Jobs for tourism management graduates in India is growing at a steady pace. Numerous government and private initiatives have also added to the demand for these jobs. It is estimated that the tourism industry is set to create about 46 million job opportunities by 2025. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), India could add INR 8,50,000 crore to its GDP by 2020. And all this through tourism alone. This means good news for those looking for hospitality and tourism management jobs.
Here are 10 tourism management jobs that are sure to get your career off to a flying start.
1. Travel Consultant
The primary role of a travel consultant is to evaluate a client’s travel needs and offer them the best available options. It requires a high level of confidence and communication skills to ensure customers are thoroughly satisfied with their travel experience. You should be well-versed in CRS (Computer Reservation Systems), foreign exchange, geography, and possess good language and selling skills to get into and thrive in this area. Most importantly, you should keep an ear out for industry news and inform clients of changes to ensure their travel plans aren’t disrupted. Excellent customer service is the key to success in this role.
The average salary for a travel consultant is about INR 3,05,000 and can increase to about INR 5,80,000 per year.
2. Visitor Information Manager
Tourists usually have umpteen questions about the places they’re visiting. They want to know if the place has good connectivity, the best restaurants in the area, the nightlife, places for currency exchange, location of ATMs, and other vital information that cannot be googled easily. As an information manager, your job is to supply information to the queries posed by travelers. For this, you will need to anticipate their needs and prepare yourself for the questions they may ask.
The average starting salary for this role is estimated to be about INR 3,00,000.
3. Event Manager
This is an era of adventure and activity. Weddings, birthdays, and other life events are prefixed with “destination” to make them more memorable and fun. Event managers are responsible for the planning, organization, and execution of these events and ensure they make a mark on the customer’s mind. As such, it is a highly exciting and interesting job which requires people management skills and excellent communication skills.
Average salaries for event managers lie between INR 3,70,000 to INR 4,00,000.
4. Ground Attendant
Ground Attendants at airports have numerous roles and responsibilities. It is their job to assist passengers to and from their flight and everything in between. They have to solve customer queries, answer questions, issue tickets, make reservations, verify traveler IDs, check-in baggage, screen passengers, assist people with special needs, and much more. Timings can be quite irregular owing to the fact that airports are open 24/7. However, they get to be involved in a fast-paced and interesting sector that can open doors to bigger and better roles in the travel industry.
The median salary for an entry-level Ground Attendant is approximately INR 2,50,000.
5. Cruise Manager
Cruise Manager sounds like a dream job, doesn’t it? Well! It is and it is not. While you have a lot of perks, it is one of those tourism management jobs which runs 24/7. And you, as a manager, have to be there no matter what. Still, it is an exciting arena for tourism management professionals. You will be responsible for planning events, organizing day-to-day operations, clerical work, administrative work, and taking care of guests on the cruise.
Cruise Manager is a role with a multitude of responsibilities. Hence, the pay will also be to scale, depending upon the employer.
6. Tour Guide
A place isn’t worth seeing if you have no idea about its history and significance. But you cannot get every bit of information on the web; you still need an experienced hand to walk you through the place and tell the stories no one has heard before. Becoming a tour guide will allow you to enrich people’s minds about a particular place or attraction. The main qualities people look for in a tour guide are charisma, communication, and entertainment. After all, no one wants a history lesson; they want a story.
Tour guides can earn anywhere between INR 1,00,000 to INR 2,50,000 per year. If employed by a private organization, you can expect the pay to be higher.
7. Sales and Marketing Consultant/Manager
Sales and marketing is one of the most common jobs for tourism management graduates. Your main responsibility in sales and marketing would be to, as the title suggests, sell and market tour packages. You will also help design and develop marketing material such as flyers, brochures, ads, website, etc.
Your salary depends on the years of experience you have in this field. If you are a consultant, the average salary you can expect is INR 2,50,000. Managers, however, can earn upwards of INR 5,20,000.
8. Operations Manager
Being an Operations Manager, you will have a lot of responsibilities on your plate. You will be heading and overseeing various departments in your company and ensure clients’ needs are being met satisfactorily. Budgets, strategies, rules, regulations, safety, training, mentoring, and ample other tasks will be under your watch. It is a role that demands leadership, managerial, and interpersonal skills.
As an Operations Manager, your average salary can come up to about INR 7,00,000 and can go up to INR 15,00,000.
9. Adventure Tourism Expert
Adventure tours are quite the rage among youngsters. Hiking, trekking, rappelling, rafting, camping, backpacking, etc. are becoming weekend staples for those looking for a break from their hectic schedules. If you are an adrenaline junkie who would like to pursue an outdoorsy career, then this role is perfect for you. As an adventure tourism expert, you can work as a tour guide, adventure tour operator, outdoor education officer, safari guide, adventure sports trainer, travel and information consultant, diver, adventure sports photographer, etc.
Salaries for individuals in this line of work depend vastly on the location, level of experience, weather, season, and company of employment. On an average, as a fresher with no background in adventure tourism, you can expect a starting salary of INR 1,00,000 per year. However, it can go significantly high if you have the passion and experience to handle such a position.
10. Interpreter/Translator
Travelers who come to India aren’t always familiar with its diverse languages. And it isn’t easy for them to learn a language. Hence, interpreters can be useful for travelers who want to travel the country and experience the culture without any hassle. Translators can help with important documentation for meetings or general communication.
Interpreters and translators are tourism management jobs where you can earn a pretty penny and there is always a need for them in the industry. The average salary for an Interpreter or Translator is about INR 4,75,000.
Besides the salary and high job satisfaction, tourism management degree jobs ensure additional perks and privileges. These may include free or reduced travel expenses for you and your family, high commission during peak season, hefty bonuses, and, in many cases, the opportunity to travel locally or internationally.
While India is one of the most visited countries in the world, there aren’t enough professionals to manage the tourism sector efficiently. There are plenty of tourism management jobs in India but a serious lack of young and dynamic managers to steer them. The BBA in Tourism and Hospitality Management program from MBA ESG fulfils the demands of the industry by equipping students with both operational and managerial skills. This guarantees a lucrative and rewarding career in the tourism industry.