MARKET BUZZ At Your Service

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council,the economics of the 21st century will be dominated by three industries: telecommunications,information technology and tourism. The travel and tourism industries have grown by 500 per cent in the last 25 years and it is estimated that by the year 2010 tourists will spend US$884 billion in foreign countries on tourism related activities. The growth of these industries has opened up many new job opportunities for graduates in areas such as hotels,restaurants,retailing,transportation,travel agencies,tour companies,tourist attractions,leisure,recreation and sport and cultural industries. Travel and tourism provides 10.5 per cent of the total world employment,with up to 25 per cent of all employment. It is estimated that by 2010 more than 100 million people world-wide will be employed in this sector which has rewarding careers for those who want to work in tourism and hospitality. There are courses from Higher National Diploma,BA or BSc degrees to Masters courses and alternative methods of studying,(including full-time,part-time and distance learning). There are joint degrees where it is possible to study combinations of subjects,such as tourism and hospitality,tourism and leisure,hospitality and marketing. Most undergraduate courses will include a period of work experience as part of the course,varying in length from 6 months to one year. There are also specialized courses in Tourism covering areas such as Cultural Tourism,Tourism Marketing,Tourism Planning,Museum Management,Heritage Management,Cultural Tourism and Sustainable Tourism. Sona Luthra Narang,Director,Hayes Institute of Hotel management