Explore the world of tourism management
SUMIT BHATTACHARJEE
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With tourism tipped to be the largest industry in the world by 2010, it needs professionals to manage its assets, resources and tourist needs.
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Most of the courses are designed to provide a comprehensive perspective on the fast evolving tourism industry and environment.
Photo: Paul Noronha
BOOM TIME: According to the World Tourism Council, global tourism industry has grown by over 500 per cent in the last 25 years.
At present specialisation is the buzzword when it comes to charting a career. The engineering discipline has its own traditional specialisations and medicine has its own. But when it comes to management there is a slight shift.
Numerous areas have opened up or branched out from the conventional areas of specialisation like management, marketing, finance and HR. And one such branched out specialisation is tourism management.
According to a report by World Tourism Council (1997), the economics of the 21st Century will be dominated by three industries: Telecommunications, Information Technology and Tourism. The council reported that the global tourism industry has grown by over 500 per cent in the last 25 years.
India has already made its presence felt in the IT and telecommunication industry and is heading for a boom in the tourism sector. The growth of the domestic and global tourism is reflected in the huge ad spends by various countries and States to promote tourism. In India, tourism is one of the major foreign exchange earners and the economy of many countries such as Thailand, the Caribbean Islands and Nepal hinges solely on tourism.
Basically, tourism is a wide sector and there are different types of tourism like adventure tourism, eco-tourism, pilgrimage, bicycle tourism, heritage tourism, health tourism, cultural exploration and music tourism. The industry also encompasses a wide area of network right from hotels and restaurants to health spas and from tour operators to transport.
The diverse scope opens up a gamut of opportunities for travel and tourism professionals. Today, the industry needs professionals to manage its assets, resources and flow of tourists. It is said that in India, service sector is next to IT industry as far revenue and placements are concerned. A study carried out recently has pegged the job availability in the service sector at almost 120 million of the total 200 million by 2020.
Career opportunities
On completion of a degree or PG or diploma in travel and tourism management, one can fit in sectors like hotel, travel agencies, tour operators, airlines and other modes of transport, and the salary for beginners could range from Rs. 8,000 to 15,000. The professionals can also fit in the BPO and banking sector, if the candidates are willing to work with a smile.
Courses
The courses available in India could range from one-year post graduate diplomas to two-year full-time postgraduate degrees.
Most of the courses are designed to provide a comprehensive perspective on the fast evolving tourism industry and environment, create deep understanding of the products and attractions, expose students to modern management practices, develop critical knowledge and skills in cross-cultural communication, multi-tasking, team work and ethical and sustainable tourism practices.
Institutes
In India the premier institute is the government-run Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM). The institute is directly under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and has got campuses in Gwalior, Bhubaneswar and New Delhi. The basic criterion is degree in any discipline with 50 per cent marks and it is a two-year full-time course.
Apart from IITTM, there are a number of institutes and universities such as Agra University, Institute of Management Studies - Ghaziabad, University of Madras, Kumaon University, Bombay University, Delhi University, Utkal University, School of Distance Education - Andhra University, and Indira Gandhi National Open University that offer different modules.
There are also a number of private colleges but it is always advisable to check whether the college is recognised by All-India Council of Technical Education and NBA (National Board of Accreditation) before joining.
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