Things to know while choosing to pursue a hospitality and tourism management degree

Do you often find yourself daydreaming about travelling and spending your leisure time at a posh luxurious hotel? Does communicating with multicultural people from all walks of life intrigue you? Has planning a holiday for a large group of people been an easy task for you?

Well, it looks like a career in hospitality and tourism management is the right fit for you! Hold on to this thought, a make sure to choose a course that resonates with your dreams.

This fast-paced industry has a plethora of job opportunities all around the world, and the right start is just what you need! There are a lot of developed countries offering hospitality and tourism management courses for international students. You can look out for opportunities in countries such as Australia, the UK, the US, and Canada.

According to the UNWTO (UN World Tourism Organization), the tourism sector has experienced tremendous growth to become one of the fast-paced inclining economic sectors in the world. Besides, the WTTC (World Travel and Tourism Council) has estimated that 1 in 5 new jobs created over the preceding 5 years is in the hospitality and tourism management industry. So, the opportunities span across the world for you!

Variations in the Hospitality and Tourism management sector

The hospitality and tourism management courses are majorly focused on business operations, management and marketing activities of well-established restaurants, large-scale events, food services and travel-related service offerings. Much often, jobs in hospitality and tourism overlap with each other. But if you start with the right course selection, you can define your career and achieve wonders in this highly regarded career stream.

Hospitality as a career

Hospitality as an independent sector includes job roles related to customer engagement such as food sanitation and preparation, human resources, and hotel management. The level of customer satisfaction is the key to measuring your performance in any role in the hospitality career domain.

Teaching as a career

Tourism is a fascinating industry which specifically focuses on travellers' comfort and enables them to feel safe and secure throughout their journey. You could work for some of the best travel organisers in the world as a full-time employee, to plan and execute their travel-related operational and managerial activities. Working in the travel industry will also open opportunities to travel with influencers, artists and sportspeople as a travel mentor/guide.

Why study hospitality and tourism management degree overseas

• Get ready for a whole new adventure

Let's face it. Studying abroad can be exciting and can be super adventurous for many. If you prefer to study hospitality and tourism management courses in your home country, your curriculum is only based on the country's business model (tourism and hospitality management). But while studying abroad, you can challenge yourself by setting your goals higher and acquiring brand new skill sets, apart from the regular course-related things.

Interestingly, experiencing a new culture, city and most importantly a new language could be an exercise to broaden your views on many things which will eventually help you plan out your long-term career in the hospital and management sector.

• Acquire in-demand skills

In a managerial role, you are expected to not only lead but also to listen to other employees of the organisation. The soft skills you gain in overseas schools can make a massive difference in satisfying guests. In contrast, some hard skills, such as attention to business details and in-depth knowledge, can be crucial in an organisation's growth as well as in your personal career development.

According to multiple industry surveys, major employers prefer hospitality and management students from only a few of the very best schools. This upsurge will continue until soft skills and industry experience are made a part of the overseas institution's curriculum.

Tips for choosing a hospitality and tourism management school overseas:

Whether you have chosen an institution or are on the verge of finalising one, make sure to look for its accreditations. It is the process of evaluating the institutions' education standards as declared. Accrediting bodies comprises non-government and private organisations, that qualify hospitality and tourism management institutions on meeting the necessary/desired parameters.

The benefits of choosing up accredited institutions are countless. Accreditation assures the institution offers highest education standards, making students feel comfortable within the campus, determining the college credits value, and also being a point of contact for potential employers to recruit candidates for their organisations.
Despite looking into national accreditation, international students interested in the tourism industry should also consider the following accreditations while they opt for a hospitality and management school.

• UNWTO TedQual Certification - The UNWTO TedQual Certification is a unique accreditation offered by the UN's World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The goal of the UNWTO is to raise the tourism education quality, research programs and training activities. The evaluating mechanism of the UNWTO is to measure the institution's academic curriculum and infrastructure to satiate the requirements of students.

• THE-ICE Standards of Excellence - THE-ICE Standards of Excellence accredits institutions focused on events, hospitality, tourism, and culinary arts. This accreditation evaluates the institutions on criteria such as curriculum, courses, administration, facilities and resources, learning and teaching, and much more to assure and recognise institutional excellence. 

Courses offered by the US, UK, Canada and Australia for hospitality and tourism management degree:

Some of the high-paying jobs in the hospitality and tourism management industry:

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