Specialised travel training

The Australian School of Tourism and Hotel Management in Perth will be offering the Australian Federation of Travel Agents’ travel and tourism courses at its Wellington Street premises from February next year.

The school won the tender to provide the AFTA travel and tourism courses earlier this year, and the decision is seen as a move by the local hospitality and tourism sector towards more specialised training.

ASTHM managing director Alan Williams said it was becoming increasingly important for operators in the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors to obtain qualifications.

“It used to be that if you had two arms and two legs you could do the job and eventually ten years down the track you would become manager,” he said.

This was no longer the case, however.

Sydney-based AFTA is primarily focused on representing Australia’s travel agents and travel promotion.

CEO Mike Hatton said the association did not believe the high level of expertise needed to teach travel and tourism was available within the organisation, and so decided to retain ownership but outsource management.

The Australian College of Business, also based in Sydney, was chosen to manage the Perth AFTA college, which now shares the ASTHM premises on Wellington Street.

After ASTHM won the tender to provide the AFTA travel and tourism courses earlier this year, an agreement between ACB and ASTHM was officially signed, on March 18 2005.

Courses will commence in February 2006.

• WA Business News is researching for the next edition of the Book of Lists, to be published in January 2006. Information is currently being sought for corporate finance, town and regional planners, real estate agents and automotive dealers. For further details contact WA Business News on 9227 9544 or email bol@wabusinessnews.com.au.