Traveljobsearch.com has many exciting new travel jobs for you to browse. You can search for yourself and discover your perfect new role for 2012, or read below for some inspiration. We think these four jobs could be life-changing for the right candidates.

Cruise Consultant in the North West

If you’d like to spend your days tailor-making cruises to the Caribbean, the Mexican Riviera and South America, to name just a few potential destinations – this job could be ideal for you. It’s based in the North West, and you’ll be working with a leading, award-winning cruise operator. Recruitment agency Blue Travel Solutions says their client is looking for someone with great communication skills, good at building customer relationships, and able to learn quickly. With this company the successful candidate will enjoy a fun working environment, and ongoing training. There’s also good earning potential through a commission ladder.

For more information on this opportunity click here.

Make a fresh start as a Reservations Agent

Would you make a great Reservations Agent working with a worldwide leisure travel agent? C&M Recruitment is seeking a Reservations Agent for a worldwide leisure travel agent. The role is to be based in South West London, working from 2pm until 10pm with a good basic salary and an annual shift allowance. Experience of working from a call centre, in telesales or within a travel agency will be beneficial for this role, and customer service experience is a must. You’ll be dealing with customer queries and there is a degree of ‘upselling’ of the travel products involved.

For more information on this opportunity click here.

Out of Africa – Luxury Tour Operator

This exciting full-time role is with a luxury tour operator, specializing in once-in-a-lifetime trips to Africa for discerning high-end customers. Recruitment agency Blue Travel Solutions says their client is a worldwide tour operator offering a wide range of long-haul travel itineraries, and is looking to expand its dedicated ‘Africa Team’. The role has a salary band of £24k to £26k, and includes organising bespoke tailor-made packages to breathtaking destinations, managing the Africa content on the company website, and some product development. For this job candidates must have some knowledge of Africa as a destination, in particular Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa.

For more information on this opportunity click here.

Brighton-based Business Travel Consultants – Part Time

Looking for the right work-life balance? This job through AA Appointments is part-time and based in Brighton, East Sussex. A business travel specialist is looking to hire experienced Business Travel Consultants trained in Sabre the bookings and reservations system. The company is looking for someone with experience, drive, and great organisational skills. The right person will enjoy many benefits and a lively working environment in this thriving business travel office. The rate of pay is up to £16 per hour.

For more information on this opportunity click here.

Browse more travel jobs today. Photo: Tui Group

Recruitment experts in the travel jobs sector say that having a professional profile online – your own personal brand that potential employers will like the look of – is just as important today as attending job fairs, fact-to-face networking, and sending out CVs.

Recruiters in the travel sector are building their web presence via their own online career centres, but increasingly by using Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to reach out to people who 'like' and might join their company. Thomson Airways has a dedicated cabin crew recruitment Facebook page, and travel companies including Virgin Holidays, Thomas Cook, P&O Cruises and First Choice are all active on Twitter. Much of the social chat is customer-focused, but recruiters are increasingly using the new channels to connect with potential employees too.

“Networking has always been important but with the explosion of social media, its importance has dramatically increased,” says Nicola Deas, practice leader of career management at Right Management, a talent and career management consultancy which recently researched the subject.

Face-to-face and social networking was used by 74% of the recruiters and HR managers surveyed by Right Management in a recent survey. Of the most useful social networking sites for sourcing candidates, LinkedIn topped the list (61%) but surprisingly Facebook was cited by over half (52 %) as the second most useful site, demonstrating that social media networks and data sources are being used increasingly for professional benefit.

“It’s critical, particularly in this difficult job market, that job seekers develop the right skills and have access to the right opportunities to find employment,” says Deas. “It’s never been more important to learn how to effectively network with peers – online and offline – as well as being able to create a great online profile with compelling messages that will get noticed by employers and recruiters. It’s not enough to have just to have a good CV today.”

So here are five social media activities you might want to consider as you search for travel jobs:

1. Tidy up your Facebook page

These days HR departments like to find out as much about you as they can, by searching online. So will your Facebook profile impress of disturb? It’s well worth searching for yourself on Google and seeing what comes up – and you may need to ask friends to take down images of you or comments you sent them. Naturally everything on Facebook will be a reflection of you as an individual and future employee so make sure you remove the dodgy party photos, and any cryptic or unpleasant comments. Create your online Facebook profile very carefully and that means connecting with the right people and making comments that show you in a good light.

If you love travel and are great at customer service, these assets can come across in your Facebook member’s page if you put in some thought, and could help you land that holiday rep job you’ve been hoping will kick-start your travel career. Check your credit score and clean up those records too, as it’s quite common for an employer to run a credit score.
» Read more: Social media power: Get hired in the travel sector

Tour operator and airline Thomas Cook has been thrown a financial lifeline by its banks, which could save hundreds of head office travel jobs.

Management at Peterborough-based Thomas Cook has secured a three-year deal with around 17 banks, providing a £1.4 billion loan to the travel giant, which should lead to much-needed financial stability. The 171 year-old company was on the verge of running out of cash, which could have led to significant travel sector job losses.

Sam Weihagen, group chief executive for Thomas Cook, said: “This announcement highlights the confidence our lenders have in Thomas Cook and we are delighted they have demonstrated their ongoing support. We continue to make good progress in strengthening our financial position.”

He added that plans to sell some assets including HCV Hotels, its Indian business, and the proposed sale and leaseback of its aircraft were an important step.

“These steps will ensure Thomas Cook continues to provide customers with wonderful travel experience for years to come,” said Weinhagen.

This week Thomas Cook announced the deal with 17 lenders, including Barclays and RBS, which will come as a relief for millions of holidaymakers who were worried about their holiday bookings. Financial reports confirmed that the company ended up £890 million in debt last year.

The £1.4 billion loan, which has been expanded from a £200 million deal granted in November 2011, gives the company three years to stabilise.

A major restructuring programme is planned and a permanent new chief executive could be announced in the coming weeks.

Photo: Thomas Cook www.thomascook.com

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Over half of UK travel companies are planning to create jobs, says a new survey, reflecting a possible uplift in the travel and tourism sector. The Barclays research, part of the banking group’s annual Job Creation Survey, reveals that 57% of travel companies are planning to recruit during the next 12 months.

Of these, all planned to hire middle managers or skilled personnel, while 55% confirmed they were looking to hire unskilled personnel. A third would be recruiting senior management into travel roles they said.

When questioned about what factors would be driving this need for further travel jobs, 75% said they expected to see an uplift in sales so would need more staff. Larger companies confirmed that they would be investing more in jobs than they planned to a year ago.

Commenting on the survey results, Barclays head of travel Chris Lee said: "In the face of increased regulation and rising taxes on the travel industry, it is encouraging that the sector is looking to create new jobs in the coming year.”

Other findings in the Barclays survey include the fact that most travel company executives did not think government initiatives were so far succeeding in helping job creation. There was also little interest in hiring from the public sector – something the current Government is working hard to encourage the private sector to do. In fact 53% of travel executives questioned said they would not consider employing ex-public sector workers.

Barclays has said the latest ONS Travel and Tourism figures are also encouraging with outbound travel stronger than a year ago. However long-haul travel is likely to take longer to recover. Mike Saul, Head of Hospitality and Leisure at Barclays said there is currently a preference for short haul trips within Europe, with these visits up 2.5% on last year. “With consumers as budget-conscious as ever, long haul destinations could continue to suffer. However, it could be just the tonic for Europe as consumers seek holidays closer to home,” he said.

Browse our travel jobs today.

The World Travel Awards (WTA) will this year host its first selection ceremony in Nairobi, Kenya, and celebrate its spectacular final ceremony – the WTA Grand Final 2012 – in New Delhi, India.

The organisers of World Travel Awards say the aim is to reflect Africa and India’s continuing evolution into world-class tourism destinations. Graham E. Cooke, President and Founder, WTA, said: “The selection of our hosts is fundamental to the success of our awards programme, and Nairobi possesses all the ingredients to rise to the challenge of hosting our Africa & Indian Ocean Ceremony – a vibrant and progressive city, brimming with opportunity.”

WTA’s Africa & Indian Ocean Ceremony 2012 will take place in Nairobi on 26 September this year, attended by the region’s leading travel and tourism sector decision-makers. It will be hosted alongside the Africa Hotel Investment Forum, which is a two-day conference (25-26 September) that will showcase the hospitality investment potential of Africa’s fastest growing nations.

This first ceremony marks the culmination of a year-long search for the very best travel and tourism brands in Africa and the Indian Ocean. Organisations in contention include South African Airways, &Beyond, Air Mauritius, Le Touessrok and Soneva Fushi Resort & Spa.

WTA’s 2012 Grand Tour also heads to Dubai for the Middle East Ceremony; Turks & Caicos for the Caribbean & The Americas Ceremony; Algarve, Portugal for the Europe Ceremony; and Singapore for the Asia & Australasia Ceremony. Winners of these regional heats will then be invited to the WTA’s Grand Final. This year it is being hosted at The Oberoi, Gurgaon, New Delhi, India on 12 December 2012.

Commenting on this choice of luxury venue Cooke said: "Delhi possesses all the ingredients to rise to the challenge of hosting our Grand Final. The ceremony also aims to highlight the growing contribution of travel and tourism to the Indian economy. The number of international tourists has doubled in less than a decade, and by 2015 the industry is expected to create an additional 25 million jobs in India."

WTA Grand Finals have previously been held in Doha, London and Turks & Caicos.

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Dr Michael Frenzel, Chairman of the Executive Board at travel giant TUI, has been named the next chairman of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). Stepping up to the role on 20 April this year, Frenzel will serve a two-year term representing the prestigious travel organization.

German-born Frenzel is replacing Geoffrey Kent, founder, chairman and chief executive of luxury holiday specialist Abercrombie & Kent, who was appointed to the position in 2007.

Having been an active member of WTTC since 1999, Frenzel is expected to bring energy and considerable industry knowledge to the role. He has held the position of Chief Executive and Chairman of TUI AG, which was formerly Preussag AG, since January 1994.

He is credited with overseeing TUI’s extensive acquisition programme in the late 1990s, which resulted in the acquisitions of TUI AG’s stake in Hapag-Lloyd and of leading tourism businesses such as Thomson Travel and Nouvelles Frontières.

WTTC president David Scowsill said: “Over a 20 year period, Dr Frenzel has transformed his company from a multi-business conglomerate into Europe’s leading travel company with over 73,000 staff and revenue of €17.5 billion.

“This is an extraordinary achievement in a hugely competitive and demanding environment. His experience, perspective and knowledge of our industry will be invaluable assets to WTTC as we take our message to more people in more places in the coming years.”

Frenzel’s stewardship has ensured TUI has been repositioned to become Europe’s leading tourism group. Today the company is made up of three main businesses – London-listed TUI Travel, TUI Hotels & Resorts, and TUI Cruises.

Elsewhere in the travel industry…. Luxury hotel operator Langham Hospitality Group has appointed Simon Manning as Vice President for Sales and Marketing. Manning has 22 years experience in hotel sales and marketing, and in his new role will oversee Langham Hospitality’s 14 existing hotels across four continents, as well as 17 new hotels as they are launched over the next few years.

Fiona Jennings joins TUI’s UK & Ireland division as Director of External Communications. She will oversee the Thomson and First Choice brands. Jennings boasts 20 years experience of corporate communications having worked for Amazon, Tesco and most recently, Comet.

US-based Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has made several key hires following the retirement of three senior, long-serving leaders. Sergio Rivera has been promoted internally to the role of Co-President of Starwood Americas; Osvaldo Librizzi has been promoted to Co-President of the Americas with responsibility for Latin America; Stephen Ho has been promoted to President of Asia Pacific and Qian Jin, currently head of Starwood's operations for China, has been promoted to the title of President of Greater China.

Browse our travel jobs today.

Photo by World Travel & Tourism Council.

The Greek government has received a warning that it must invest in prompting its tourist industry or face even more economic decline as holiday makers are turning away from the country.

According to the Daily Mail, the heads of two major British travel industry bodies have written to the Greek prime minister claiming that ‘immediate action’ needs to be taken because most holiday makers are under the impression that Greece is currently a ‘war zone’.

The open letter to Lucas Papademos was signed by Mark Tanzer, chief executive of ABTA – The Travel Association, and Derek Moore of AITO (the Association of Independent Tour Operators).

In the letter they have asked him to bypass ‘normal monumental government bureaucracy’ and ‘match euro for euro’ the amount that tour operators are prepared to invest in the country this year.

The joint statement was also addressed to Evangelos Venizelos, the Finance Minister, and Pavlos Yeroulanous, the Minister of Culture and Tourism.

This plea has come during concerns that tourists are no longer viewing Greece as a safe destination for a holiday. This could lead to tour operators being left with huge numbers of unsold hotel rooms and airline seats as the summer season rolls around.

The letter states:‘Flight and accommodation capacity will be cancelled by UK tour operators because they are simply unable to sell the normal volume of holidays to Greece.

‘They [operators] will risk their own continued existence if they don’t take such difficult steps immediately.’

It also goes on to warn that Greece cannot afford to allow a huge slump in its tourist industry saying: ‘Tourism represents 18 per cent of the country’s gross national product and, as the country’s biggest export, tourism is the key sector of the economy which will be responsible for breaking the downward spiral.’

The two British travel industry bodies involved have blamed consumer uncertainty about Greece on recent headline events that have seen the country dependent on European Union bail-outs to bolster its stalling economy. They also claim that the rioting on the streets of Athens and the general unrest in Greece has also contributed to the uncertainty of holidaymakers.

‘As a result of constant negative publicity focused on Greece (which consumers see as not just Athens but the islands too), consumers in the UK are choosing alternative destinations in which to holiday in 2012,’ the letter states.

‘Such a large decline in visitors from a major market will further damage recovery of the Greek economy.

‘Action must be taken immediately to unlock funds for the promotion of Greece in the United Kingdom.

‘We ask that the normal, monumental bureaucracy which surrounds Greek governmental procedures is circumvented in this instance so that a positive promotional campaign – pointing out that Greece is safe and that it has so much to offer the holidaymaker – can commence immediately.’

Picture: Jfxie

Brazil is leading the travel and tourism economy in Latin America, with travel and tourism’s direct contribution to GDP forecast to grow at 7.8% in 2012.

Research released by David Scowsill, President and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) forecasted the increase of Brazil’s travel and tourism from its contribution of US$79bn to GDP in 2011.

This forecast is significantly ahead of other countries in the region, such as Chile and Colombia (both with growth of 4.7%) and Argentina and Peru at 3.7% and 3.6% respectively.

When the wider indirect and induced impacts are taken into account, the industry’s contribution is nearly three times greater – approximately US$213 billion. This is equivalent to 8.6% of Brazil’s total GDP.

If the growth in Brazil is achieved, it will bring an extra US$5.5 billion for the Brazilian GDP directly from Travel & Tourism and 200,000 new direct jobs in 2012.

Around 7.7 million jobs in Brazil are supported by Travel & Tourism and its wider impacts. That is nearly 8% of all employment in the country. And while international tourism is doing well – visitor exports reached US$7billion in 2011 – domestic business is really driving growth. Domestic tourism spend grew by 6.5% in 2011 to US$130 billion.

David Scowsill, President & CEO of WTTC, said: “Brazil’s Travel & Tourism industry is set for a great few years and I’m certain that Brazil agreeing to a number of open skies agreements have contributed to the positive growth figures.

“However, Brazil has a few hurdles to overcome with two major sport events coming up. In order for these events to be successful, present inadequate infrastructure must be improved. Airports currently operate at overcapacity; an inadequate port infrastructure and the lack of hotel rooms in major cities represent the main concerns for Brazil’s travel & tourism industry in the long run-up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. Although, the government has already started some construction work, they will need to make sure they adhere to deadlines and timetables.”

WTTC’s research also shows that prospects for the Latin American region in 2012 are very respectable. Latin America will be one of the fastest growing regions in 2012 in terms of travel & tourism’s contribution to GDP – at 6.5%, behind only South Asia and Northeast Asia at 6.7%.

Driving this growth is a 5.2% increase in capital investment in travel & tourism – the highest growth outside Asia – and 6.1% growth in visitor exports.

However, the region will have to work hard to maintain this level of growth in the long term as current forecasts show that the region’s 10-year prospects are well behind other regions, with travel & tourism’s contribution to GDP forecast to grow by 4.5%.

Photo: Cyro Silva

The Prime Minister has forecast a massive boost for tourism in the Westcountry and has urged the region to “get behind” the upcoming London Olympics.

According to Thisisplymouth.co.uk, David Cameron has said that there is no better time to showcase the special South West in the weeks before the Games begin.

These comments came as the exact route that the Olympic torch will take through the region was announced yesterday.

Cameron also went on to say that he has enjoyed the surf in North Cornwall all of his life and also paid tribute to the region’s striking coastline, stunning beaches and picturesque villages.

His statement read: "Perhaps where the South West stands to gain most from this year, is from the huge potential 2012 has to boost tourism.

"This year, with the eyes of the world on Britain, and athletes and media from around the globe coming to the UK, there really is no better time to shout about all these things and more – everything that makes the South West unique and so special."

This month as also seen the introduction of the Holidays at Home advertising campaign which aims to encourage "staycations" off the back of the Olympics and the Queen's Jubilee, though the West was absent from the TV advert.

Within weeks of becoming the Prime Minister, Cameron stated that the UK should “up our game” so that 50% of what the British spend on holidays is spent domestically. The current figure is 36%.

As the economy is remaining pretty flat, the latest figures have shown that the number of visitors to the region, as well as their expenditure is pretty sluggish.

Cameron says the Olympic torch's first British stop will be at Land's End, adding: "I hope the region will take a lead not just in welcoming the torch, but also in getting behind the Games and making sure 2012 is not just a great year for Britain, but a great year for the South West too."

Station officer of Land's End Coastguard Rescue Team, Dave Jackson, said it was a "great honour" to be one of those chosen to carry the torch, after 40 years' service that has seen him lead in incidents including the tragic loss of the Union Star and the Penlee lifeboat.

The torch will pass through 154 cities, towns and villages across the South West on its journey to London. After departing Land's End at 7am on May 19, it will be carried through Cornwall and into Plymouth, continuing the following day to Torbay and Exeter, then on to North Devon and Somerset on May 21.

Travel and tourism is set for a milestone year as the industry’s direct contribution to the global economy is expected to pass $2 trillion in GDP and 100m jobs.

According to research by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the global travel and tourism industry will grow by 2.8% in 2012 – marginally faster than the global rate of economic growth, predicted to be 2.5%.

This rate of growth means that travel & tourism industry is expected to directly contribute $2 trillion to the global economy and sustain some 100.3 million jobs.

When the wider economic impacts of the industry are taken into account, travel & tourism is forecast to contribute some $6.5 trillion to the global economy and generate 260 million jobs – or 1 in 12 of all jobs on the planet.

David Scowsill, President & CEO of WTTC, said: “In 2012, when international travellers are expected to surpass one billion for the first time, the industry will pass two other major milestones: a direct contribution of $2 trillion to the world economy and 100 million jobs. But these numbers are dwarfed by the total forecast contribution of our industry – $6.5 trillion to the global economy and 260 million jobs.”

Over the medium-term, the prospects of the industry are even more positive with average annual growth expected to be 4% through to 2022 by which time travel & tourism will employ 328 million people – or 1 in 10 of all jobs on the planet.

David Scowsill continued: “It is clear that the travel & tourism industry is going to be a significant driver of global growth and employment for the next decade. Our industry is responsible for creating jobs, pulling people out of poverty, and broadening horizons. It is one of the world’s great industries."

Photo: Kansasphoto