by Rachel Chan

IT MAY have been 15 years since Ms Jacqueline Zhou, 40, worked in a hotel, but she still remembers her guests very clearly.

There was a Mr Knisley who hated having people mispronounce his name ('It should be pronounced 'nicely', she said), a Mr Clive Davenport she sent off with a single red rose, and a couple she spent a week helping to search for their missing vintage jewellery.

These are just a few out of many people who had written letters to compliment her hospitality during her two-year stint as a guest services officer at a five-star hotel.

'I miss my old job very much,' she told my paper. 'I want to go back to my old job to realise my potential.'

Thanks to a Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) Certified Service Professional (CSP) course, Ms Zhou - who currently works as a freelance telemarketer - will be doing just that within a few months.

The five-day course, offered by the Tourism Management Institute of Singapore (TMIS), is a first step for those interested in joining the tourism and service industry.

Graduates of the course can further their studies by enrolling in other training programmes, or take on career opportunities in the industry.

These jobs include occupations like tour coordinator, front-desk manager and guest relations officer.

According to TMIS chief executive officer Loi Hai Poh, 52, the tourism sector is in for a big boom in the next 10 to 15 years.

'With China and India opening up, tourism and hospitality are going to be big business. The industry is poised to become a major contributor to the economy,' he said.

According to tourismcareers. sg, a Singapore Tourism Board (STB) web portal, tourism will become more vital in the coming years. The STB aims to bring in 17 million visitors, who may generate $30 billion in tourism spending by 2015.

For Mr Choo Yong Guan, 36, a full-time student with TMIS, the CSP course convinced him that taking a 60 to 80 per cent pay cut to join the tour and travel sector was a good decision.

The former chemistry teacher quit his job four months ago, and went on to pursue a WSQ Certificate in tour and travel services/attractions (dual certificate).

He is optimistic about the prospects of the tourism industry. He also looks forward to meeting 'people from all walks of life'.

The three-month course aims to prepare candidates with little or no prior experience for jobs at operational or supervisory levels in the tour and travel or attractions industry.

'I'm hoping to join a tour and travel company to coordinate corporate, education and group tours. I'm willing to join at entry level and hopefully, I will get on a fast-track career,' he added.

Mr Loi thinks that Mr Choo has the potential to go far in a growing sector, which needs talents to fill about 100,000 jobs.

'In four to five years' time, he can move across segments in the industry. He will acquaint himself with hoteliers, attractions, food and beverage vendors,' Mr Loi said.

'There are so many possibilities in store for him.'

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