Tourist Information Officer

by Staff Reporter
by Staff Reporter
If you have an interest in learning languages and have good communication skills then a career as a Tourist Information Officer could be for you.

Career Overview

Tourist Information Officers provide advice to tourists about the attractions and accommodation available in their local area.  They work in visitor information centres in popular tourist destinations throughout South Africa, where they help tourists from all over South Africa and the world.

Required School Subjects

You will need to have taken the following subjects at high school:

  • English (Home Language or First Additional Language)
  • Pure Mathematics

Recommended subjects:

  • Travel and Tourism
  • Geography

Institution and APS

The following institutions are highly recommended for tertiary studies:

  • University of Johannesburg (UJ) – APS of 26+
  • University of Pretoria (UP) – APS of 30
  • Boston City Campus and Business College – No specific APS required

Required Qualification/s

No formal qualifications are required as you can get training on the job. You will generally need to be very familiar with the local area and its attractions.  Your chances of getting into this role will be improved by getting a qualification in tourism or a related area.  You will be able to aquire a qualification from one of the abovementioned institutions:

University of Johannesburg

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism Development and Management
  • Diploma in Tourism Management

University of Pretoria

  • BSocSci Heritage and Cultural Tourism

Boston City Campus and Business College

  • Tourism certificate

Required Skills

You will need to show the following skills as a Tourist Information Officer:

  • The ability to speak multiple languages may improve your employment prospects.
  • They help clients by providing services like: booking accommodation, arranging tours and recommending restaurants and popular entertainment activities.
  • Most visitor centres also distribute brochures and sell souvenirs, so tourist information officers will also have to maintain stock levels and prepare displays.
  • Some Tourist Information Officers may also be involved in running local, national or international campaigns to promote tourism in their area.

Where you can work

Tourist Information Officers work in popular tourist destinations all over South Africa. They usually work in dedicated visitor information centres, which are run by local governments or city councils.

Working Hours

Typically, standard business hours during the week, and may also work on weekends. Tourism is a seasonal industry, so Tourist Information Officers tend to be busier during the warmer months, though this can vary depending on which area they work in.

Expected Salary

  • The average pay for someone who works in tourism in South Africa is R149 per hour.
  • On a monthly average, a Tourist Information Officer can earn around R23 840 per month.

Your salary can vary depending on which region in South Africa you are working in. For example, Cape Town jobs tend to pay higher salaries compared to Johannesburg, since it attracts more tourists.

What to expect

There are many things that you’ll like about this career, some of them include:

  • The ability to travel and meet new and interesting people.
  • Understanding that you’re helping grow your country’s economy through tourism
  • The challenge in working with people from different backgrounds, across many locations
  • The variety of the work itself

Sometimes it can get frustrating if you have a client that is over-demanding to a point where it is unpleasant – and it can be difficult to manage that. But, there’s generally lots of time to learn during in-season periods when there are many tourists.

There can be a lot of pressure to find work when it is off-season and there aren’t many tourists.

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