The NSW visitor economy spans a wide range of industries that provide goods and services to visitors traveling for leisure, education, business, and employment. This includes sectors such as sport, adventure, arts and culture, education, travel and tourism services, guiding, events, hospitality, and retail. The visitor economy significantly benefits the community by creating a diverse array of job opportunities and career paths. From customer service roles to positions in marketing, finance, legal, HR, and design, the opportunities are endless in this growing industry.

The visitor economy encompasses all the elements that contribute to a successful visitor destination, including travel and tourism services, music and sporting events, hospitality, retail, guiding, adventure tours, and arts and cultural activities. Graduates with a Certificate III in Tourism can enter roles such as booking agent, visitor information officer, tour guide, accommodation receptionist, food and beverage attendant, event and exhibition coordinator, logistics assistant, meetings assistant, and venue assistant. Alternatively, graduates can pursue further studies at TAFE NSW to advance into management-level positions.

The visitor economy is a growth industry, driven by increasing domestic and global visitation numbers, offering a diverse range of job opportunities where no two days are the same. Career paths in this sector are not always linear, allowing employees to follow their passions and choose their own career adventure.

Launch your Career is a series of interactive events that connect students with industry professionals to help identify future career pathways. This program is a partnership between the Department of Education (DoE) NSW and TAFE NSW. It provides early career engagement opportunities for students from Kindergarten to Year 12 and beyond. The aim is to broaden students’ aspirations and strengthen their transition into the world of work, further education, and training.

TAFE NSW offers a wide variety of courses, ranging from Certificate II level to Bachelor’s degrees. If you’re unsure which area interests you the most, Certificate III in Tourism is a great starting point. This course covers a broad range of units, including an introduction to the tourism and travel industry, customer service, providing visitor information, sustainability, guiding, and RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol). It can be completed in 6 months (full-time) or 12 months (part-time) and is available as a face-to-face class, online, or a combination of both, depending on the campus you choose for enrolment.

You can then continue your studies with a Diploma of Travel and Tourism Management, and eventually progress to a Bachelor of Event and Tourism Management (no ATAR required).

The visitor economy courses at TAFE NSW are taught by qualified teachers with industry connections, helping students find employment during or after completing the course. Students gain the knowledge and skills needed to work in the industry through case studies, industry excursions, and online webinars.

Additional support services include:

• Disability Services: Offering learner support and accessibility services.
• Counselling Services: Providing emotional and psychological support.
• Aboriginal Support Officers: Assisting students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, encouraging them to study and work in the visitor economy as demand for Indigenous Tourism experiences grows.

Students with lived experience of accessible tourism are also encouraged to study and work in the visitor economy.

For more information, visit:

• Disability Services
• Aboriginal Students

You may be eligible for course subsidies. Smart and Skilled provides government-subsidised training and higher-level courses to help you gain skills to find a job and advance your career.

For the latest information, check here: Smart and Skilled Training