Career in Hospitality and Tourism Management
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council the economics of the coming world will be dominated by three industries: telecommunications, information technology and tourism. The travel and tourism industries have grown by 500% in the last 25 years and it is estimated that by this year tourists will spend US$884 billion in country on tourism related activities.
It is interesting to realize that in 1997 travel and tourism provides 10.5% of the total world employment, with up to 25% of all employment, Now it has been estimated that, more than 100 million people world-wide will be employed in this sector. Because of this, tourism is now seen to be of importance to most countries of the world. But year 2010 is golden period for Tourism sector in India because of Common Wealth Game. It has been estimated that million jobs are expected to be created by 2010 and Tourism will play an important role in Indian economy.
Travel and tourism represents a broad range of related industries. The growth of these industries has opened up many new job opportunities for graduates in areas such as:
• Hotels
• Restaurants
• Retailing
• Transportation
• Travel agencies
• Tour companies
• Tourist attractions
• Leisure, recreation and sport
• Cultural industries
During this time, the nature of tourism has developed in scope and direction, away from traditional activities, such as the sunshine sand and sea holidays to a wide range of new activities such as cultural tourism, adventure tourism, sports and leisure activities , Medical Tourism and eco-tourism.
Given the potential for interesting and rewarding careers in these industries many young people are looking for suitable courses which will help prepare them for careers in management within the tourism and hospitality industries. The UK higher education system has a well developed range of courses, at all levels from Higher National Diploma, BA or BSc. degrees and MA/MSc./MBA Masters courses and using alternative methods of studying, (including full-time, part-time and distance learning). When looking at courses in hospitality and tourism, there can seem to be a bewildering variety of course titles covering the main employment areas of travel, tourism, hotels and restaurants. For this field the respective courses are
• Hospitality management
• International hospitality management
• Hotel and catering management
• For travel and tourism:
• Tourism management
• Tourism studies
• Travel and tourism
There are also joint degrees where it is possible to study combinations of subjects, such as tourism and hospitality, tourism and leisure, hospitality and marketing. Most undergraduate courses will include a period of work experience as part of the course, varying in length from 6 months to one year. This work experience is seen to be a central part of the course, where the student gets the opportunity to practise what they have learned in college or university. Employers also see great value in this work experience when considering the employment .
Tourism Job is totally based on the hopitality , where suppose to be that guest is our God so language is an important part of personality so given the international nature of these industries, another valuable part of any course is the study of languages. Most courses in hospitality and tourism provide access to language courses, either as core components or as options.
Courses at Masters level are becoming increasingly important in tourism and hospitality. These Masters level courses are useful to two groups of people:
1. those who have completed a degree course in a subject other than hospitality or tourism but who are looking at ways of getting employment in the industry;
2. those who have a degree or sub-degree qualification in hospitality or tourism together with significant management experience within the hospitality or tourism industries and who wish to develop themselves to a higher level or to seek a more senior position in industry.
In addition to the above courses, there are also more specialised Masters courses in Tourism covering areas such as Cultural Tourism, Tourism Marketing, Tourism Planning, Museum Management, Heritage Management, Cultural Tourism and Sustainable Tourism: these are suitable for people who have an interest in employment in a specific sector of the industry.each course will have its own unique characteristics. Before applying, you should think carefully about the type of career you want: if it is in a hotel are you interested in restaurant management or rooms division management? Do you see yourself as a practical hands-on person or someone who is happier to work behind the scenes in a desk based job? Do you aspire to become a general manager of a hotel which is part of one of the major world-wide groups, or do you want to manage your own operation? Are you more interested in one of the functional management areas, such as marketing, human resources, conferences. If you are interested in tourism do you want to work for a travel agency, a tour company, the management of a tourist attraction, or within the public sector-national, regional or local tourism planning organisations. Think about these types of question before joining anywhere so that you can judge each course against your own preferences.
Does the schools curriculum meet your career objectives?
Hospitality and tourism is a vast industry with many different career paths. If your career goal is to manage a large hotel or to work toward a senior management position with a well-known corporation, a bachelors degree is generally required.
Is the school located in a tourism destination with a strong representation of major hotels? What hotels, resorts and tourist attractions does the program draw from? Do leading industry employers recruit the schools graduates?
What are the facultys academic credentials and industry experience? Faculty in hospitality and tourism management programs often have advanced degrees in business, education or disciplines other than hospitality and tourism. A combination of academic achievement and management-level business experience are considered important qualifications for faculty in this industry.
What support does the institution provide for students? Does the school provide specific orientation and ongoing advisement for students?
What opportunities does the institution provide for language study? Hospitality and tourism is a worldwide industry. An appreciation and understanding of other cultures and languages is essential to a successful career. Does the program provide opportunities to study other languages? Does the institution provide ESL courses ?
The hospitality and tourism industry offers abundant opportunity for students seeking careers in a dynamic, international industry. If you possess strong communication skills and a desire to provide excellent service to others this fast-paced industry may be for you.
Working in the Travel and Tourism industry is all about making traveling an enriching and enjoyable experience for every individual by providing quality services. If you have a pleasant personality, excellent language and communication skills and knowledge about travel through personal experience - this probably is a great career option for you.
With the recent developments in transportation and communication, traveling, both domestically and internationally has come to be unproblematic. Whether your purpose of traveling is business, adventure or just a vacation, a large group of people belonging to the Travel and Tourism industry are there to make your experience trouble free. This industry is the largest foreign exchange earner and it provides employment to millions of people. Hence the industry has a number of career options to offer and the scope of employment is unbounded.
Employment opportunities exist in both the public and the private sector in this industry. In the public sector, you can work in the Directorates and Departments of tourism of the center and the state, guides etc. In the private sector, on the other hand you can secure a job in a travel agency, hotel, airline, transport agency or a cargo company. Since this industry is a relatively new one, there are not a huge number of experienced individuals. Hence, you can move up the ladder fast and establish your own agency after a few years
The Career Options
Travel Agencies: These institutions facilitate travel and other services for all individuals traveling for vacations or business purposes. Providing information about the destination, hotel ratings, the cheapest and the fastest mode of transport, visas, foreign exchange etc. is the job of a travel agent. Travel agencies are divided into roughly four departments- the Accounts, Tours, Travel and Cargo. A course in travel and tourism will help you to get a suitable job.
Tourism Department: This department consists of reservation and counter staff, sales and marketing staff, tour planners, tour guides, information assistants and officers in the Directorate and Department of tourism. These officers for the Directorate and Department of tourism are chosen from the civil services and their job is to promote and plan tourism. Information assistants provide knowledge concerning destinations and plan itineraries. They are selected through a competitive exam which is held by the Staff Selection Commission. Guides too are divided into three categories namely regional, state and local. In order to be a guide, you must have knowledge about history, art, architecture and language.
Hotels: Hotels provide travelers with food and accommodation services. This service industry requires skilled and professional individuals and it’s manpower requirements are vast. Jobs related to front office, operations, house keeping, food and beverages, accounting, management and public relations are available. A course in hotel management would help you to get a suitable job.
Transport: Transport refers to means of traveling from one place to another. Air, railways, road and sea are the basic categories that transport is divided into.
Road transport: Coaches and tourist cars provide scope for self employment. Drivers with good conversation skills and knowledge of different languages are ideal for this field.
Job
Airlines: This sector of the travel and tourism industry is in great demand. The ground staff and the airlines need smart and presentable professionals with a degree in hotel management or travel and tourism. Traffic assistants, reservation and counter staff, air hostess & flight pursuers, sales and marketing staff and people to provide customer services are all required. Airlines like Indian Airlines, Emirates, British Airways and Air India pay attractive salaries and provide a number of added benefits too.
Tour operators: These individuals organize tours and manage travel and stay of their clients. They conduct tours to known tourist attractions and some of them help the tourists indulge in adventure sports like river rafting and rock climbing. To do this job, you have to have a pleasant personality, detailed knowledge concerning travel and language skills.
Time share companies: These companies manage holiday resorts with time shares owned by different members of these companies. It leads to another set of companies which provide services relating to sale/transfer/exchange of these time shares with an international network of resorts.
Holiday consultants: This is a relatively new career option in the travel and tourism industry. These professionals provide all the information to their clients. They sell the holiday, plan the itenary, make the travel plan, book the tickets and provide all the other details which are required.
Banks: Banks require people to assist tourists and travelers on foreign exchange. Usually MBA professionals are preferred for this job. Banks help in hotel and ticket bookings also.
Personal Attributes
To be a part of this industry, you need to have a pleasant personality and detailed knowledge concerning traveling and tourist destinations. You need to have good communication and language skills. Business tactics and social etiquettes are require med. Lastly, the ability and patience to help and provide hospitality is a must.
INSTITUTE:
IATA/UFTAA 4-level career development program. For details and list of training centers, refer to the website: www.iata.org/atdi/travel_tourism
University of Delhi, New Delhi.
Kurukshetra University ,Haryana.
Agra University - Agra.
Benaras Hindu University , Varanasi.
Bangalore University, Bangalore.
University of Madras, Chennai.
University of Calcutta, West Bengal.Goa University, Goa.
University of Mumbai.
University of Poona, Nasik.
IITTM, New Delhi 110 021.
Himachal University, Shimla 171005. Skyline Business School, Laxman Public School Campus, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016.
Sita Academy M-135, Connaught Circus, New Delhi 110 001. (Travel & Tourism Management 1 year course)
Sri Venkateshwara University, Tirupati 517502 Chitoor (AP), (Tourism and International Ticketing).
Chennai University, Chennai 600005 .
So if you are hard-working and dedicated professional, you can rise to top positions soon and can even start your own travel agency. A job in Travel & Tourism industry will provide good salaries and perks too. Hence, for the adventurous and the travel minded, this industry is the place where you should be building your career.
Anita Choudhary
ishiaasha@gmail.com