Tourism as career option

Ranjan K Baruah *

Tourism is a common word when it comes to Manipur or North East . The tourism and hospitality industry has emerged as one of the key drivers of growth among the services sector in the country.

Tourism in Manipur and North East has significant potential considering the rich cultural and historical heritage, variety in ecology, terrains and places of natural beauty spread across the region.

India’s rising middle class and increasing disposable incomes has continued to support the growth of domestic and outbound tourism.

Domestic Tourist Visits (DTVs) to the States/Union Territories (UTs) grew by 15.5 per cent y-o-y to 1.65 billion (provisional) during 2016 with the top 10 States/UTs contributing about 84.2 per cent to the total number of DTVs, as per Ministry of Tourism.

As per Ministry of Tourism, foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in India increased 19.5 per cent year-on-year to 630,000 in May 2017. FTAs on e-tourist visa increased 55.3 per cent year-on-year to 68,000 in May 2017. India’s foreign exchange earnings (FEEs) through tourism increased by 32 per cent year-on-year to reach US$ 2.278 billion in April 2017, as per data from Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

The tourism and hospitality sector is among the top 10 sectors in India to attract the highest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). During the period April 2000-March 2017, the hotel and tourism sector attracted around US$ 10.14 billion of FDI, according to the data released by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP)

In the Union Budget 2017-18, the Government of India announced some initiatives to give a boost to the tourism and hospitality sector such as setting up of five special tourism zones, special pilgrimage or tourism trains and worldwide launch of Incredible India campaign among others.

India’s travel and tourism industry has huge growth potential. The tourism industry is also looking forward to the expansion of E-visa scheme which is expected to double the tourist inflow to India. The launch of several branding and marketing initiatives by the Government of India such as Incredible India! and Athiti Devo Bhava have provided a focused impetus to growth.

The Indian government has also released a fresh category of visa – the medical visa or M visa, to encourage medical tourism in the country. Tourism products includes – cruises, adventure, medical, wellness, sports, MICE, eco-tourism, film, historical , rural , religious tourism, etc. There are many career avenues related to tourism industry.

One may be associated with tour and travel agency, hotels and resorts, managing the sights, etc. 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.

Some of the courses related to tourism are : Advance Diploma in Travel and Tourism Management,
Diploma in Travel and Tourism Management ,
M.B.A. Travel and Tourism,
Master of Travel and Tourism Management,
Post Graduate Diploma in Travel and Tourism Management,
Masters and Bachelor of Tourism Studies/Management , etc .

These courses are available in many colleges and institutes.

Updates:

JAM: IITs conduct a Joint Admission Test for M.Sc. (JAM) to provide admissions in to M.Sc. (Two Years), Joint M.Sc.-Ph.D., M.Sc.-Ph.D. Dual Degree and other Post-Bachelor Degree Programmes at the IITs and the Integrated Ph.D. Degree Programmes at IISc. Last date for sending application is 10th October.

Cyber Security Fellowships: The Chevening Cyber Security Fellowship is aimed at mid-career professionals with demonstrable leadership potential in the field of cyber security or cyber policy in India. The Chevening Cyber Security Fellowship is a 10-week fully funded residential programme delivered at Cranfield University at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. Last date is 11th October.