Resort Representative

Job Description:

Resort representatives look after holidaymakers during their stay.

Job Category:
Tourism, Hospitality & Entertainment

What you will do:

In this job, you may:

  • meet groups of holiday-makers when they arrive at the airport
  • take holiday-makers by coach to their accommodation
  • hold welcome meetings
  • deal with enquiries
  • keep an information board up to date at each hotel
  • arrange, and sometimes accompany, excursions and sightseeing trips
  • organise car or equipment hire
  • be on hand to give advice and deal with emergencies

Skills:

You’ll need:

  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

As well as:

  • the ability to sell products and services
  • customer service skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • persistence and determination
  • to enjoy working with other people (teamwork skills)
  • to be flexible and open to change (adaptable)
  • administration & organisational skills
Illustration of employee looking at workspace

Entry Requirements:

To become a Resort Representative, you typically don’t need specific subjects, but a good general education and certain skills can be helpful for the role. Resort Representatives are often responsible for assisting tourists and ensuring their vacation experience runs smoothly. Here are some subjects and skills that can be advantageous:

  1. English: Strong communication skills are essential for this role. Good written and verbal communication skills will help you interact effectively with tourists and address their needs.
  2. Mathematics: Basic math skills can be useful for tasks like handling finances, managing budgets, and assisting tourists with financial matters.
  3. Geography: Having a basic understanding of geography can be helpful when providing information to tourists about the local area and its attractions.
  4. Foreign Languages: Depending on the location of the resort, knowledge of foreign languages can be a significant advantage, especially if you’re working in an international destination.

Post School

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • applying directly

College
You can do a college course like a Level 2 Diploma in Travel and Tourism, which you may find useful when looking for work.

Apprenticeship
You could start by doing an intermediate customer services practitioner or an advanced customer service specialist apprenticeship. This could be in the travel industry or other sectors.

It will give you some of the customer care skills required to do this job.

If you want to work with children on their holidays, for example organising activities, then doing a childcare apprenticeship and getting experience may also be a way into this role.

Direct Application
To apply directly for resort representative jobs, you’ll usually need:

  • to be 18 or over
  • experience of working with the public
  • school qualifications in English and maths

To work as a children’s representative you would usually be expected to have a qualification in childcare, like, in the UK, a Level 2 Certificate for Children and Young People’s Workforce.

Career tips
You may need specialist knowledge or skills for some holiday jobs, for example, as a winter sports representative you may need to be able to ski at an advanced level.

It can also help if you have a good working knowledge of one or more foreign languages.

A first aid qualification or a driving licence can be useful for some jobs.

Working Hours and Environment:

You could work in a hotel or in holiday accomodation.

You may need to wear a uniform.

Career Path & Progression:

You could become a senior resort representative or regional manager.

You could go on to work in tourist information centres, or for tourist boards or travel agencies.

You could also become a self-employed tour guide.