MORE than 4,000 job seekers are expected to flock to Travel ’99 London, the UK’s leading travel recruitment fair which will be held in the capital next week.
Representatives from 40 travel organisations will be exhibiting at the event, many of which have dozens of vacancies to fill. These include mainstream and specialist tour operators, retail and business travel agencies and charter airlines.
Also attending the exhibition will be recruitment firms, looking to sign up job seekers, and travel training companies.
Visitor numbers are expected to be well in excess of the 3,500 who attended last year’s show as Travel ’99 is being held for the first time in conjunction with the larger recruitment fair, Opportunities ’99, organised by Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Opportunities ’99 encompasses Hospitality ’99, Retail ’99 and Sales ’99.
Travel Weekly appointments advertising manager Marcello Di Virgilio said that as all three areas had transferable skills, job seekers visiting those sectors of the fair would also visit Travel ’99.
“Hospitality, retail and sales all have migratable skills, so people working in any of those areas at the moment could also consider a career in travel,” said Di Virgilio.
At least nine travel companies will be exhibiting for the first time this year, including expanding tour operator Virgin Holidays which is hoping to fill up to 150 vacancies for summer 2000.
The operator, which also owns short-haul carrier Virgin Sun, will be handing out job applications for overseas representatives, child-care assistants, cabin crew and UK-based telesales agents.
Personnel officer Janet Rumney said the tour operator had vacancies for 60 overseas representatives, 70 cabin crew based in Newcastle, the Midlands, Gatwick and Manchester, and up to 20 telesales agents for its operation based in Crawley in West Sussex.
Lunn Poly said it will also be on the lookout for new staff, as will its in-house operator Thomson which will be hoping to find suitable candidates for positions overseas.
Specialist operator the Magic Air Travel Group said it is looking to recruit call-centre staff and overseas representatives.
travel ’99 london
Location: Olympia 2, London. Nearest tube station is Olympia.
Date: September 27 (11am-8pm) and September 28 (10am-4pm).
Participants: business and leisure travel agencies, tour operators, recruitment firms and training companies.
Expected visitor numbers: more than 4,000.
Jobs on offer: retail sales staff, tour operator reservations staff, overseas representatives, airline cabin crew and marketing and management positions.
Entry: free. No advance ticket required.