Career in Travel, Tourism

Travel and Tourism is considered to be the largest services–based industry in the world. Tourism Is the largest foreign exchange earner among all industries, an provides direct employment to million of people.
Travel and Tourism one of the world's largest foreign exchange earner among industries, provides employment directly to millions of people worldwide and indirectly through many associated service industries. A very wide industry, it includes Government tourism departments, Immigration and customs services, travel agencies, airlines, tour operators, hotels etc and many associated service industries such as airline catering or laundry services, Guides, Interpreters, Tourism promotion and sales etc. Travel and Tourism enterprises include major internationals with a workforce of thousands, to the small private travel agent with a handful of employees.
Work in the travel and tourism industry is essentially concerned with providing services for people who are away from home, on business or holiday. Travel can be leisure travel involving package tours, pilgrim travel, adventure travel etc or purely business. Work at every functional level in the industry involves dealing directly with people. Travel agents assess the needs of tourists and businessmen and help them make the best possible travel arrangements from the many travel options available. Also, many major cruise lines, resorts, and specialty travel groups use travel agents to promote travel packages to the millions of people who travel every year.
Travel company personnel must be up-to-date on current rules and regulations and documentation required, in areas like cargo, ticketing and passports, visas etc. so as to correctly advise their clients, and to take care of the paperwork when necessary. Besides this, all tourism staff in marketing, counter sales, or guide services, should be knowledgeable about the places their clients visit, in terms of general background, how to get there connections by air, rail and road and the facilities available.
In India, Travel and tourism, as an industry, has been somewhat slower to take off than in many other places. However, with increasing worldwide interest in travel, and with the Government's encouragement of its activities, it is undergoing massive expansion and improvement. This forecasts a bright future for all those who choose to make a career of travel and tourism. Young people with drive and a capacity for hard work can rise to top positions very quickly in travel and tourism or even head their own agencies. A job in the industry gives good returns as well as perks including opportunity to see many locales at low prices.

Personality

If you want to pursue Travel & Tourism as your career, you need to be friendly in nature and should carry an outgoing personality. You need to be fluent in English and able to communicate well with people. If you know some languages that will added advantage. You should be able to take decisions and must be good in problem solving without getting panicky. Besides this you should be able to work in teams. You should have complete knowledge of the facilities available in an area along with the knowledge of your country and its customs and traditions. You should be adventurous by nature and should have a knack of management and administration.

Eligibility

To pursue Tourism courses at undergraduate level one must have passed higher secondary (10+2) examination. For a post-graduate degree, one needs to be graduate in any discipline with 50% marks for General category and 45% marks for SC/ST candidates and needs to clear the entrance test and group discussions and interviews which are conducted by the Directorate and Department of Tourism. One who is proficient in any foreign language is preferred. Many courses are available through Distance-Learning mode of education also. One who wants to do a Certificate course has to hold a 10+2 pass certificate.

Duration of these courses vary from one year to two years depending on the kind of course one prefers. Certificate courses are of less than a year.

Professional Courses

Following courses are available for those who are interested in this field:

Colleges, Institutions and Universities

Various institutes and universities offering courses on travel and tourism are:

  1. Sri Krishnadevaraya University Anantapur-03 ( A.P.) offers Masters in Tourism
  2. Dravidian University Kuppam(A.P) offers P.G Diploma in Travel Management
  3. National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management 1 st floor. SGM MALL, Mehdipatnam, Hydrabad (A.P) offers M.B.A Tourism and Hospitality(2 yrs)
  4. Tezpur University Assam offers PG in Tourism Management
  5. Institute of Tourism and Future Management, Chandigarh offers M.B.A Tourism (1 yr)
  6. Sri Krishandev University Anantpur (A.P ) offer Masters in Business Administration in Tourism and Hospitality
  7. Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management, 9Nyaya Marg, Chanakya Puri, Delhi offering short term course in Travel Agency and Tour Operation Management.
  8. Skyline Business School, Huaz Khas Enclave, New Delhi offering Graduate and P.G Diploma courses Travel and Tourism Management.
  9. Sri Venkateshwra College, University of Delhi, South Campus offers PG certificate course in Travel and Tourism Management.
  10. YWCA of Delhi Women's Training Institute Bangla Sahib Lane ,Delhi offers PG Courses in Travel and Tourism Management.
  11. Ashok Institute of Hospitality and Tourism, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi offers PG Diploma in Tourism/ Publicity/PR (1yrs)
  12. College of Vocational Studies, University of Delhi offers 2 yr P.G and part time Diploma Course in Tourism.

Career Prospects

The World Travel and Tourism Council has given an estimate that more than 250 million tourist visiting India per annum. From these mounting figures we can make an assessment that this industry shows a tremendous scope of growth. People are coming here for enjoying their holidays, pilgrimages, for business tours and more recently for medical treatment. One who joins the industry, can work in the following areas:

Tourism department

One can work in Reservation and counter staff or as tour planners and tour guides in this department. Many administrative officers are also needed here who have to work for the development of tourism and its promotional activities. There are information assistants who provide the tourist with the information of different tourists spots and the kind of facilities available for them at those places.

Airlines

One can work as ground staff in reservation and counter areas. Those who look for more glamorous and challenging jobs can opt for the posts of Air-Hostess, Flight Pursers, Sales and Marketing staff and Customer Services. Airlines offer a good pay package along with many other incentives like free tickets to the staff and their families and many other incentives and benefits.

Tour operators

These are the people who turn a dream holiday of a tourist to a reality. They manage and conduct tours to various places and make arrangements even for Sport activities like Trekking, Rock Climbing, River Rafting, Para Gliding etc.

Travel agencies

One can find the job of a Travel Agent, Tour Escorts or in Marketing Staff or can open up their Own Travel Agency or a Cargo agency. Such agencies cater to the needs of the businessmen or other tourists who come for pleasure trips by providing them with adequate travel and living arrangements. Besides this one can handle the work of Accounts or work as a part of Sales & Marketing or Managerial staff in such agencies.