Doyle Collection: CIM Case Study

Ellie Cleary,
Business Development Manager,
Doyle Collection (London hotels)

CIM Diploma in Tourism Marketing 2008-2010

Why did you choose to study the CIM Diploma in Tourism Marketing?
My university degree is not directly related to my current field of work, so I decided it would be useful for myself personally and for my career progression to gain a qualification that was specific to the Tourism / Hospitality industry. I currently work in sales / business development but would aspire to take on a more marketing focused role in the future so thought that obtaining a marketing qualification would help me to achieve this. The CIM qualifications are clearly highly valued by marketers across business, and I looked at the general marketing qualifications that the CIM offer such as the Professional Diploma in Marketing. I decided in the end to opt for the Diploma in Tourism Marketing offered by Capela as this is a lot more specific / relevant to my field, and also the mode of study suited me better than attending weekly lectures which is usually what is offered at other study centres.

Was the Capela course what you expected?
The course has provided a great way of networking with other students within the travel industry, and I will definitely keep in touch with some (if not most) of the people I have met on the course. I have actually done business with some of my fellow students as a result of meeting them on the course which was an unsuspected bonus! The course itself has been challenging, but very enjoyable. The mode of intensive teaching over 2 days at a weekend worked well as it enabled me to get a good grip of the topics covered in the assignment questions. The remainder of the time I felt that Capela were on hand to answer questions / queries and always went out of their way to help. I know that the structure of the course has changed recently to give more focus on marketing communications, which I think is one area which wasn’t covered so fully under the Diploma that I completed.

What impact has this qualification had on your career or ability to carry out your job?
The course has given me a much wider understanding of how the tourism industry works as a whole through meeting people who work for travel agents, tour operators, cruise lines, destination marketing bodies as well as fellow hoteliers. It has enabled me to get involved in the writing of sales and marketing plans and putting together marketing strategies within my current role at work with greater confidence, as well as generally improving my knowledge of what tools are available to use within the marketing mix.

Any further comments?
I found the course structure to be flexible – I had to go a few months without doing any modules due to being busy at work and this was very easy to do. I’d highly recommend Capela Training due to the excellent support and teaching provided and the flexibility of the courses offered. The Diploma requires hard work and commitment so shouldn’t be taken on lightly, but the flexibility offered certainly helps as does Capela’s understanding and genuine desire for its students to do well. Capela can also get you involved with the Chartered Institute of Marketing Travel Industry Group (CIMTIG) which run a number of networking events throughout the year and can be good tools to help promote yourself / your company in the process.