Seeking tourism-related management challengeWhat type of job are you looking for?Tourism, travel and/or hospitality related management jobs What nationality are you? Belgian What languages do you speak (and at what level)? Fluent at English, Spanish, German, French and Dutch (mother tongue), both speaking and writing. What country or area are you looking to work in and why? Panama or Colombia, as my fiancee and I want to settle in Latin America and these countries are strategically the most interesting (and also the nicest). What countries have you worked in? Belgium, Germany, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, and Maldives What field do you currently work in? Tourism: I am an in-destination country manager for a large European tour operator (made my way up in 10 years, started as a holiday rep at the same company. References available.) What qualifications do you hold? University entry level in human sciences. Which do you consider more valuable? Formal education or skills and why? Nothing beats the combination. What was your worst working experience? A complicated story involving the Boxing Day Tsunami's aftermath, an empty water reservoir in Eastern Cuba, an 800km "cold overbooking" and 26 angry Germans. What is the most important lesson you have learnt throughout your career? In the end, results are what matters. What unique skills do you have? Non of my skills is unique, but the combination may be: in my present job I combine HR management (80 staff), quality control, budget control, hotel and other supplier contracting, and strategy implementation, all in relatively remote locations thus without day-to-day supervision. For you this means: give me a target, and I'll get there. What would you consider as your 'dream job'? Getting involved in managing and expanding an existing local incoming travel agency (possibly partly buying into the company). If this exisiting operation has own or contracted beds, all the better. I would also settle for management jobs at existing hotels, accomodations, agencies or any other tourism related company. Location may be anything from remote to urban. What are the most interesting aspects of your field? The human touch: the fact that in this business, the difference between happy customers and unsatisfied ones is often just a matter of perception and personal care, not actual quality. This makes satisfying customers an always fascinating challenge. How can potential employers contact you? By email: bartschouppe@hotmail.com Will be on a scouting trip to both Panama and Colombia 15th Jan to 10th Feb 2011 and will be happy to meet any potential employers in person. | 
