The Australian Travel Career Council (ATCC) Travel Skills Taskforce (TST) has concluded its fifth national industry forum, marking a key milestone in the modernisation of the Certificate III in Travel.
The final forum confirmed a strong and growing industry consensus on the need to balance technical capability with emerging digital and interpersonal skills to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving sector.
Building on the momentum of the previous four forums, the session brought together 20 industry practitioners – including new contributors from Virtuoso and Jetstar – to finalise the elective structure.
The outcome reflects a clear vision for the future travel professional: highly capable in both advanced technology and high-touch customer engagement.
While the qualification’s 12 core units continue to provide a solid technical foundation, the Taskforce has recommended a strategic recalibration of elective units to better align with contemporary industry needs:
- Specialised Expertise: A dedicated Cruise Specialist unit was selected as the sole technical elective, strengthening targeted product knowledge and advisory capability.
- Human-Centric Capability: The remaining electives prioritise skills that complement, rather than compete with, AI—such as emotional intelligence, complex problem-solving, and advanced customer engagement. This includes building a nuanced understanding of both physically impaired and neurodivergent clients, enabling more inclusive and dignified service delivery.
- Emotional Intelligence (EI): ATCC CEO Rick Myatt has recommended the inclusion of NAT11334001 – Develop Emotional Intelligence (imported from the Certificate III in Personal Empowerment). This unit strengthens self-awareness, relationship management and somatic awareness, supporting more effective professional interactions and personal wellbeing.
- Digital Vigilance: As AI and digital tools become embedded in daily practice, the framework emphasises cybersecurity awareness, ethical standards, and the responsible use of emerging technologies to enhance productivity.
“This final forum reflects a powerful alignment across the sector,” said Rick Myatt, ATCC CEO.
“By integrating AI capability and digital vigilance alongside human-centred expertise, we are ensuring the next generation of travel professionals is resilient, adaptable and future-ready.”
With the forum series now complete, the ATCC will host an Executive Synthesis on May 11 to review the proposed qualification structure and undertake a final impact assessment.
This process will examine how the recommended changes support robust career pathways and contribute to the long-term growth of Australia’s travel workforce.
Main image: Rick Myatt with NSW Skills Minister Steve Whan
