Understanding Hospitality Management Career Opportunities in 2023 and Beyond

^{An Introduction To Hospitality Management}

There always seems to be a lot of confusion when it comes to choosing between a hotel management and a hospitality management degree. Though both hotel management and hospitality management deal with the service sector, they are quite different from each other.

Even though our present-day knowledge of hospitality appears relatively distant than it did in the 19th century, it nonetheless continues to have a timeless objective; to satisfy visitors with exceptional services.

Hospitality management isn’t related to hotels alone; it has a broader focus that includes businesses and services associated with client satisfaction and entertainment. In this broad definition, the hospitality industry includes hotels, resorts, restaurants, catering establishments, retail stores, healthcare establishments, casinos, amusement parks, and many other related businesses. From large global hotel brands to the smallest independent dining establishments, they all are part of the hospitality industry.

When we refer to hospitality, we are referring to the full travel and tourism industry, of which hotel management is a significant branch and revenue driver in India. Hence, students enrolling for a hospitality management degree have a wider range of career options available to them as compared to just hotel management students.

^{Hospitality Management Courses and Career Opportunities in 2023}

Hospitality management courses in India have a duration of 3 years and are offered by both government & private colleges and universities all over the nation. Some common hospitality & tourism courses in India have been listed below:

• Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management
• B.Sc. in Hospitality & Tourism Studies
• B.Sc. in Airline, Tourism & Hospitality
• B.Sc. in Hospitality & Catering Management
• B.Sc. in Hospitality & Hotel Management
• Bachelor of Hospitality Management
• BBA in Hospitality, Travel & Tourism

Traditionally, the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) in India has been very popular and was the default choice for anyone looking to enter the service industry due to the lack of options available to students. However, the curriculum, the teaching methodology and internships/placements for IHM students have been restricted mainly to hotels as compared to newer and more contemporary hospitality courses offered by private universities like Vedatya.

Vedatya’s focus is on the broader definition of hospitality management where Its graduates get opportunities to work with Airlines, Cruises, Banks, Hospitals, and many other interesting and contemporary job profiles within the service industry. Also, Vedatya’s industry-validated hospitality programs offer students multiple exit options at different stages of the 4-year program through a government-recognized degree – Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management awarded by Gurugram University.

The below chart showcases the placement of hospitality management graduates at Vedatya

Source: Data collected from Alumni Survey conducted in 2022 by Vedatya

^{Future of Employment in the Hospitality Industry – 2023 and Beyond}

With strong growth in medical tourism coupled with increasing domestic travel, India’s hospitality & tourism industry is projected to reach US$ 125 billion by FY27 from an estimated US$ 75 billion in FY20 as per IBEF data.

In this context, the demand for hospitality professionals is also growing and the sector is looking for trained professionals to support the growing industry.

Not only are hospitality management graduates being recruited for other client-focused roles that were traditionally restricted to BBA graduates, but they are also being employed as client success managers at banks, key account managers with online travel agencies, sales and business development executives at real estate firms, digital marketing specialists with marketing agencies, and operations executive at hospitals.

Alongside this, the fast-growing footprint of direct-to-consumer brands all around the country has given a push to a lot of food & beverage start-ups. As a result, a lot of hospitality graduates are starting their entrepreneurial journey right after graduation.

At the moment, the industry is booming with a plethora of opportunities and it’s a great time for students to enroll in a hospitality management program and start a successful career in the hospitality industry.