Thursday, August 21, 2008

Career prospects in Travel and Tourism

Overview about Travel and Tourism:
Travel Management refers to all activities involved in planning and organising a tourism trip. It has two major aspects-tour operations (accommodation, sightseeing) and travel services (reservations, bookings, transportations car rentals). Tourism is round the clock business. Employment is seasonal to an extent, as requirement for tourism professionals increases during the holidays and decreases when schools are on.

Future expectations of job opportunities:
By 2010 Tourism will generate an additional 25 million jobs. At least one in every 15 working people in India will have a job in the Tourism sector. It will probably be the next big boom for India. International tourism visits are expected to double from 800 million in 2008 to1.6 billion by 2020. Tourism has the capacity to bring in foreign exchange without exporting, country’s wealth.

Basic skills required:
· Enthusiasm and the ability to interact with different people are prerequisites for success in this sector.
· Professionals must also have knowledge of history, art, culture, architecture, landscapes and terrains.
· Passion for travel, curiosity about local customs, traditions and the flexibility to adapt to varied situations and climate is a must.

Qualifications:
Minimum requirement for entry is Graduation

Career ladder:
Qualified professionals can work as:
· Tourism Department Officers
· Travel Agents and Tour Operators
· Tour facilitators
· Interoperates
· Transport service Providers
· Publishers of travel Brochures, tourism packs and cd’s
· E travel service providers etc
Within the industry the areas one can work in are:
· Eco tourism
· Historical tourism
· Cultural tourism
· Wildlife tourism
· Pilgrimage tourism
· Heritage tourism
· Health tourism

Institutes conducting Travel and Tourism course:
· Kuoni Academy of Travel
· NMIMS University
· SNDT Women's University
· Sophia Polytechnic
· Garware Institute of Career Education and Development
· Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel
· Annamalai University (Tamilnadu)
· International Air Transport Association (IATA)

For further details about Travel and Tourism course click here to read India’s first head-to-head comparison of Institutions offering the Travel and Tourism course.