Travel & Tourism- The most dynamic profession

When I see around me, I see most of my peers are not happy with the work they do. They work out of some compulsion, or work just because they have to, for a living. All they look forward to is the message that says “Your account has been credited…” and to the weekends. It is like they would live their entire life in those two days! And don’t even talk about Mondays in front of them! Just by mentioning the name, you can screw up their mood! I at times feel like an outcast when I am with such friends, because surprisingly, I couldn’t be happier doing what I do for a living! I just took up something that I knew I loved and when you do something you love, that’s less of work and more of fun!

I knew two things for sure; I would not be able to survive a job which is not dynamic enough to tame my own spirited self, and I would not ask for anything more if I get to travel to different places as a part of my work! Well, I have achieved both, I must say. Of course I did my share of research and hard work for it, and I would suggest if you too, share the common zeal of travelling, you can consider doing what I did! I made an informed decision when I joined one of the most reputed Hotel Management Institutes in India. I knew what kind of jobs I can land in and I knew the subjects covered during the course of Graduation.

I was introduced to Travel and tourism as a part of the curriculum of the course and I made the most of it. I read all the aspects of travel and tourism and made up my mind to take it up as a specialization in my masters. So without wasting my time I joined one of the well- known tourism courses in India, and my masters led to my placement in the Travel agency where I currently work, and three years of my experience is nothing but bliss! My work involves traveling to several places and it is just as challenging I wanted! 

Ever-increasing worth of the Hospitality Sector

You can call it in several names, food and beverage service, travel and tourism, hotel management, all of it come under the wide scope of Hospitality management. Considering today’s date, Hospitality management courses are highly in demand across the globe. If you have taken the decision to go for a hospitality course, you have taken a great decision as it would help you put your career in the fast track in this field. This is an extremely promising field and here are few of the benefits you are to experience: 

There are several opportunities for all those who are in this field from all over the world. You can join any hospitality company across the world as there is a worldwide demand. I know a friend who was my batch mate in the Indian Institute of Hotelmanagement, now working in an international hotel abroad. So there is no dearth of jobs in this sector in and outside India, thanks to increased globalization!

The pay package of those associated to this field is quite lucrative. Most hospitality jobs pay more than other industry. I am myself working in this industry and I know this fact, in comparison to my other acquaintance from any other industry apart from hospitality.

Another advantage that you get in this sector is shifting to related industries. This is pretty easy in hospitality field. You can shift from a hotel manager to a food chain manager after a few years of experience. The best part of this profession is you get to travel! And a lot! Your work would require you to travel across cities or countries depending upon the operating scale of your company.

So people who love to explore new places, the hospitality industry have all the reasons to keep you hooked to it for a long term!

Why Tourism Industry is Rising Fast

The profession of a travel agent has not always been a very glamorous one. In India especially, being a travel agent is just sitting in a stuffy office in some small lane with posters of the Statue of Liberty and the valleys of Europe as background.

But in the recent years being a travel agent has changed as the tourism industry has become one of the most profitable industries. If one is passionate about travelling, then they can easily find a good well- paying job in the travel industry as either a travel agent or something else.

One of the steps one can take if they want to go into the travel industry is getting a degree from any of the reputed hotel management institute in India. This will allow them to try their hand at several different departments in the hotel industry and open some good doors for anyone wanting to get into the tourism industry.

Apart from that, if one does not necessarily want to do a hotel management course then there are also several short term tourismcourses in India that are available to all. This will be shorter in duration and more department specific. As in these course will cover a more certain part of the tourism industry and will target that section only in their duration. Unlike a hotel management course which covers all aspects of the industry, such short term courses will have a speciality to them and one can only attend one course at a time.

One reason why tourism industry is one of the most successful industry is also because the countries and their governments have realised the importance of tourism and the revenue is generates. So one can easily get a good paying job in the government department of the tourism sector.

So both the government and the private sector are filled with job opportunities in the travel industry

Benefits Of Being In Hospitality Industry

They say that the heart of hospitality is that when people leave your home they should feel better about themselves. That's about it- treating your guests with such an exceptional service that they sense positivity in their lives. Even the fundamental definition of hospitality says that it is more like a love in action. 

The hospitality management courses serve a great purpose in giving formal training on how to deal with the customers and how to use their complaints as gifts. Experienced professionals even believe that a complaint comes with an opportunity to know your weakness and bounce back with a better customer service than ever.

And there are many reasons why you should join the hospitality industry. It gives you internal peace and satisfaction, plus a plethora of opportunities. Let's look at the perks of becoming a part of hospitality industry.

·         Creativity: Institutes like Indian Institute of hotel management do give a set of template responses to be used in hotels, but then they also encourage you to use creativity and innovative ideas  to impress the guests.

·         Dynamics: Hospitality industry is one in which you can take up a variety of jobs ranging from front-line to execution to operational. No wonder some people have also taken up to entrepreneurial levels!

·         Advancements: Here, your professional career will grow quicker than ever. You are appreciated for each and every effort that you make to enhance a hotel's reputation, and you are constantly upgraded to high designations.

·         Opportunity: Rubbing shoulders with a celebrity on a New Year's Eve or getting clicked with a superstar during a film promotion make memories for a lifetime!

·         Make people's day: And nothing gives you a goodnight sleep better than knowing that you've made somebody's day with your service.

On the whole, I believe hospitality is synonymous with happiness- of others and your own!

Career Paths for Hospitality Management Grads

Taking into account the fact that the hospitality industry is amongst the fastest growing industries across the globe, hospitality management is career you might surely want to consider when you’re applying to grad schools. Let’s take a look at some of the possible career paths with degrees related to hospitality management:

·         Lodging

Amongst the most popular careers related to hospitality is lodging management. This field covers the management of hotels, resorts, motels, and other such properties that afford lodging to travelers. Attending a hotel management college will provide one with the knowledge and skills necessary to manage the operations of a hotel. Within lodging management itself, there are a number of areas of specializations in accordance with the different departments within such an establishment. From reception personnel to marketing, food and beverage, budgeting, sales, and general managers, there are a variety of positions up for grabs in the hotel management industry.

·         Food and Beverage

Food and beverage forms a highly integral part of the hospitality industry. Understandably, wherever there is food and beverage offered, so are jobs! From the various courses offered at a hotel management college, one could choose to specialize in the food and beverage industry and secure a number of jobs ranging from waiters at restaurants to chefs and management personnel.

·         Travel and Tourism

There are a number of exceptional tourism courses in India that could help you break into the field of travel and tourism. Renowned to be one of the fasted growing industries worldwide, the field offers a variety of jobs ranging from travel guides, travel operators and agents, tour managers, museum tour guides, sales agents, and so on and so forth.

·         Human Resources

A hospitality management degree with a specialization in HR can also open up careers in HR at the various establishments that come within the industry like hotels, restaurants, resorts, etc.