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by Flight Centre Travel Academy on 15 Sept 2026, 09:00:00
You've finished Year 12, you love the idea of a career in travel, and now you're trying to work out the smartest next step. That part can feel a bit overwhelming. A Diploma of Travel and Tourism gives you a practical way to build real skills, make industry connections, and move toward roles across travel, aviation, hospitality, and events.
Here's what the diploma covers, why school leavers across Australia are choosing this pathway, and how Flight Centre Travel Academy connects your study to job opportunities in the travel and tourism industry.
Key Takeaways: Diploma of Travel and Tourism for School Leavers
- A Diploma of Travel and Tourism is a higher education qualification that prepares you for entry-level roles across the travel sector.
- School leavers can start studying with Year 12 completion, and 100% FEE-HELP is available for eligible students.
- The diploma covers business fundamentals, sales techniques, marketing, travel systems, and hands-on specialist electives you choose.
- Flight Centre Travel Academy connects students to real employers through Study + Job pathways during and after study.
- Parents can see a clearer pathway too, with structured study, student support, and direct entry into second year of a Bachelor of Business.
What Is the Diploma of Travel and Tourism?
The Diploma of Travel and Tourism is a higher education qualification at AQF Level 5, which means it's university-level study, not a VET certificate. You get academic content paired with practical, industry-relevant training designed to prepare you for real roles.
Flight Centre Travel Academy delivers this diploma in partnership with Torrens University Australia. You graduate with a nationally recognised qualification that carries weight with employers right across the travel and tourism sector.
The program includes eight subjects, six core and two electives, covering areas like business fundamentals, sales techniques, marketing, travel systems, and organisational behaviour. You can explore the full course guide for detailed subject breakdowns. Your two electives let you specialise in aviation, hospitality, travel consulting, or events, so you can shape the qualification around where you want your career to go.
Why Do School Leavers Choose a Diploma Pathway Into Travel and Tourism?
Not every school leaver wants to go straight into a traditional university pathway. Some want something that feels more practical, more focused, and more connected to actual jobs. A diploma can give you that earlier line of sight into the industry.
Flight Centre Travel Academy's diploma is designed to create a more direct path from school into study and industry preparation. Eligible Australian students can also access 100% FEE-HELP, which means no upfront tuition fees. For families weighing up the cost and commitment of different post-school options, that can make a real difference.
The travel and tourism industry in Australia continues to grow. One useful fact is that tourism supported 696,000 filled jobs in 2024–25, according to Tourism Research Australia's National Tourism Satellite Account. That gives you a good sense of the scale of the sector you're stepping into.
How Does the Diploma of Travel and Tourism Prepare You for Industry Jobs?
A qualification only matters if it helps you build skills employers actually want. The Diploma of Travel and Tourism at Flight Centre Travel Academy is built around that idea, combining academic learning with Hands-On Training and industry-shaped content you can put to use from day one.
What You Learn in the Diploma
Core subjects cover business essentials, successful sales techniques, introduction to marketing and branding, travel systems essentials, and understanding people and organisations. Together, these build a solid foundation in how travel businesses operate day to day.
Elective subjects let you tailor your study toward a specific career area. If aviation interests you, the Inside Aviation elective is part of the Work, Study + Fly program. If you're drawn to hotels, the Hospitality Foundations subject aligns with resort and accommodation pathways. Introduction to Events and other specialist electives help you shape the qualification around the direction that suits you best.
Assessments happen in weeks three, six, and nine of each nine-week study block, and there are no exams. That structure keeps the workload predictable, which helps if you're managing study alongside a part-time job or other commitments.
How Flexible Online Study Supports School Leavers
All subjects are delivered online, so you can study from wherever you are in Australia. Full-time students complete the diploma in around ten months, while part-time study stretches over roughly 18 months. Because you only handle one or two subjects at a time, the workload can feel much more manageable.
Live tutorials, Q&A sessions, and one-on-one coaching calls with your facilitators keep you connected and supported throughout the course. Your facilitators are experienced travel and tourism industry professionals, so their feedback is grounded in how the industry actually works, not just what's in a textbook.
Flight Centre Travel Academy also provides wellbeing support, academic assistance, and career guidance from your first week right through to graduation and beyond. You're never doing it alone, and that kind of support really matters when you're navigating study for the first time after school.
What Career Pathways Can Follow a Travel and Tourism Diploma?
One of the biggest advantages of completing this diploma is the range of career directions it can open up. Travel and tourism is a broad industry, so you are not boxed into one type of role from the beginning.
Early Career Paths in Travel and Tourism
Graduates can move into customer-facing roles across travel, tourism, hospitality, aviation, and events. That can include helping guests, supporting bookings, working in resort operations, assisting with events, or building experience in tourism service roles while you keep learning what part of the industry suits you best.
Other customer-facing roles include hotel and resort operations, event coordination, tourism information services, and cruise ship positions. The diploma's mix of business, sales, and industry-specific training means you'll walk into your first role with skills that are ready to use.
Flight Centre Travel Academy's Study + Job programs go further by connecting students with employers during and after their studies. For younger students, pathways like the Year 12 Accelerator Program and Work, Study + Play Whitsundays are especially relevant because they help bridge the gap between school, study, and real industry experience. Other pathways are available too, but they do not need to be your starting point.
Another fun fact: Australia recorded 266 million domestic day trips in 2024–25, according to Tourism Research Australia. That kind of movement helps explain why the industry needs people across travel planning, accommodation, events, and visitor experiences.
Further Study and University Progression
If you decide you want a full degree down the track, the diploma gives you direct entry into the second year of a Bachelor of Business at Torrens University Australia. That gives you a practical way to keep building your qualifications after your diploma.
That progression pathway means you're not choosing between practical experience and academic credentials. You can build both, starting with a diploma that gets you into the workforce quickly, then adding a degree as your career develops.
What Should Parents Look for in a Travel Diploma?
Parents usually want to know whether a course is credible, supportive, and clearly connected to real career outcomes. That is a reasonable checklist, especially when your child is choosing their first step after school.
This Diploma of Travel and Tourism is delivered in partnership with Torrens University Australia, which gives families the confidence of a university-accredited qualification. It also includes Flexible Online Study, clear assessment points, and support that extends from enrolment through to career guidance.
For many families, that balance matters. You want a pathway that feels exciting for a school leaver, but also structured enough to show how study can lead to skills, confidence, and real industry experience.
What Makes Flight Centre Travel Academy Different?
Flight Centre Travel Academy is the education arm of Flight Centre Travel Group, one of the world's largest travel companies. That connection gives students something most education providers simply can't offer: genuine insider access to the travel industry.
Students attend real industry events, including the Australian Tourism Exchange. They learn from facilitators who are active travel industry professionals. They also study within a brand that stays closely connected to how the travel industry works in practice.
The Academy's Study + Job pathways connect you to roles with employers like Flight Centre Australia, Accor, and tourism businesses in the Whitsundays. That gives school leavers a more practical bridge between study and the working world.
That industry connection is what sets the Academy apart. You're building relationships, gaining hands-on experience, and stepping into a professional network that can support your career well beyond graduation.
FAQs About the Diploma of Travel and Tourism for School Leavers and Parents
Do I need an ATAR to enrol in the Diploma of Travel and Tourism?
No. Flight Centre Travel Academy's Diploma of Travel and Tourism is designed for school leavers who have completed Year 12 or an equivalent pathway and can complete the admissions process. That makes it a practical option for students coming straight from school.
Can I study the diploma while working part-time?
Yes. The diploma is delivered entirely online in nine-week study blocks. Part-time students handle one subject at a time, which leaves room for work and other commitments. Flight Centre Travel Academy's Study + Job programs are specifically designed to combine study with paid industry roles.
What jobs can I get after completing the diploma?
Graduates pursue roles including travel consultant, hotel and resort operations, airline cabin crew, event coordinator, and tourism services. Flight Centre Travel Academy's career and recruitment support helps you prepare for interviews and connect with employers across the travel sector.
How much does the Diploma of Travel and Tourism cost?
Eligible Australian students can access 100% FEE-HELP, which means no upfront fees. Flight Centre Travel Academy partners with Torrens University Australia to deliver the qualification, and financial support options are available to help make study accessible.
Can the diploma lead to a university degree?
Yes. Completing the Diploma of Travel and Tourism gives you direct entry into the second year of a Bachelor of Business at Torrens University Australia. Flight Centre Travel Academy gives you a clear study pathway if you want to keep building your qualifications after your diploma.
Why might this pathway appeal to parents as well as students?
Because it combines a university-accredited qualification with structured support, practical learning, and a clear connection to future study or work. Flight Centre Travel Academy gives families a pathway that feels credible, flexible, and career-focused.
How long does the diploma take to complete?
Full-time students can complete the diploma in about ten months, while part-time study takes longer. Flight Centre Travel Academy structures study in 9-Week Study Blocks, which helps you plan your workload more clearly.