COVID-19 forced many Indians – who normally spend holidays abroad – to spend time across India. The market is ripe for entrepreneurs with a difference but popular destinations such as Goa, Kerala, Kashmir, Rajasthan, Pondicherry, etc already have many competitors vying for a piece of the pie.
As the markets open up across the world, people are back to travelling abroad and the number of patrons are more widely distributed. So how can someone fresh out of a certificate course make it in what feels like a saturated market? The easy answer is: by learning skills that are transferable to other industries.
Within tourism itself, the three most important soft skills are:
Quality service
Any company’s success today is marked by how its customers view it, and thanks to social media and the internet, it’s largely a level playing field. Customers expect quality and they expect it consistently.
This means understanding exactly what they want and how to tweak your business to offer this to them. It could look like adding a section of local vegan dishes to your restaurant menu, offering appropriate options to a tour guest with gluten allergies, setting up a child-friendly area in a hotel, etc.
Cultural awareness
By understanding guests, you will also understand their culture. Perhaps they come from more conservative countries, so you offer them activities to suit their tastes. It could also mean learning their first language to ensure ease of communication or better tours. All of this ensures that your clients are comfortable, enjoy themselves, and are more likely to return as repeat guests and / or recommend you to others.
Versatility
The hospitality and tourism industry requires a high level of flexibility. You will need to think on your feet, deal with sudden changes in plans and work under pressure. These skills will help set you apart from those who are more rigid in their working and help build a positive reputation for your business.
These are also skills that are easily transferable to jobs in other industries, so you can make an easier switch should there be another lockdown, economic recession or should you wish to change fields. Choosing a quality certificate course from a reputed institute such as Kamaxi Skills Centre will help you build on these soft skills while you attain technical qualifications.
Other soft skills you will learn as part of your certificate course that can help you succeed in a saturated market include attention to detail, professionalism, time management, communication and public speaking, sales and customer service, planning and organisation, teamwork, resilience, self-motivation, willingness to learn and a positive attitude.
With these skills, you can easily transfer to a new industry or role if you ever need to, such as a sales representative, administrative officer, personal assistant or even a real estate agent.
It’s important to understand that industries across the board value soft skills as much as they do technical skills. So attending courses at a good institute such as Kamaxi Skills Centre will ensure you develop both types of skills within the same programme.