Ground Operations Manager Tour Agent

This professional is in charge of negotiating, planning, organising and coordinating all tourist and leisure activities for a cruise ship company in the various voyage stop-overs. His/her work requires excellent negotiation and response skills, given that he/she has to plan services and activities which are unlikely to be confirmed until the day these are executed, up to one year in advance.

• Negotiates annually with the cruise ship companies on the number and type of activities to be carried out during the next touristic season.
• Together with the client, he or she defines the needs to be covered. Specifies the ports where the cruise ships should dock, the cities and towns they will visit, the type of passenger and other specific requirements.
• Prepares a budget specifying all the necessary items, as well as the optional and complementary services.
• Negotiates with the client on the budget for each service.
• Prepares the promotional material of the services that passengers can obtain when they arrive at the port - Guides, transport, ticket purchase, catering services and specific menus, etc.
• Specifies the reservations made with the Tour Manager, who is the cruise ship employee responsible for selling the activities of the passengers off the boat.
• Manage reservations with the professional subcontracted teams.
• Responsible for the operational management of the cruise ship.
• Provides personalized assistance during the duration of the cruise ship's stay at each of the ports where it docks.
• Evaluates the service provided in order to check the degree of customer satisfaction.
• Does the necessary tasks to complete the services with the Tour Manager in each of the towns visited.
• Responsible for the financial management of the budget.
• Assesses and reports on economic and management performance.
• Evaluates the profitability of the visits in order to advise the cruise ship company on future programming.

Regulated training and graduates

• Professionalism Certificate: Local tourism promotion and visitor information (Level 3)
• Certificat de Professionalitat de la Família Hoteleria i Turisme: Venda de productes i serveis turístics (Nivell 3)
• Certificat de Professionalitat de la Família Hoteleria i Turisme: Creació i gestió de viatjes combinats i esdeveniments (Nivell 3)
• Professional Training Course(s) in the field of Hotel Management and Tourism - Advanced Level: Guide, information and tourist assistance
• Professional Training Course(s) in the field of Hotel Management and Tourism - Advanced Level: Travel Agencies and event management
• Grau: Economia i gestió
• Grau: Publicitat i relacions públiques
• Grau: Direcció hotelera
• Grau: Gestió d'empreses en comerç i distribució
• Grau: Gestió hotelera i turística
• Grau: Màrqueting i direcció comercial
• Grau: Publicitat, màrqueting i relacions públiques
• Grau: Turisme
• Grau: Turisme i oci
• Grau: Logística i negocis marítims

Other specific skills

Advanced level of English.
Office automation. Proficiency in spreadsheets and databases. The Internet.

Communication: Level 2

Flexibility and change management: Level 2

Customer orientation: Level 3

Planning and organisation: Level 2

Initiative: Level 2

Negotiation: Level 2

Customer service

Direct and personal interaction with people and relating to the public are highly-motivating activities for individuals who have an interest in the field of customer service. A focus on people and on satisfying customers' needs is key in the occupations included in this field. These jobs entail the need to know suitable techniques for attending to the public and being able to give appropriate service that is tailored to their needs and expectations. Good examples are activities which offer assistance and guidance during functions, trips or at facilities, and those which provide advice in relation to products and services.

Communication

Those who show a preference for the field of communication are interested in the generation and dissemination of information. This information, however, can have various purposes: provide information on events and occurrences, generate public opinion on a certain topic or promote and publicise a service or product. Carrying out these activities requires knowledge of various techniques aimed at communication, persuasion and marketing.

Management

The organisation, administration and control of a company or entity are the main interests of people related to the management field. Activities included in this field of interest vary from effective resource management, feasibility analyses and solving business problems to the development of skills and fostering of motivation in relation to human resources. Knowledge regarding specific techniques of strategic administration and business management are required to carry out these activities.

Cruise ship service technician

Director of communication

Event organiser

Yacht Agent

Front Office Manager

• Work hours

  Working day. Schedules tend to be highly flexible.

• Salary

  Fixed plus variable, according to objectives: between 21,000 and 26,000 Euros per annum, gross

• Other features

  Requires business skills, the ability to work long hours and physical resilience. The entrepreneur has to take on and manage a company with a high level of financial risk.

• Professional category

  Technician

• Human resources and equipment

  The average cost of a personal computer and a phone line shouldn't be more than 1500 euros. In the event that administrative support staff is also required, this will depend on the type of contract and number of hours worked.