Training for the UK tour operating industry: advancing current practice

At a time when important changes are being initiated in the provision of training courses for employees in the UK tourism industry, responses in questionnaires and interviews from leading tour operators concerning the value of current syllabuses offered by the various academic bodies would suggest that, whereas externally set schemes of study have many merits, they tend to be of a generalized nature and are not always relevant to the context of specific tour operations. Accordingly, it is contended that in-house training is likely to be more beneficial in meeting the needs of employers and recommendations are made with respect to important principles which, it is argued, should guide the construction of any such programme.