New team member alert! Meet Jevasha Govender, ITC’s newest tutor!

Posted on 05/04/2023 by Hayley Clark

ITC is over the moon to announce the arrival of Jevasha Govender – Jae – to our family. She is our newest travel and tourism tutor, and will be working at the Botany Campus.

Jae comes to us with a wealth of travel and tourism knowledge and experience. She has spent almost a decade working and travelling around the world, including time with Disney Cruises, Norwegian Cruises, and the Cunard line.

She has also managed a number of premium accommodations around New Zealand, and has her level 7 hotel management qualifications.

Of course, we had to ask her a little more about her experience, her knowledge, and her advice.

How did you begin your passion for the tourism industry?

Being raised by wanderlust parents, I started travelling overseas from the age of 2. This instilled my passion for travel from a really early age.

My goal in life, thereafter, was to travel, and to see and explore as much of this world as I could. This prompted me to study hospitality and tourism at university in South Africa. In 2019, I moved to New Zealand to further my studies in Hospitality and Tourism in Queenstown where I completed my post graduate level 7.

This amazing industry has awarded me the privilege me to visit 82 countries, and to live in the UK, Middle East and now New Zealand. 

What does your travel industry history look like?

I started off working in 5-star hotels in South Africa, and as soon as I graduated I moved to the UK, where I worked in the hospitality sector of a luxury departmental store ‘Harvey Nichols’ (in the restaurant/bar). 

My dream was to be a flight attendant, but life had other plans for me (as I am a little bit on the shorter side and could not get into the airlines) and this is how I discovered the cruise ships.

My journey then continued for the next 9 years on the cruise ships (including Disney Cruise Line and the Queen Mary 2), with a break in-between to work for the Emir of Qatar. Working on the cruise ships, I started off as a butler in housekeeping, worked my way up to the HR Operations Manager and eventually onto the Financial Accountant/Manager role.

Back ‘on land’ in New Zealand, the accumulation of my experience led me to my goal of becoming a hotel manager. Since graduating in Queenstown, I have gone on to manage 2 luxury lodges in New Zealand.

How will your experience help support students?

My experience has shown me how versatile, adventurous, fun and diverse our industry really is, that travel and tourism can be a career, and that there is a wide range of opportunities in this industry. Primed with this experience and knowledge will enable me to guide, support and mentor our students into the travel and tourism industry.   

What do you think are the most important skills to have in the tourism industry?

I would say strong customer service and communication skills, adaptability, flexibility and definitely cultural awareness are all important skills to have in our industry.   

What’s next for tourism industry?

The future of the tourism industry is definitely looking bright, although still recovering from the huge impact of the pandemic. With the advancements in technology and sustainability growing in this sector, global tourism is yet again on the rise (more so than the pre-COVID era) and will definitely continue to do so. Without a doubt, this industry will grow by leaps and bounds in the coming years. 

What is your best advice for those getting into the industry now?

The tourism industry is booming and this is as great a time as any to start your career in travel and tourism. Gaining a tourism qualification with related work experience will prepare you to get a foot in the door, after that, there are no limits to what you can accomplish in this industry.

“Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow”

Enrol at ITC where you learn from the industry experts

At ITC and Study From Home, our team of tutors and Employment Consultants is comprised of people who have spent years working in the travel and tourism industry. They’re not just great people and great teachers, they are also experts in the subject matter as well. They’re passionate about what they do, and about passing on all their skills and knowledge to our students.

Enrol with ITC to learn from the best!

Campus Study – college@itc.co.nz 0800 TOURISM (0800 868747) or https://www.itc.co.nz/contact-us/

Posted in News, Staff News | Tagged New tutor, Study travel and tourism, Tutor interview | Leave a reply