How is this Certificate delivered?

The Certificate in Tourism Customer Handling is offered on-campus in London, online via the LSTITM virtual classroom and by distance learning. All routes for the Certificate in Tourism Customer Handling cover identical content.

Is the Certificate recognised in UK travel service teams?

The Certificate in Tourism Customer Handling aligns with ABTA, IATA and ITT customer-facing benchmarks. The Certificate in Tourism Customer Handling is designed to demonstrate credible readiness to UK travel retail and ground employers.

What are the entry requirements?

Applicants to the Certificate in Tourism Customer Handling need GCSE-equivalent secondary education and basic English (IELTS 5.0 or equivalent). No prior travel study is required for the Certificate in Tourism Customer Handling.

How much does the Certificate cost, and is funding available?

Tuition for the Certificate in Tourism Customer Handling is banded with instalment plans and scholarship options for eligible international students. LSTITM admissions publish current tuition for the Certificate in Tourism Customer Handling on request.

Certificate in Tourism Customer Handling | LSTITM | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Certificate in Tourism Customer Handling is a Certificate programme within LSTITM's Travel Systems & Global Tourism portfolio, focused on front-line customer handling and passenger service across travel systems. Delivered across a 3 to 6 months duration band, the programme is aligned with UK tourism-sector standards referenced by UKHospitality and Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT), and gives students structured, industry-referenced practice from the first week of study. Students explore structured tourist and passenger handling through a mix of tutor-led seminars, case-based labs and applied projects drawn from real London tourism organisations.

By the end of the Certificate in Tourism Customer Handling, students should be able to handle passenger enquiries, process amendments and route service issues through travel operator channels. The syllabus mixes applied case study, tutor-led coaching and structured assessment so learners graduate ready to contribute to real tourism teams across London and internationally. Assessment blends short written pieces, applied projects and structured peer review so students build a portfolio they can share with prospective employers as evidence of ready-to-work practice.

Students on the Certificate in Tourism Customer Handling join a peer group drawn from destination operators, travel-agency chains, DMOs and international tourism boards, and are taught by tutors with prior operational and strategic tourism experience across the UK sector. Guest speakers from IATA (International Air Transport Association) (referenced)-referenced organisations, London consultancies and tour operators contribute short masterclasses throughout the programme, giving students direct sight of live industry challenges and current recruitment expectations.

Key Features

Practical modules on airline, cruise and ground-service handling
Workshops using simulated booking platforms and OTA back-office screens
UK content referenced against ABTA and IATA passenger-service norms
Support from tutors with front-line airline, GDS and OTA backgrounds
Career sessions for customer-handling roles at airlines, OTAs and DMCs
Flexible online, on-campus and distance-learning delivery routes

What You Will Learn

Process routine passenger enquiries about bookings, amendments and refunds
Follow airline and ground-handling service scripts for tourist enquiries
Support ticket rebooking under simple disruption scenarios
Log passenger complaints into standard travel-operator systems
Handle multi-channel enquiries across phone, email and live chat
Follow BCS-referenced digital hygiene for customer data handling
Support first-time travellers through airport and terminal navigation
Escalate complex service issues to duty supervisors and ops leads

Who This Course Is For

New entrants preparing for airport and travel-operator service roles
Career changers from retail and hospitality moving into travel service
International students seeking a UK Certificate before a Diploma
Ground-handling assistants aiming to formalise experience with a qualification
Aspiring OTA and travel-agency service advisors

Career Pathways

Airline Passenger Service Assistant
OTA Customer Advisor
Ground Handling Assistant
Cruise Customer Service Assistant
Travel Agency Advisor (junior)
Reservations Advisor
Rail Travel Customer Advisor

The LSTITM careers service supports every Certificate in Tourism Customer Handling student with CV, LinkedIn and interview coaching, plus warm introductions to London tourism boards, tour operators, OTAs and airline partners actively hiring across these career pathways. Graduates of the Certificate in Tourism Customer Handling are supported through an alumni network spanning UK destination management organisations, international tour operators and consultancy houses, giving early-career candidates a credible route into interviews and structured progression conversations with sector employers.

Entry Requirements

Age 16+ with genuine interest in tourism and international travel careers
GCSE-equivalent secondary education (or overseas equivalent)
Basic English proficiency (IELTS 5.0 or equivalent for international applicants)
Access to a computer with reliable internet for online delivery
No prior tourism qualification required , this is a foundation route

Why Study at LSTITM

LSTITM is the London School of Tourism and International Travel Management , a specialist division of Harold International College of London focused on the destination, business, systems and strategic disciplines that shape modern global tourism. Students on the Certificate in Tourism Customer Handling benefit from that specialist focus at every stage of study.

Every LSTITM programme is aligned with recognised UK tourism and marketing bodies including the Tourism Society, Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT), ABTA, the Chartered Institute of Marketing and UKHospitality, so graduates step into the sector with credible, industry-referenced study behind them. Students on every LSTITM route are supported by dedicated career services covering CV, LinkedIn, interview coaching and introductions to London tourism boards, tour operators, OTAs, airline and hospitality partners.

Our curriculum is written by former destination directors, travel-industry technologists, tourism consultants and marketing leaders, and delivered across on-campus, online and distance-learning routes to fit working professionals and international students alike. LSTITM's articulation model means every Certificate and Diploma leads cleanly into an Advanced Diploma, Higher Diploma and full honours degree , with Master's routes for those aiming at consultancy, corporate development and executive tourism leadership.

Apply for Certificate in Tourism Customer Handling

Applications for the Certificate in Tourism Customer Handling are open across four intakes per year with rolling admissions for online and distance-learning candidates. Speak to an LSTITM admissions adviser about tuition, scholarship options and articulation into the next stage of the LSTITM tourism pathway. Start your London-recognised tourism career today. Enrol Now.