Training in the tourism sector: a life adventure and a world of possibilities

At certain moments in our lives, we must make momentous decisions. One of them is choosing our university career. Perhaps it could generate a bit of anxiety since it will largely shape our future. Amidst a reality as uncertain as the one we currently live in, choosing and making the right decision becomes even more challenging and complicated.

This decision must be connected to what moves and impassions you. If you are someone who feels interested in areas like geography, history, anthropology, and languages, loves to travel, meet people, places, cultural expressions, and also has a vocation for service, choosing careers related to tourism is a great alternative for you.

In recent years, tourism has been one of the key drivers of the global and national economy, and although it is currently going through a complex period due to the emergence of the pandemic and other economic, political, and social issues, it does not imply that the number of tourists will not increase year after year and continue to generate a wide variety of professions related to this activity. Throughout human history, other crises have been overcome successfully by tourism. Undoubtedly, this sector has been distinguished by its resilience and ability to adapt to any circumstance.

Choosing to study tourism is therefore an opportunity that is more relevant than ever. It generates a broad framework of job prospects in various interesting fields of action, a range of work possibilities in territorial, cultural, social, and business areas. Along a heterogeneous and complex value chain, tourism brings together multiple community, public, and private actors. From companies such as hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, consulting firms, NGOs, guild associations, and governmental planning entities operating at a national or local scale, without losing sight that being a global sector, this profession can also be exercised both within and outside Colombian territory.

Another advantage of studying tourism is the diversity of areas in which a professional can work, allowing them to align with the skills and interests of each individual; for those who like numbers, finance, and pricing, there is a work area, for those who like to travel and discover new destinations, they can design experiences, for those who want to contribute to the conservation of cultural heritage, there is tourism planning and management, those who are inclined towards nature conservation can focus on environmental management systems or ecotourism (the latter also includes contributions to local communities), those who love cooking can develop their own businesses or manage existing ones, innovators can create ventures aligned with new tourism trends and improve the traveler’s experience. On the other hand, there are those who enjoy organizing and providing unique moments. There is also the events sector that includes academic, economic, and social events, and finally, there are airlines, cruise companies, and many others that are linked to this sector, just to name a few.

For all the reasons mentioned above, training in tourism can be a very interesting option for many people with different tastes and skills. This will allow them to develop in a sector that has always been attentive to contextual changes and has high plasticity, which will provide more options in the face of the changing situations we face today and those that will surely come, as well as the possibility of strengthening and developing new competencies comprehensively that will undoubtedly allow them to stand out among others.