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Travel and Tourism – Courses and Institutes

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. Tourism industry has achieved a fast growth rate to emerge as the major driving force of the global economy. On the basis of growth rate, India has been ranked the second, with Montenegro and China on the first and third position respectively. Over the next ten years, India is all set to gain an annual growth rate of 8.8 percent in the travel sales sector. This immense growth in travel and tourism industry has created plenty of job opportunities for hospitality and travel sales .

As the relative cost of air travel falls, and more and more people take to the skies for both business and pleasure, the sale of airline tickets and holiday packages has become a rapidly expanding business. New travel companies are springing up in towns and cities all over the world and the big tour operators are teaming up with the major airlines to offer ever better deals to an ever wider range of destinations.

A career in this industry is worth taking up because opportunities abound after successful completion of these courses in Travel and Tourism, you can be recruited in diverse job profiles related to this field in the travel agencies, Airlines and governmental organizations dealing with Tourism. After gaining relevant knowledge and expertise as a Travel professional, you can also choose to get self employed.

Personality: 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.

Courses in Travel and Tourism in India: With the expansion of travel and tourism industry in India, a career in this field has become lucrative leading to emergence of several courses in Travel and Tourism. Below mentioned are the various courses in Travel and Tourism available in India. Students many need to appear for All-India level or institute-specific entrance test for admission to a particular course. The eligibility criteria may differ from one tourism institute to another.

Basic / Certificate Course
Airlines Management Course
Basic Course in Air and Sea Cargo
Service Management Basic course in Airline Travel, Fares & Ticketing Management
Basic Course in Computer Application & Software Studies Basic course in Computerized Reservation System
Basic course on Airlines Travel Agency & Tour Operation Management
Certificate course in Airlines ticketing & Tour planning
Course in Domestic, International Ticketing & Airlines with Computer
Courses in Airlines, Tourism, Tours & Travel Management with Marketing & Ticketing Foundation & Consultant Course in International Tourism Language Training course

Diploma Courses
Diploma Course in Multimodal Transport & Logistics Management
Diploma Course in Rail Transport & Management Diploma course in Transport Economics & Management
Diploma in Hotel & Tourism Management
Diploma in Tourism & Destination Management
Diploma in Tourism & Travel Management
Diploma in Tourism Management (DTM)
Diploma in Travel & Tourism Industry Management

Bachelor Course
Bachelor in Tourism Administration
Bachelor of Hotel & Tourism Management
Bachelors Degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management
Graduate Integrated Course in Tourism
Vocational Program in Tourism & Travel Management

PG Diploma Courses
PG Diploma in Airlines
PG Diploma in Business Administration (Tourism)
PG Diploma in Cargo Operation & Management
PG Diploma in Destination Management
PG Diploma in Guiding & Destination Management
PG Diploma in Travel & Tourism Management PG Diploma in Tourism & Hoteliering Management
PG Diploma in Tourism and Hotel Management
PG Diploma in Tourism Management
PG Diploma in Travel Management (PGDTM)

Master / PG Courses
Master of Tourism Administration (MTA)
Master of Tourism Management
Master of Travel & Tourism Management

Eligibility: The eligibility criteria for admission to Travel and Tourism courses at the undergraduate level is, higher secondary examination pass.

Institutes offering Courses in Travel and Tourism in India: There are several universities and institutes in India offering undergraduate, postgraduate and postgraduate diploma courses in tourism.

National Institute Of Tourism & Hospitality Management (NITHM),Hyderabad:
It is a sector-specific management institute. Modeled on the lines of IITs and IIMs .
Courses Offered: MBA (Tourism & Hospitality) 2 years
MS (Tourism and Hospitality)-Integrated 5 year course

Indian Institute for Travel and Tourism Management(IITM), Gwalior

Sita Travel and Tourism Academy, New Delhi

Kerela institute of tourism and travel studies (KITTS)
Courses Offered: MBA(tourism), it is a rare course in India.

Anand Institute of Management Science (AIMS), Gujarat:
Courses Offered: MBA -Hospitality

College of vocational studies, Delhi:
Courses Offered: Diploma in Hotel & Tourism Management

College of Hospitality and Tourism (CHAT), Gurgaon, (Haryana):
Courses Offered: Masters of Hospitality and Tourism Management
B.Sc in Hotel Management & Tourism
AHLA Diploma.
Diploma in Hospitality & Tourism
PG in Hotel Management & Tourism

Heritage Institute Of Hotel & Tourism, Agra, (Uttar Pradesh)
Courses Offered: Bachelor Degree in Hotel Management & Catering Technology (BHMCT) -3 years.

Amro Tourism Academy, Nasik, (Maharashtra)
Courses Offered: Diploma in Hotel Management-3 years

Amity Institute of Travel and Tourism (AITT), Noida
Courses Offered: Bachelor of Tourism Administration (BTA) 3 years, Fees per semester : Rs.42,000
Master of Tourism Administration (MTA) 2 years,F ees per semester : Rs.60,000.

Job Prospects: Job prospects both in public and private sector’s are bright. However, the best prospects for qualified tourism professionals are in the private sector with travel agencies, tour operators, airlines, hotels, transport and cargo companies etc. Jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree, and which usually offer higher pay and benefits, will account for about 7.3 million job openings through 2010. Employment in occupations requiring at least a bachelor’s degree is expected to grow 21.6 percent.

Job sectors: A person willing to make a career in hospitality jobs should look for openings in the avenues such as Tourism Department, Travel Agencies, Hotels, Road and Airlines Transport, Tour Operators, Time Share Companies, Holiday Consultants and Banks. 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.

Remuneration : Jobs in the travel and tourism industry offer good remuneration and perquisites, which include free travel for employees and their families. Salaries can vary somewhat within the industry and are higher in foreign airlines and agencies. Pay scales can vary greatly depending on the company, the city, the kind of job, etc. since the travel and tourism industry is so far spread and competitive. Reputation of the company or firm or airline makes a difference as well. Some of the general pay scales for a agency or company dealing in travel/tourism are as follows: Position Pay Counter Clerk Rs. 1,700 – Rs. 2,000 Assistant Rs. 2,000 – Rs. 2,500 Junior Executive Rs. 3,000 – Rs. 3,500 Regional Manager Rs. 3,900 – Rs. 4,500 General Manager Rs. 5,000 – Rs. 6000

J ob profile: Work in the travel and tourism industry is essentially concerned with providing services for people who are away from home, on business or holiday. Whether you’re a travel agent, hotel concierge, or chef, your job is to provide the best possible service you can during a client’s visit. So in addition to developing stronger problem solving skills, diplomacy, and communication your studies will focus on honing whatever applicable crafts and skills are involved.

Perks of the job: A job in the industry gives good returns as well as perks including opportunity to see many locales at low prices. Like any other industry, there are usually perks that come along with the job. In the travel & tourism industry, some of those perks can be pretty substantial. You can expect to receive discount air tickets, hotel vouchers, free meals, and promo items on a fairly regular basis. Not to mention, you might also receive ample vacation time. What could be more perfect than that?

If you want a career that promises many rewards, daily stimulation, and personal fulfillment, why not explore tourism as a possible option. Wouldn’t you rather have an office at a resort than in a downtown cubicle?