TRAVEL & TOURISM
Travel and tourism trade has become a major foreign exchange earner in the recent years in India. While we have a 1500 km. coastline for beach tourism, palaces, forts, temples, historical monuments and ruins, over 200 wild life sanctuaries, deserts, mountains and many other endowments the number of tourists visiting India annually is still very low. But there is a tremendous chance of this scenario changing for the better as travel and tourism has acquired the status of an industry and the Central & State governments are promoting tourism in a planned manner. If you are a person who is a globetrotter and just cann’t be at one place for long then this exactly is the place for you to be. But its not just travelling, ticketing also is a part of travel & tourism.
CAREER PROSPECTS
Travel and tourism trade gives you a varied and tremendous choice of working with various industries. As this industry is inter-functional in its operation various overlapping industries such as the hotel industry, airlines, surface transport and catering constitute an important and integral part of it. Among the main job options are Travel agencies, National / State tourism departments, travel desks in five-star hotels, ground job in International / Private airline offices. You can also work as tourist guides or set up your own travel agency.
COURSE DETAILS
At the undergraduate level the eligibility criteria for admission to Travel and Tourism courses is to have passed the 10+2 examination. After graduation in any discipline one can pursue the postgraduate level courses. There are many short-term training programmes offered by several institutes and travel agencies. The training may last six months to two years depending on your choice of the course. Fluency in at least one foreign language gives you an edge over the others.
SCOPE OF TRAVEL AND TOURISM
You love travelling. You travel frequently and extensively. The sights, smells and sounds of a new place fascinate you. Palaces, forts and historical monuments transport you in time to a different era, a different world. Travelling for you is not just another physical activity. Your heart’s in it. Every journey is an eye-opener. Every journey enriches you from within. Well, if you are a victim of wanderlust, then maybe a career in tourism is just the thing for you.
The tourism industry creates jobs and earns foreign exchange which leads to the economic well-being of a nation. Tourism may bring about commercialisation of the natural beauty and resources of a country, but it also helps people broaden their minds, helping them learn from other cultures and enjoy the benefits of improved transportation, civic amenities, better communication, hospitality and recreation facilities.
People usually travel on business and pleasure, but over the last decade, the nature of tourism has developed in scope and direction, away from these traditional activities to a wide range of new activities such as sports and leisure, adventure tourism and eco-tourism. Today people travel also for medical/health reasons (medical/health tourism), for pilgrimage (spiritual tourism), to learn and experience wildlife (wildlife tourism), learn about art, culture, architecture (cultural/heritage tourism) , about political situations (political tourism), for going back to nature (nature/eco tourism) or learn/experience festivals, cuisines and crafts.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AND ESSENTIAL PRE-REQUISITES
The friendly and informal atmosphere in a travel and tourism organisation attracts people with excellent inter-personal skills. Major opportunities are in customer service, sales, and travel management. A tourism job demands excellent organisation skills, imagination and creativity in solving problems, excellent customer service, strong communication skills, attention to detail and the ability to meet deadlines and coordinate schedules under stressful conditions.
For tourist guiding and tourist escort services, individuals should be willing to work long or unusual hours and on holidays; they should be tuned to social customs and etiquette and be good coordinators. Interpreters must possess excellent language and communication skills, in addition to the general skills necessary for the travel and tourism industry.
TRAINING
Starting with ticketing and reservation or hotel management or destination management courses for school leaving students (class 12 th /10+2/equivalent) to postgraduate diploma and degree courses for graduates in travel and tourism management and international qualifications offered by IATA and City Guilds, there is a wide variety of courses for people with different aspirations.
Fine artists, crafts persons, dancers, musicians, theatre artists and various performers also work in this industry offering tourists a view of the traditional arts and crafts of the nation. Graduates passionate and knowledgeable about the country’s history may train to be travel guides while those trained in adventure sports, wildlife care, or event management can work in providing specialised tourist activities and experiences. Photographers and travel writers, museologists and curators and interpreters are also a part of the tourism experience.
