HOTEL MANAGEMENT IN INDIA

Introduction

A cardinal part of hospitality industry, hotel management has wide employment opportunities. Moreover, with globalisation gaining acceptance with more and more countries, the hotel management industry is truly becoming global. As hotel chain owners are opening new hotels in various big and small cities, requirement for trained hotel management professionals is huge. Although considered one of the most glamorous careers, hotel management requires professionals who can keep their cool even in the most challenging situations.

Hotel management can include Hotel & Restaurant management, Cruise Ship Hotel management, Hospital Administration and Catering, Hotel and Tourism Associations, Airline Catering and Cabin Services, Club management, Forest Lodges, Guest Houses amongst others. Expansion of global travel industry and aviation industry is expected to boost hotel industry in next couple of years.

Step-by-Step

There are multiple job profiles in hotel management and depending upon the candidates' education, work experience, the positions are offered. However, in order to work in top level or middle-level management candidates must have a degree in travel management. Whereas some hotels hire graduates straight from universities, some other hotels hire only trained hotel management graduates. Candidates can do degree course in hotel management soon after 10+2 which are offered by various hotel management institutes.

The minimum selection criteria for an undergraduate course in hotel management is 10+2 with 50% marks.  However, candidates who do not have 50% marks in +2 can do diploma or certificate course in hotel management which are being offered by various institutes. Additionally, some hotels provide training cum job placement and candidates who do not have other options can opt for it. Indian hotel management institutes conduct entrance exams before selecting the candidates for various courses.

Skills To Be Known

Students looking for a career in hotel management should have strong communication skills, reasoning skills, numerical aptitude and pleasing personality. Therefore, if some candidate is lacking in these skills, he must inculcate them in him and for that starting early definitely helps. Many students start preparing for entrance exams conducted by IHMs soon after their 10th board. Similarly, those who wish to go for higher studies in hotel management can do Masters in Hotel Management; for MHM the person is required to have BHM.

Funding/Scholarship

Most of the hotel management institutes offer merit based concessions on fees to eligible candidates. Similarly, some institutes provide discounts to sponsored candidates who come for training. Junior Research Fellowship is offered to those candidates who are willing to explore their career in academics. Students looking for external funding can apply for low interest rate loan offered by most of the nationalised banks like Allahabad Bank, Bank of Baroda, PNB, IDBI, etc. Students of all the hotel management institutes which are affiliated with AICTE are eligible to get a loan of Rs 7.50 lakh for studying in India and Rs 15 lakh to study outside India. The low interest rate education loan can be repaid in 5-7 years of duration in equal instalments starting one year after the completion of the course.

Job Prospects

Hotel management like any other sector is subject to the state of national economy and global economy. When the economy is doing well jobs come a lot in the sector. Currently there are more than 2.40 million people working in hotel, catering and allied industry in India and the number is going to increase in next couple of years as new hotels are coming up in large numbers in urban and semi-urban areas. Trained hotel management professionals would have privilege over untrained graduates as hotels are not willing invest in training of recruits rather prefer trained ones.

International Focus

Hilton hotel chain, Ramada hotel chain, Hyatt hotel chain, La Quinta hotel chain, Marriott hotel chain, Radisson hotel chain, Days Inn hotel chain, Best Western hotel chain, etc  offer attractive career option for hotel management graduates from top notch hotel management institutes. Hotel management graduates working in the USA hotels get minimum salary in the range of US$ 6000 to 7000. Many hotels in the USA provide high paying part-time jobs at various positions.

Positives/Negatives

Despite being known as one of the most glamorous careers there are various flipsides of working in hotel industry and one of them is hotel industry too like any other industry is subjected to the overall state of economy; therefore, it gets affected if the economy is not doing well and travellers are not frequenting the hotel. Similarly, new jobs come at the place of existing jobs as working professionals either are given new responsibilities at new hotel or they retire.  Handling pressuring situation with cool and poise is mandatory for hotel professionals. Long working hours, rude responses from customers, hectic timings, etc are some major drawbacks of career in hotel management.