Vast and glamorous industry of travel and tourism is one of the largest industries of the world economy, in respect of both the massive capital investment and employment. As per the latest rough estimates, the total capital invested in this global travel and tourism industry is worth 5 trillion, and this ever-growing industry employs around 8% of the total global workforce. Since India is a well-eminent country in terms of population and its vast and fast progressing economy, India's travel and tourism sector is quite opulent, and is counted as the fifth rapidly growing travel and tourism industry of the whole world. Ours this web-article offers a rich and very beneficial gamut of information regarding the travel and tourism industry of India, careers in travel and tourism in india, and scope for growth in the travel and tourism careers in India.
India has always been a famous destination for tourism since ancient times. The travel and tourism industry of India is the largest service industry of the Indian economy, and the second biggest contributor [after the oil and gas sector] to its GDP. Fast growing with an annual rate of over 8.5%, as per the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the travel and tourism industry of India contributes about 6% of the national GDP and employs more than 8% of the country's total workforce. Approximately, the number of domestic tourists and vacationers travelling to places all across India, is 800 million every year; and the magnitude of foreign tourists and vacationers visiting India every year is around 5 million, mostly from USA and UK. Factors like the presence of a wide variety of tourism in India, India's huge and fast prospering economy, rapidly increasing medical tourism to India, fast flourishing of many other sectors associated with the sector of travel and tourism, India's being a popular destination for higher education and rich employment in various economic sectors, and ever-rising status of India on all significant fronts, etc., further augment the fast prospering of the travel and tourism sector of India. Thus, India is definitely one of the best countries in the world for building a rich and progressive career in travel and tourism industry, in any of the below-mentioned avenues.
List of Careers in Travel and Tourism in India
The above-mentioned facts and figures elucidate that in respect of the job opportunities and career options in travel and tourism industry of India, are rather abundant, bright, and thriving, in present and future times. The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, is the apex ministerial department for well-rounded development and promotion of both domestic and international tourism in entire India. According to an estimate published by the NSSO, this ministry of tourism of India is likely to create over 100 million jobs in the travel and tourism sector by the year 2020.
Broadly, the following are the major and most significant fields for jobs in the travel and tourism sector of India:- Governmental Tourism Departments: Officials at diverse levels in the Directorates of Tourism of the Central and State Governments, Tour Planners, Tourism Promoters, Tour Guides, Sales and Marketing Executives, Reservation and Counter Staff and Personnel, etc.
- Travel & Tourism Agencies and Tour Operators: Tourism Consultants and Advisors, Tour Operators, Secretarial Staff, Administrative Executives, Tour Planners, Cargo and Courier Agents, Business Manager, Tour Guides and Escorts, Publicity and Reservation Specialists, Sales and Marketing Professionals, Reservation and Counter Staff, Transport Coordinators, and so on.
- Governmental and Private Airlines: Flight Attendants, Air Hostesses, Traffic Assistants, Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and Staff, Flight Pursers, Aircraft Mechanic, Sales and Marketing Executives and Staff, Reservation Agents, Airport Maintenance Personnel, Customer Care Services, Reservation and Counter Staff and Personnel, etc.
- Hotels, Motels, and Resorts: General Managers, Assistant Managers, Operations Managers, Accountants, Engineering and Maintenance Team, Sales and Marketing Executives and Staff, Front Office Executives, Public Relations Officers, Director of Human Resource and Personnel, Food and Beverage (F & B) Staff and Personnel, Staff at Clerical and Executive levels, Housekeeping personnel, and many more.
- Transport Companies: Drivers, Conductors, Mechanics, Tour Guides, Boatmen, Helpers, Supporting Staff, etc. Owing to vast and rich scope for bright and progressive jobs in this sector in India and abroad, a large number of Indian universities including the open universities and online institutes, now offer highly prolific courses on the travel and tourism education, at varying academic levels. These courses are provided at levels varying from the diploma and certificate courses in travel and tourism to the postgraduate courses in this, such as the Master of Tourism Administration [MTA].