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Travel Industry ProgramWelcome to Vista Community College’s Travel Industry Program. Travel is an umbrella industry which encompasses airlines, hotels, tour operators, travel agencies, cruise lines, adventure companies, receptive operators, convention bureaus and more.
In today’s quickly changing travel environment, it is no longer practical simply to learn airline computer and reservation skills. Many travelers today book their own air reservations via the Internet and many travel agents who have minimum skills as reservationists only may find themselves in a dead-end career.
Vista’s program is designed to train you to for employment in the travel industry as a whole, not just as a travel agent. Today’s successful employees need a thorough grounding in special skills courses, including travel product knowledge and customer service. Also important are related fields such as sales, marketing, group tour design, and familiarity with ships and cruise lines.
Career Possibilities
Careers include
Tour operator
Cruise consultant
Adventure tour operator
Tour leader
Leisure/vacation counselor
Home-based/independent contractor
Inbound operator
Corporate travel agent
Convention/meeting planner
And others
A few of our graduates gather before receiving their Certificates always an exciting time
Travel Certificates Offered
At Vista. you can choose from six certificate specialties, ranging from six units to 25 units, depending on your particular career goals. They include a Basic Certificate of Achievement (14 units) which prepares you quickly for an entry level position and the higher level Professional Certificate of Completion (25 units) requiring two semesters if you start in fall. We also offer an Adventure Travel Certificate (18 units) and three specialty certificates of six units each: Air Travel, Group Travel, and Cruises. For details about our travel certificates, Click Here.
Class Scheduling
Travel industry classes are offered weekday evenings and some Saturdays to fit your busy schedule. This allows people who work full-time to continue on their jobs while they train for a new career. Note that certain classes are offered only in Fall, others only in Spring. Some certificates may be completed in one or two semesters, although many students elect to take a longer time to complete their certificate. Many travel industry professionals also elect to update their knowledge with continuing education classes.
Faculty
Vista’s travel faculty are qualified professionals. Most are employed as tour operators or travel agents; some manage their own business and have unique entrepreneurial skills. They bring to the classroom practical, day-to-day experience. For more details on our travel faculty, Click Here.
A Word To International Students
Travel is an international industry and attracts an unusually large number of students from around the world. We welcome students from a variety of national backgrounds and languages to our program. However, please note that all classes are conducted in English and proficiency in English is required for the travel program. Please consult with a counselor to evaluate your English proficiency.
Holders of non-immigrant visas (F-1 or M-1) or those abroad wishing to come to the United States to attend Vista must first complete an International Student Application for Admission and submit it to the Peralta Community College District, of which Vista Community College is a member. They may not enroll directly at Vista. Applications should be submitted along with a $50 application fee, to: Mr. Jacob Ng, Vice Chancellor of International Education, Peralta Community College District, 333 East 8th Street, Oakland, CA 94606. Telephone: 510-466-7295. His office may be reached by E-mail: jacobng@peralta.cc.ca.us
Course Sequences
Vista’s program offers a variety of course sequences, depending on the particular certificate you wish to pursue. If you wish to earn a certificate, you must meet with a counselor, participate in the Student Success Program, and develop your Student Education Plan (SEP).
TRAVEL INDUSTRY CERTIFICATES
Travel Industry Basic Certificate of Achievement (14 units)
Required Courses:
TRAV 59 Careers in Travel for the 21st Century, 0.5 units
TRAV 60A Travel Industry Resources and Procedures I, 3 units
TRAV 61 Air Travel, 3 units
TRAV 62 The World: Background for Tourism, 3 units
TRAV 64 Sales and Customer Service, 3 units
Electives: selection within the travel program, 1.5 units (CLICK HERE)
This certificate may be completed in the fall semester only.Travel Industry Professional Certificate of Completion (25 units)
Required Courses
TRAV 59 Careers in Travel for the 21st Century, 0.5 units
TRAV 60A Travel Industry Resources and Procedures I, 3 units
TRAV 60B Travel Industry Resources and Procedures II, 3 units
TRAV 61 Air Travel, 3 units
TRAV 62 The World: Background for Tourism, 3 units
TRAV 63 The Cruise Industry, 3 units
TRAV 64 Sales and Customer Service, 3 units
Electives: selection within the travel program, 6.5 units (CLICK HERE)
This certificate may be completed in two semesters if you begin in the fall. If you start in January, it may take lonnger.Adventure Travel Certificate (18 units)
Required Courses
TRAV 61 Air Travel, 3 units
TRAV 62 The World: Background for Tourism, 3 units
TRAV 64 Sales and Customer Service, 3 units
TRAV 71A-F Group Travel Series, 3 units
TRAV 76 Adventure Travel, 3 units
Electives: selection within the travel program, 3 units (CLICK HERE)
This certificate may be completed in two semesters, beginning either in the fall or spring.Group Travel Specialty Certificate (6 units)
Required Courses:
TRAV 71A-F Group Travel Series, 3 units
TRAV 64 Sales and Customer Service, 3 units
No electives required
This certificate may be completed in two semesters, beginning either in the fall or spring.Cruise Specialty Certificate (6 units)
Required Courses:
TRAV 63 The Cruise Industry, 3 units
TRAV 64 Sales and Customer Service, 3 units
No electives required
This certificate may be completed in two semesters, beginning either in the fall or spring.Air Specialty Certificate (6 units)
Required Courses:
TRAV 61 Air Travel, 3 units
TRAV 64 Sales and Customer Service, 3 untis
No elective required
This certificate may be completed in the fall semester only.Electives
In order to keep the Vista Travel Industry Program up-to-date in this fast-changing industry, new elective courses are constantly being developed as selected topics. The current electives are listed below. Please see each semester’s course listings for new classes and details
COPED 458D Occupational Work Experience (Internship), 1 unit
TRAV 71A Principles of Group Travel: Introduction to Group Travel, 0.5 units TRAV 71B Principles of Group Travel: Tour Costing, 0.5 units
TRAV 71C Principles of Group Travel: Marketing Group Travel,
0.5 units TRAV 71D Principles of Group Travel: Writing Tour Brochures,
0.5 units
TRAV 71E Principles of Group Travel: In-House Tour Operations, 0.5 units
TRAV 71F Principles of Group Travel: International Tour Directing, 0.5 units
TRAV 72 Destination Studies Series (Any course in the "72" series) 0.5 units
TRAV 73 How To Open A Travel Company, 0.5 units
TRAV 75 Selling Tours and Packages, 0.5 units
TRAV 76 Adventure Travel, 3 units
TRAV 79 Internet for the Travel Industry Professional, 0.5 units
TRAV 78 The Inbound Travel Industry, 0.5 units
TRAV 80 Employment Preparation for the Travel Industry, 1 unit TRAV 81 Meeting/Event/Tradeshow planning, 1 unit
Overview of Hotel Operations, 0.5 unit Rail Travel, 0.5 units Special Interest Travel, 0.5 units Travel Writing, 3 units Travel Industry Internship
One of the best ways to add practical experience to your travel studies is to participate in a 54-hour internship with a travel business. Advanced students may apply for a spring semester internship via the course COPED 458D (Co-operative Education) which offers one unit of academic credit. For details, contact the department chair.
Meet Our Travel Program Faculty
Our highly qualified travel program faculty of seven have a total of nearly 250 years of travel industry experience among them or an average of 31 years each. Furthermore, they have traveled to an average of 63 countries each. Four of the faculty members hold the CTC designation (Certified Travel Counselor). This rich background brings you an unheard of level of expertise. Read on about our individual instructors.
Ms. Marty Sarbey de Souto, CTC, Founder and Department Chair. She owns her own consulting company, Sarbey Associates. She holds a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Arizona and has been in travel since 1954, specializing in group travel. She is also a travel writer, having a monthly column in Leisure Group Travel as well as writing for trade publications such as Travel Weekly and Travel Counselor Magazine. She supervises the Vista travel program, designs new courses, and also teaches in the classroom. Her specialty classes are destination studies on Latin America and Europe, Sales and Customer Service, Preparation for the Workplace, and the Group Travel classes. Her textbook Group Travel, is used world-wide.
Ms. Joyce Cortese, CTC, has been a long time leisure travel counselor with Tanforan Travel in San Bruno. She has been in the travel industry since 1980 and has visited 42 countries, including her most recent trip to the Amazon. She is particularly conversant in airline reservation systems and the internet and she teaches the Vista travel internet class.
John Mitchell is retired from a lengthy career in the cruise industry. He holds a B.A. in History and Political Science from Yale University and subsequently spent five years working his way around the world. His 26 years in the travel industry include stints as a travel agency manager, in sales with Matson Lines, and as General Sales Manager for Pacific Far East Lines. He has visited more than 100 countries. He teaches the cruise course, a variety of destination classes, and The World: Background for Tourism course.
Terry Regan, CTC, is owner of Berkeley’s Northside Travel. He has taught in the Vista travel program for over 25 years, has been in the travel industry since 1973, and has visited over 109 countries. He holds a B.A. in history from Stanford University, did graduate work at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, and was a Peace Corps volunteer on the island of Antigua. He continues to be active in the Travel Institute, the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), and the Association of Retail Travel Agents (ARTA). His most recent trip is Morocco.
Stephen Shields, CTC, has been in the travel industry since 1972 and has visited 76 countries. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Reed College and an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University. He has served on the board of directors of the northern California chapter of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), on the advisory board to Avis Rental Car Company, and treasurer of the Travel Consumers Restitution Corporation. He recently sold his agency, Shields World Travel, in Pleasanton. He teaches a variety of destination classes and How To Open A Travel Company.
Sara Sterling is owner of her own home-based company, Sara Sterling Travel. She has been in travel since 1977. She holds a B.A. in Social Work from San Francisco State University and an M.A. in Geography from Eastern Michigan University. She specializes in student group travel, complicated international travel, and in non-profit organizations. She has visited 24 countries. Her particular area of expertise is Africa.
Arlene Streich has been in travel since 1976 and has just recently left her long-time inside position at PMA Travel in Oakland to become an outside sales agent with Anderson Travel in Orinda. She holds a B.F.A. and a B.A. in Education from College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. Having visited over 35 countries, she particularly enjoys handling custom-designed itineraries for clients to the South Pacific, Europe, the British Isles, and Mexico. She teaches the Travel Industry Resources and Procedures class and also the Air Travel class
What Our Students Are Saying About The Vista Travel Program
“I’m just so glad to have stumbled upon this travel class and the department in general. It has been a wonderful addition to my life. Thank you!”
Helen Poole Newmen - Student, 2001“Wonderful surprise of a class and it changed my ideas of Adventure Travel – something for everyone.”
Veronica Hagopian - Adventure Travel Student, 2000-2001
“The program was inspiring”
Randall Gutierrez - International student, Costa Rica“The class I took was great, and even though everyone was older than me, I felt very comfortable.”
Cynthia Perez - High School Student“I found the internship experience invaluable. Now I really have an idea of what goes on in a travel company. I also made some great contacts.”
Deirdre Cerkanowicz - Student, 2000-2001
“Talks given by experts in their field were appreciated. Only drawback was that it made me want to go to so many places that I just don't have the time or money for.”
Peter D'Angelo, Student, 2004More Information?
If you would like to receive the travel industry program brochure by mail, would like assistance in course selection and scheduling or would like to discuss travel industry careers, please contact the travel department chair, Ms. Marty Sarbey de Souto, CTC as indicated below:
CONTACT Ms. Marty Sarbey de Souto, CTC Chair, Travel Department Vista Community College 2020 Milvia Street Berkeley, CA 94704 Direct Telephone Line: 510-981-2931 Fax: 510-841-7333 E-Mail: mdesouto@peralta.cc.ca.us OR josemarty@yahoo.com
