There’s more to a career in hospitality and tourism than meets the eye
8% of jobs around the world are linked to travel and tourism, and with more than 840 million international tourists every year, it is a sector with huge potential growth.
Hospitality and tourism is not simply restricted to the international travel market. In fact, we rely upon the people who work within this diverse industry on an almost daily basis, every time we pop out for a drink, grab a bite to eat, or visit our local leisure centre, as well as on more irregular occurrences such as taking a flight, checking into a hotel, or attending a sporting event.
A lot of hard work goes into creating successful customer experiences, and not just at the point of contact. As well as the more obvious, front-line hospitality roles that we encounter regularly, hospitality and tourism requires product development, marketing, project management, finance, and human resource functions, which present a broad range of exciting career opportunities in roles that include:
Gourmet catering, meeting and event planning, sports management, air-hosting and ocean cruises, environmentally sustainable and cultural tourism development, human resources and financial management.
One thing that these diverse career-paths have in common is that all jobs in hospitality and tourism are in essence about providing efficient, attentive, and enjoyable customer service, and the unique challenges that these jobs present also make them highly rewarding. Consequently, excellent communication skills, patience, and an empathetic nature are essential for you to thrive in these vast, dynamic, and growing industries.
For that reason, it’s important that those seeking a successful career as a professional within the sector develop a strong business foundation and customer service skills. Although hospitality and tourism has traditionally been an industry that emphasised hands-on experience, the competitive nature of the business now requires a combination of experience and higher education to provide a well-balanced set of skills.
Hospitality and tourism programmes are increasingly popular throughout the world, and today it’s even possible to study online and earn a degree or postgraduate qualification. With InterActive, you can take advantage of the power of online learning to study towards an MA in International Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management or Global MBA with a specialisation in Hospitality, Sport, and Leisure Management, providing you with the expertise needed launch a career in this truly rewarding sector.
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