At this time of year, fresh back from sunny holidays in Spain, Greece or Turkey, many people dream of chucking in their day jobs and becoming a holiday rep.

Recent problems in Faliraki may have changed some people’s minds, but the idea of helping happy tourists have a memorable holiday while working on your tan, is many people’s idea of a rather good way to earn a crust.

Vicky Evans spent four years in the sun, in Cyprus, Gran Canaria, the Algarve, Andorra, two stints in Mallorca, and Mexico, and she loved it.

“You get very close bonds with the people you work with, it’s the camaraderie of it all. You’re working and socialising with the same people. If you enjoy that interaction with people then it’s a great job to do.”

Mrs Evans moved back to the UK and into recruitment and then training, and now lectures for the rep qualification: “A lot of my friends are still working for the same companies, but now in the headquarters. Companies are so big now you can easily change departments.”

Her duties as a rep included: taking tourists to and from the airport, conducting morning meetings, hosting (and singing in) cabaret nights, and taking them “out and about”.

The money was not brilliant, she said, but there were other perks, among them free accommodation, paid bills, often some mode of transport, a uniform, and sometimes free food: “The money you earn is your spending money.” Lancaster and Morecambe College is now running a BTEC advanced diploma in overseas resort operation. The course is run with travel company Airtours, which guarantees a job interview at the end of the course.

Nadine Sunderland, programme area manager for travel and tourism at Lancaster and Morecambe College, said: “They can’t guarantee you a job but, having said that, in the last two years barring one or two cases everybody’s had a position.” The course, examined under the watchful eye of EDEXCEL, develops students’ teamwork, problem-solving abilities, customer care and how to handle people.

Children’s reps will spend 50 hours working with children during the course. Mrs Sunderland said: “We’re not talking baby-sitting. They have to show that they can handle a group of children.” The children’s rep course is full-time and free and the part-time resort rep course costs £170. However, working commitments can be fitted around study on even the full-time course, as teaching takes place only three days a week.

The course ends in March, and interviews with Airtours are held in January. Successful students can be in situ and in the sun by the start of the season in April.

Holiday rep factfile

Skills. The key skills for reps, according to course area manager Nadine Sunderland, are: an outgoing personality, being keen on travel, being good with children, and having good communication skills.

Entry requirements. There are no qualification requirements to get on the course but applicants must pass the interview, and potential children’s reps will ideally have a childcare certificate. There is also an age requirement: children’s reps must be 18 by April 1, 2004 and resort reps 20 by the same date. They must all be available for work from April 1, 2004. Mature students are welcome on the course.

Pay. Reps earn from a lowly £360 per month, but can earn commission and have free accommodation and personal/health insurance. Children’s reps start from £500 per month.

Career. A lot of people dip into ‘repping’ for a year out, or even a ‘high season’ rep working for just a couple of months, but more career-minded staff can move into recruitment or training, after three or four seasons abroad, and enjoy a long travel-centred career.