It is rightly said, '
Empowered with excellent communication skills and basic knowledge the hotel and travel industry throws up a plethora of opportunities. And with the increasing flow of foreign companies, foreign investments and tourists, India’s hospitality industry is growing rapidly.
From snow-clad mountains to soothing beaches, ancient monuments and a variety of flora and fauna, India promises the best in the world. The Natural Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology, an organization of the tourism ministry of the government of India and Indira Gandhi National Open University a people’s university under the government of India offers a 3 year (6 semesters) B.Sc in Hospitality and Hotel Administrative Degree delivered through India’s largest chain of management institutes affiliated to NCHMCT across the country.
In all, there are 54 IHM’s across India. Goa’s IHM is located at Porvorim. It is very fortunate for us to have a state- run institute in the state. This is a full time, regular, job-oriented programme, equipped with knowledge technical skills, services aptitude and exposure of hospitality industry. More than 90 per cent of the students from the IHMs get jobs at the campus selection stage itself.
In fact, most of the top management and middle management manpower of Indian hospitality industry are NCHM affiliated IHM alumnus. The maximum age prescribed as on July 1 of spectrum year is 22 years for general, OBC, PH categories and 25 years for SC and ST categories.
There is reservation of seats for SC, ST, OBC (central list) and 3% seats are reserved for physically disabled across the board as per rules for examination, online and offline filling of application is allowed (www.nchm.nic).
Entrance exams are normally conducted on the last Sunday of April every year. There is a single paper of three hours duration testing the candidate’s aptitude for the hotel industry through the English language, general awareness, numerical ability and reasoning tests.
Career opportunities for hospitality graduates are numerous. They can serve in national and international hotels, restaurants and fast food outlets, as marketing and sales executives in hotel and other service sector industries, as faculty in hotel management and food craft institutes, self-employment through entrepreneurship, on ships and cruise liners, in the armed forces, railway hospitality and catering service, as guest or customer relation executives in hotels and corporate houses. There are also opportunities in State Tourism Development Corporations.
Enrollment for higher studies in MSC, MBA programs offered by universities in India/ abroad can also be pursued.
The Hospitality industry is referred to as a sunrise industry and generates employment and foreign exchange for the country. The hotel industry is so vast that many hotels do not fit into a single well-defined category. The industry can thus be divided in various ways.
There are a variety of hotels that are based on certain criteria like location, level of service, length of stay, theme hotels, target hotels, etc. The sector is among the top 15 sectors in India. Over the last decade the Indian hotel industry has gained a promising level of acceptance the world over with extensive use of environment friendly service, technology, consumer- friendly measure pricing, infrastructure advancement, etc. with significant growth in room inventory across categories from upscale luxury to limited service.
The central government realizing the country’s potential in the tourism industry has taken several steps to make India a global tourism destination. They include formulation of new Tourism Policy 2015 and various initiatives to promote tourism infrastructure development and marketing and promotion activities.
The Tourism ministry has sanctioned amount for the development of four rural tourism sites. Apart from that, it has launched two new schemes called Swadesh Darshan for integrated development of Tourist circuits around specific themes and National mission on pilgrimage Rejuvenation and spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) to beautify and improve ammeters at Pilgrimage centers. E-visa and visa on arrive faculty have also boosted Tourism and ‘Acche Din’ are now appearing for youngsters who want to make it big in the tourism and hospitality sector.
