Why Consider a Career in Tourism and Hospitality Management

The fast and growing demand for employees in the field of hospitality and tourism management is reason enough for one to consider a career in this sector.

In fact, “according to the 2009 Trends & Statistics survey by the British Hospitality Association (BHA), around 1.9 million people now work in the industry. The chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re one of them. You probably also know exactly why your industry is so popular, and why so many people want to work in it. Yes, the shifts can be long and tiring, but you'll rarely find someone with a hospitality job who doesn't have a passion for it,” as written in the online article 10 Reasons Why Hospitality Jobs Are Great for the website caterer.com. “Whether you’re a concierge in a hotel, or a kitchen porter working behind the scenes, or even if you’re involved in the management of a hospitality business, every time you come into work you’re making someone's day that little bit better. Your business is all about people. It’s not about widgets or spreadsheets; it’s about making people happy,” as further written in the article.

But there is more to just considering which field is in demand these days.  And much has been said about the job satisfaction and fulfillment of those who work in this field. Professor Anna Foster-Chui from a university in Singapore shared why tourismcourses are very much desired nowadays, “It is so easy to travel today. And people love to go from one place to another, but not every job will allow you that opportunity like a course in tourism and hospitality management, unless you work as a pilot or flight attendant, of course, which if we assess, is still in the realm of the tourism field. Every time we open a semester with new students in the tourism course here in Singapore, I always ask first why they opted to take such a degree and a lot of them often say how they love that privilege to travel and meet people from all across the globe. Aside from the lucrative lifestyle they will surely live, tourism courses open a lot of opportunities that are not only give them the chance to travel and meet people, but also develop much of their communication skills as well. Graduates in this field may work for embassies, restaurants, hotels, resorts, government agencies, casinos, cruise ships, among other possible workplaces.”

Careers for graduates of this course are surely aplenty, “Hospitality management students may also want to consider a career path in lodging management. Lodging management includes hotels, motels, resorts, and any other property that provides lodging to travelers. Managers in this area of hospitality are in charge of the daily operations of the property. These can include marketing, employee relations, customer relations, budget, sales, and facilitating the smooth operation of the property. A manager in lodging can expect to make between $30,688 - $100,525,” shared hcareer.com through the article  Career Paths of a Hospitality Management Student. The site further shared how careers in human resources is also a good option for degree holders of hospitality management, “Degrees in hospitality management may also give you the skills to work a human resources manager for a variety of businesses in the hospitality field including restaurants, hotels, casinos and spas. A human resource manager is responsible for all duties revolving around employees. This can include pay checks, benefits, insurance, hiring, firing, and conflict resolution. A Human Resources Manager can expect to make between $59,574-$109,938 a year, with the higher end of the salary range reserved for managers working in large resort hotels and exclusive properties. Human resource managers can also expect to make more by working in hotel chain corporate offices.”