Travelling has become an integral part of every man’s life, be it for work or for leisure. Pandemic has put the world in a position where months of being in lockdown has made vacation a necessity. People realised the importance of a work life balance and have made sure they live a life outside work. Studies show that resignations around the globe have surged since 2021 due to the exhaustion and the monotony in their work.
The travel and tourism sector of our country is witnessing unprecedented growth. This industry is one the largest profitable one in the country, contributes to the foreign trade and is considered to be one among the biggest employment generators of the world. There are endless career opportunities in this fast growing travel and tourism industry. Candidates looking to pursue their career in the industry can work for travel agencies, government tourism departments, immigration and customs services, airlines, ground staff and the list continues.
Required Skill Set for Candidates
Professionals working in the tourism industry require a particular set of skills that helps them to work towards their customers’ safe and happy trip. Candidates who wish to pursue a career in the industry of tourism must have a love for travelling along with the yearning to learn new things and stay up to date with everything happening in the industry. The list of a few required skill sets include:
- Excellent communication skills
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Flexibility
- Administration and management skills
- Research and planning skills
- Strong networking skills
- Teamwork and leadership skills
- Well groomed personality
- Problem solving skills
Job Opportunities
After graduating from high school, you can pursue a range of specialities in travel and tourism. These programmes normally run three years and include all aspects of the travel and tourism industry guidelines: business and management, customer service and satisfaction, and hospitality. The following are some of the most popular specialities in travel and tourism courses:
- Tourism Management: Tourism management is a field that includes all activities related to the tourism and hospitality industry. This equips candidates with qualifications to hold managerial positions in the food, accommodation and tourism industry. Candidates will be well trained in the theories and principles of management, business administration and tourism industry. This involves managing various activities like studying tour destinations, planning the tour, making travel arrangements, providing accommodation etc.
- Aviation Management: This is a well designed academic program that introduces the students to oversee the departments of airlines and airports. A career in aviation management is attractive since it offers tremendous development opportunities as well as several chances outside of India. Travelling across the world for a living might surely be the most fulfilling profession.
- Hotel Management: Hotel Management courses deal with the hospitality sectors such as hotels or resorts etc, customer services, cooking, front office management etc. These courses do not limit the scope of students only within the hospitality sector. Students may take up MBA or other Master’s in management courses in order to invade into other sectors of management.
- Travel Blogging and Vlogging: Travel blogging is simply a type of blogging where the central focus would be on the process of travelling. You could either take videos or write about your experiences while on the trip. There are several online websites that pay you for your content and also, you could collaborate with trip planners and advisors, come up with content that suits their interest.
- Cultural Tourism: Cultural tourism is a type of tourism where the tourist’s major motivation is to learn, experience and devour the place’s cultural heritage, attractions and products. Several foreign universities offer global cultural tourism courses where students are taught about how the particular destination became culturally important and how the cultural product took its shape.
- Sustainable Tourism: Sustainable tourism is a concept that is accountable for the economic, social and environmental issues as well as the proper addressal of both the tourist and host communities. One example of sustainable tourism is the Cochin airport which runs solely on solar power. Courses are offered by global universities since a definite rethinking of the future is necessary.
- Travel Writing: Travel writing is basically writing about visiting different places. This may come out as an article or as a lengthy non-fiction narrating a journey or a place. There is a whole genre of writing in literature called travel literature. There is no necessary degree needed for travel writing but a degree in English, Mass communication or Journalism may help you get published. There are many websites and organisations that pay you to travel.
Making money out of your passion does not seem like everyone’s cup of tea. But if you are passionate about travelling and want to make a career out of it, you could explore these options.
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