversity “Know Your Region” Quick Quiz AA Guide to Tourism Careers, Education and Training inin thethe CaribbeanCaribbean 55 PART I AN OVERVIEW OF CARIBBEAN TOURISM • The International Scene According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), international tourist arrivals have grown from 69 million in 1960 to 160 million in 1970, and to 612 million in 1997. International tourist travel has grown steadily over the years, except for short periods of slow growth associated with the Oil Crisis during the early 1980s and the Gulf War in the early 1990s. Between 1987 and 1997, world international tourist arrivals increased by 66.8 percent, or by an average of 5.2 percent annually. Over this same period, the receipts from international tourism grew by 140 percent, from US$176.3 billion to US$423.8 billion, or at an average growth rate of 9.2 percent per annum. The Caribbean The Caribbean, as defined by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), covers 33 destinations in the region, constituting a very large tourism destination. These countries are Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe/St. Barts/St. Martin, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico’s Caribbean resorts (Cancún and Cozumel), Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands, and Venezuela. Tourist (stay over) arrivals in the Caribbean have grown by 75.8 percent over the past decade (between 1987 and 1997), or at an average annual rate of 5.8 percent which has been somewhat faster than the growth in international tourist movements worldwide. Over this period, the average annual growth rates for tourist arrivals from the major markets were as follows: United States 4.5