Tag: hotel management courses in kolkata

Google – An Emerging Travel Revolutionist

Google, in the last few years, has transformed from a search engine to an all-powerful online travel advisor. By bringing in a flurry of new and hyper-personalized metasearch platforms like Google Travel and Google Flights, it is changing the world of online travel planning. Read on to find out how.

30-second summary:

  • Most travelers start their planning by making a few quick Google Searches.
  • Over the years, Google has improved its search features and functionalities to include direct booking and comparisons.
  • OTAs and other service providers have to pump up their SEO and SEM strategies to stay on top of things.

From ordering food to planning a trip, almost everything we do today is online. When you start planning a trip (even before you finalize the destination), the first thing you do is to go online and ‘Google’ about the place. Once you have narrowed down a few locations, you move to flights, hotels, things to do, and of course, scour through as many YouTube videos by travel vloggers as you can.  

How many of you open a travel book or consult with a travel advisor these days? Well, not many. And frankly, you don’t need to. Because Google, the world’s most popular Search Engine, is everything you need in a travel guru!

Over the years, Google has become the biggest name in the Dotcom era to an extent where people rarely use the actual phrase, ‘to search online’ and almost always say, ‘Google it.’ The one thing the platform does better than anyone else is providing relevant answers to ALL your queries in the quickest time possible.

What Does Google Mean for the Travel Industry?

While hundreds and thousands of Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) provide services via websites and Social Media channels, Google’s entry in this segment is the biggest game-changer for the travel industry, impacting several players – hotels, airlines, buses, restaurants, entertainment services, etc.

Its feature upgrades and new releases provide users exactly the information they are looking for and allow them to book flights and hotels in just a few taps. In short, Google is the next big travel revolutionist.

With this paradigm shift, there is an increasing need for hospitality professionals who understand the nuances of Google ads and retargeting campaigns. At Avlon Shiksha Niketan, one of the leading Hospitality Management Institutes in Kolkata, we have developed highly industry-centric courses in aviation, hospitality, and tourism management to impart the aspirants with the necessary skills that make them job-ready in the truest sense of the term by the time they finish their course.

So, in this blog today, we, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, a well-known tourism and aviation college in Kolkata, will be shedding light on why Google is emerging as the unerring choice for travel recommendations even though there are multiple other channels like airline websites, OTAs, hotel booking platforms like Expedia, Airbnb, etc., in the mix. Read on.

The Story of Google’s Evolution from ‘Just a Search Engine’ to the Ultimate Travel Helpdesk

If you are an internet person (which you probably are because you are reading this blog online), you must have noticed how Google has enhanced its search features over the years. A decade back, a typical travel-related search on Google showed pages of SEO content from websites. However, things have changed ever since. Now, relevant ads and metasearch results (website links that come with a short description) are on top of every search return, pushing organic results further down. It results from many new search features, revised SEO algorithms, and changes in customer behavior.

To meet the demands of this changing digital scenario, companies need digitally skilled professionals now more than ever. And we, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, one of the leading tourism, hospitality, and aviation colleges in Kolkata, are right here to ease of the path to kick start your career by providing you with insights, skills, and hands-on know-how of the latest industry trends.

2010 through 2021 – The Wave of Feature-Rich Changes

Google is a pioneer when it comes to adopting new technology to upgrade existing services or products. And here are the landmark events of this decade:

  • Google Flights – The first big change for Google as a travel concierge happened in 2010 when it acquired a tourism data company called ITA for 700 million USD. This formed the first of Google’s many travel metasearch platforms, Google Flights.

 

  • Hotel Finder – Following its raging success in air travel bookings, Google released the beta program for its Hotel Finder feature in 2011. Now Google Maps (an insanely useful Google service) shows not only the location but also hotel rates.

 

  • Google Travel – In 2014, Google licensed a California-based start-up, Rooms 77, to create Google Travel. This licensing allowed Google to access the start-up’s hotel comparison and booking metasearch function and make it a global success via its search engine.

 

  • Property Promotion Ads – To allow hotels to drive more profit, Google introduced Property Promotion ads via Google AdWords. This feature allows hotels to bid and book ad slots to drive more traffic and overcome demand slumps.

 

  • Travel Planners – Why stop at flights and hotels when you can offer customers a more holistic travel experience? In its newest metasearch platform, Google allows you to plan an entire vacation, complete with places to explore and must-do activities all from one dashboard.

 

  • COVID-19 Travel Advisories – Technology is anything that makes your life simpler. Google knows this very well. To accommodate travel changes due to the ongoing pandemic, Google has introduced its latest travel feature where users can search for all COVID-related travel advisories for a location. So, instead of visiting multiple websites to collect relevant information, this feature brings everything under one place. Isn’t this the answer to all your prayers?

Summing Up

As Google continues to add new features, it is really all about how well OTAs and other service providers who use the Search Engine for promotions adapt to these changes. What was enough, even a few years back (traditional SEO with spammy keywords) is not going to make the cut it in this era.

Today, it is not only important to have good quality content on a website, but it is also mandatory to have a strong presence on Google Business listings and run effective display and remarketing ads. As such, if you are a part of the travel and tourism industry in any way, it is of utmost importance for you to upskill and reskill yourself with the necessary technical know-how. Sign up for our industry-relevant courses at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, a renowned tourism and aviation college in Kolkata, and gain an in-depth knowledge of all the skills you need to function in the industry.

Most Innovative Hotel & Accommodation Concepts from Across the World

Most Innovative Hotel & Accommodation Concepts from Across the World

 

While adventure and pristine sights make a good part of a holiday, hotels or inns or even a humble homestay are another major reason most people look forward to traveling. So, in this article today, let us have a look at six of the most innovative hotels from around the world that have truly redefined the meaning of ‘unique’ when it comes to accommodation concepts.

30-second summary:

  • Energy efficiency is one of the hottest concepts in the hotel industry. The Tree Hotel, The Svart, etc., are great examples of hotels that use energy efficiently.
  • Modern Technology and architecture have allowed people to explore remote areas like the Arctic Circle while still living in luxury.
  • Space-saving AI-based design and robotics is the new rage in city hotels like the Yotel.

 

Crisp white linen, the fancy hot tub, beautiful interiors, or the hotel architecture itself, there is more than one aspect that people look for while making their bookings for the hotels. That particularly holds true in the current times where hotels worldwide are changing the very definition of stylish living from castles to tree-houses, marrying functionality and creativity seamlessly to provide unique experiences to customers.

So, while we all are waiting for travel restrictions to ease around the world, we, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, one of the best tourism management institutes in Kolkata, thought of getting you a list of some of the most innovative hotel and accommodation concepts from around the world that you all can eye for and add to your ‘to-visit’ bucket list. Read on.

Hotels from Around the World that Redefine Unique

  1. The Tree Hotel, Sweden

Every child dreams of a treehouse. Some do it, even as adults. So, if your dream has always been to spend a few days amid nature and live like Tarzan, The Tree Hotel should be your number one pick. Nestled in the trees in the remote Swedish village of Harads, this hotel property has six tree rooms and one state-of-art sauna, perched amongst trees at 13-20 feet off the ground.

Some of the most popular tree rooms are the UFO room (that looks like an extra-terrestrial pod) and the Mirrorcube (lined with mirrors on all sides), giving spectacular 360-degree views of the surroundings. The Tree Hotel has hydroelectric heating systems and combustion toilets to effectively incinerate waste, making it a true friend of nature.

  1. Svart, Norway

This hotel looks straight out of a sci-fi movie and looks as if an alien warlord set up his shop near the Svartisen glacier in the Arctic circle! Well, even if that were true, their choice of location and their energy-first approach is something to admire.

This newly opened luxury hotel (in 2021) is a design wonder and produces more energy than it uses! Svart is the first of its kind energy-efficient hotel complex with 100 rooms, a sustainable farm to feed the four multi-cuisine restaurants, and a design lab.

Equipped with solar panels and hydro-power supplies, the architecture and strategic placement of rooms and facility centers is such that it maximizes solar energy utilization. So, if the Northern lights, Santa’s village, and penguins are on your bucket list, we, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, would like to assure you that this hotel is definitely your wonderland.

  1. Hotel Kakslauttanen, Finland

Another masterpiece in remote parts of the Arctic circle, this hotel is a testament to technology improving life even in the harshest of climes. Their selling point, glass igloos, and geodesic domes allow you to live like the Innuits but with all modern luxury.

Enjoy the luxurious dance of Aurora Borealis, sip hot chocolate and snuggle up near the fireplace. One night at this hotel is sure to give you the experiences of a lifetime. 

  1. Yotel, New York

So, one for the city lovers, Yotel in the world’s favorite city, New York, takes being futuristic to a different level. These pod-style hotels combine business and luxury seamlessly. Their front desk has a cute nickname, ‘mission control,’ and they offer ultramodern services like self-check-in, a robot concierge called Yobot (isn’t the cutest name for a robot?), and motorized beds that save space in a cramped city like New York.

This hotel is the very definition of space design and showcases optimum utilization of resources.

  1. The Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort, Abu Dhabi

This list had to include hotels from the middle-east. After all, the middle-east is one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations. The Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort has 212 luxurious rooms sprawled across the vast desert and truly lives up to its name, ‘Mirage Place.’ The resort is complete with a huge pool, Arabic tents as common areas, a luxury spa, and several restaurants serving local delicacies and world cuisine.

If you stay here, wake up early to see the spectacular sunrise, watch camel caravans dallying their way into the vastness of the surrounding desert or take a dip in the amoeba-shaped pool. We, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, one of the best tourism management institutes in Kolkata, can assure you that the experience would certainly be worth every penny you spend!

  1. The Green Village Bamboo House, Bali

For all beach lovers out there, here’s our pick (a tough choice, we must admit) for a tropical hotel that is luxurious and quirky at the same time. In fact, we, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, believe that The Green Village Bamboo House is not just a hotel but a self-sustained community of nature lovers. Every structure (houses, common facilities, hotel rooms, etc.) in this village is made with locally sourced bamboo and offers amazing #instaready photo opportunities.

Staying at the Green Village is the perfect way to live like and with locals while still enjoying the perks of hotels.

Summing Up

While stuck at the homes for more than a year, hoping and praying the pandemic to go away soon, the dream of that perfect holiday is what is keeping a lot of people afloat. Here’s hoping this curated list of innovative hotels is enough fuel to keep your travel fantasies burning till you can pack up and leave on a jet plane! But before you do, check with local authorities about COVID protocols and always mask up. Safety is still the priority.

Bon voyage!

Event Management Rising as a Bright Career Domain for Hospitality Professionals

The industry of event management has come a long way from where it was a few years ago. Let us have an insight into the growth that this industry has recently registered and the varied career opportunities that the industry has in store.

30-second summary

  • Hospitality professionals have got a wide variety of job roles to choose from and pursue a career in the event management arena.
  • Event Planner, Event Manager, Exhibition Organizer, Wedding Planner, etc., are some of the most popular job profiles in the profession of event management.
  • Aspirants may earn up to INR 3.6 lakh per annum at an entry-level event management position.
  • Event management is one of the brightest career choices at this juncture of time.

The hospitality industry is indeed one of the best career domains in the country at present. It is a booming niche that has consistently registered a significant rise in the growth rate. And one of the key segments of the hospitality industry that’s particularly showing a steep rise is event management. In 2016-17, the total market share of this industry was 56.31 billion, and it has been ever since growing at a steady pace registering a CAGR of 20%. The experts have predicted that the market will reach the benchmark of 100 billion by 2021.

There is hence no reason to doubt the enormous potential this industry stands endowed with and the massive scope of opportunities it has in store for hospitality professionals. And on that note, we, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, a renowned tourism management institute in Kolkata, would like to share with you today a brief overview of varied job roles and opportunities that the event management industry extends to ambitious minds. 

Job Roles in Event Management

If you are a hospitality student, you would know the basics of public event management and people handling skills. The skills you acquire as a hospitality student always keep you ahead when it comes to performing as an efficient and expert event planner or manager. So let us now have a look at how diversified the field of work event management is and what are the various job roles you can take up being a part of the domain.

  • Event Planner

If you wish to kick-start your career in the event management domain, choosing the role of an event planner would be a wise one. This job role will require you to plan the events carefully, keeping every detail and requirement of the client in mind. This will offer you an insight into the grass-root level operations of the events and help you become a proficient event manager of the future. If you are a fresher looking for suitable opportunities in event management, an event planner would be the perfect job role for you.

 

  • Event Manager

Once you have gained enough knowledge about event planning and the execution of those plans, the event manager can be the next level of responsibility for you. An event manager remains responsible for the end-to-end organization of an event. Event managers also remain entirely accountable to the clients.  With a few years of experience in your bag, you can start climbing the ladder of success by stepping on this job role.

 

  • Exhibition Organizer

The expanse of event management also includes organizing exhibitions and fairs. Since exhibitions and fairs have a specific commercial angle, managing these events require special skills and planning. You can also start your career as an exhibition planner, which is a profile as promising as that of an event planner.

 

  • Wedding Planner

A wedding tries and tests the skills of an event planner or manager like no other event. From decoration, lighting, floral arrangements, guest welcoming to catering, a wedding planner handles hundreds of tasks singlehandedly. When you launch your career as a wedding planner, your profile automatically receives a boost, which later on makes your path of success much easier and smoother.

 

  • Corporate Event Planner

Corporate events are one of the most critical projects the events management domain deals with. Plenty of multinationals, giant corporate houses, etc., outsource the task of organizing parties, award ceremonies, training sessions, product demonstrations, meetings with delegates, and more to the event management firms.  As an aspirant, you can also be a part of these arrangements.

 

  • Logistics Manager

Logistics has always remained a vital segment of the event management domain. Be it receiving the guests or transporting things from one place to the venue, logistics managers play a critical role in ensuring smooth execution of the event plans.

 

As a hospitality professional in the event management domain, you could get to work on any of the job roles mentioned here, or your responsibilities may even extend far beyond the ones listed above. But whatever be the job profile, as an event management professional, it is vital that you possess the basic skills of creativity, innovation, leadership, communication, budget management, and time management to thrive and succeed in the domain.

Earning Potential in Event Management Domain

While opportunities are abundant in the event management domain, the earning potential of this sector makes the picture brighter. Even though the payoffs often depend on the size of the organized events, it also means that there are no restrictive limits for earning for an experienced event manager. If you have enough years of experience in your bag and a good reputation in the market, you can start your own firm and earn substantially.

On the other hand, the event management sector does not offer the new entrants any less. On average, new joiners may easily earn around INR 3.5 to 3.7 lakh per annum and may go as high as 62.5 lakh per annum with experience and expertise. Since the growth potential of this sector is high enough, people pursuing a career in this sector will always have the opportunity to earn more.

Event Management as a Career Choice

If you have done a course in hospitality, event management will surely be a prospective option for you to start your career with. With so many varieties of events taking place in India and around the world, the market has enough scope and opportunities to offer. Moreover, it is the one field of work that allows people to deploy their creativity, travel, socialize and explore the world. Therefore, if you are an adventurer at heart and looking for a perfect career choice, event management will simply be one of the best for you.

At Avlon Shiksha Niketan, we firmly believe that choosing the right path is of paramount importance if you want to launch your career on firm grounds. And event management is undoubtedly one of the best choices hospitality professionals have right now. To jump-start your career in event management, make sure you have relevant education along with rich industry know-how. And we, at Avlon, are here to help attain just that!

We, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, are regarded as one of the best hospitality and tourism management institutes in Kolkata, offering world-class education and training to the young aspiring minds willing to make a career in the hospitality domain. We make sure that each of our students groom really well to adapt to the ever-changing environment of the industry. Experiential learning techniques, advanced curriculum, practical oriented teaching, and more make our hospitality program one of its kind. So join us at Avlon Shiksha Niketan and carve a bright career in the ever-growing hospitality industry.

The Emerging New Opportunities in the Tourism Industry

The COVID pandemic has changed the very ways of operation of the tourism industry. While new benchmarks are being set to carry on this industry, new opportunities are also emerging out of these alterations. Let us take a close look into how the pandemic has introduced new trends to the tourism business and what opportunities lay ahead of the domain to climb its ladder of success once more.

30-Second Summary

  • An insight into the current scenario of the tourism industry and the scope that lay ahead
  • New emerging trends leading the industry to more opportunities for growth and flourishing
  • Opportunity for the students willing to pursue courses related to tourism

The travel and tourism industry has always been one of the leading industries of any economy. A significant part of every nation’s GDP comes from this industry. Hence, pursuing a career in travel and tourism would always be an intelligent choice. Even though recent times have been a little harsh on this sector, with the vaccines available and preventive measures being followed, the tourism domain is all ready to welcome people from across the corners of the world.

There’s no denying that despite the challenges faced due to the COVID pandemic, the future of the tourism industry appears promising and full of opportunities. At Avlon Shiksha Niketan, a renowned tourism management institute in Kolkata, we believe that humans have the ability to turn every adversity into an opportunity. And with the emerging new trends, fresh opportunities have already started rejuvenating the domain. On that note, here is a list of trends set by the pandemic, which are actually widening the scopes of growth for the travel and tourism industry.

New Trends Taking Over the Industry of Tourism

The number of travelers worldwide indeed presents an unusual picture of the tourism industry at present. However, there remain a lot of scopes for bringing about improvements as well. As new trends are emerging, following the freshly imposed restrictions and protocols, the tourism industry is also sensing new opportunities to be unfolded. Here are some trends that are offering new hope to this evergreen industry.

  • With remote working being the new trend, people are leaning towards leisure more than before

When restrictions become the rule, the intent to break through becomes spontaneous. With more people living a confined life, abiding by the remote working rules, the requirement of refreshments and leisure times are becoming more intense. People who earlier had little intentions to go for holidays are now planning long trips to shed off their shambles imposed by the pandemic. While remote working is surely a new trend, it is also opening new horizons for the tourism industry by turning every individual into a travel enthusiast.

  • A shift from international to local travels has brought in opportunities for local areas

Traveling to other countries with so many COVID restrictions listed can be more hassle than fun. Also, international trips today come with the risk of being held up in one place far from home in case of a lockdown. Therefore, people are looking for short breaks and nearby destinations.

Therefore, the local travel business is sure to surge in the coming months, which indeed is a silver lining for the industry. Local tourism always boosts local employment and economies. Besides, while plenty of cross-country flights remain suspended, interstate flights are being a competent resort for running the business feasibly.

  • Emphasis on contactless payments enabling faster services

Gone are the days when you could find people falling out about the payments and consuming hours to clear off the disputes, delaying the entire process of ticketing, check-in, and more. COVID has made contactless payment a staple for all of us.

This, in turn, has made the financial transactions more transparent, fast, and accurate. Be it GPay or any other, people can now pay the dues or buy tickets without entering into any arguments or misappropriations. This trend has opened fresh opportunities for the tourism industry as a whole. The hotels can now receive payments in a contactless manner facilitating a faster and transparent service.

  • VR tourism opening up many untamed opportunities to be explored

There is no denying that nothing can replace the experience of visiting a place physically.  However, with so many restrictions posed on traveling and the looming threats of contraction lingering around every corner, plenty of people are opting for virtual reality tours. This emerging trend of VR tours can be a part of the tourism industry to a significant extent in the near future.

With VR tourism making its place in the industry, people are loving to get transported to a world of fantasy and beauty sitting at the cozy corner of their home, without bothering about infections, hassle, or transport issues. VR tourism is, in fact, an entirely new horizon for the tourism industry to be ventured and has got immense potential to be explored.

  • Solo travel gaining a lot of attention from the tourists fraternity

Vacations generally mean traveling with family and kids. But the pandemic has altered the way people thought of traveling altogether. Now, more people are opting for solo travels as it involves less risk for families. No one wants their near and dear ones to be impacted by the diabolic virus. Hence, plenty of people are choosing solo trips over family vacations. This will surely offer the tourism industry a separate vertical to indulge in.

New Trends & Opportunities have Further Raised the Career Scope in Tourism Industry

With the new trends making their place in the tourism industry, a lot of new opportunities have cropped up for those willing to make a career in the niche. The future is likely to have a higher demand for professionally trained tourism experts. Hence, pursuing relevant courses in travel and tourism from a reputed institute would be an added advantage at present. Tourism graduates are more likely to find jobs within their states, with local traveling gaining more importance owing to the pandemic. Besides, trained tourism professionals can also indulge in entrepreneurial endeavors as demand for backpacking traveler’s huts and solo traveler’s huts will go higher in the future. There’s no denying that knowledge of the hospitality industry will always keep you ahead in the run.

At Avlon Shiksha Niketan, an esteemed tourism management institute in Kolkata, we believe that every change comes with new opportunities, and for the tourism industry, the recent trends will prove to be a game-changer. As the pioneers in aviation, travel, and tourism management education, we, at Avlon, have taken it up as our responsibility to make sure that our students get professional grooming to cope well with the industry’s advancing standards. With our industry-centric curriculum and hands-on training sessions, we are leaving no stones unturned in ensuring that our students grow capable enough of extracting the best out of any opportunity, odd or even.

The Core Managerial Challenges in the Niche of Tourism Management & the Key Ways to Overcome Them

Tourism management has its own share of challenges, which the Coronavirus pandemic has further elevated. Let us have a look at some of the core challenges and issues that tourism management professionals are currently facing and the key ways they can take to overcome these challenges effectively.

30-seconds summary:

  • Building and maintaining a credible online presence is not only the need of the hour but is also one of the biggest challenges amid the growing competition in the industry
  • The need is to maintain a balance between the global and local suppliers to prevent supply chain disruptions
  • The significance of market studies in keeping up with customer expectations is undeniable
  • Mitigating the challenges of the global pandemic through introducing a host of new health and security measures

In the past couple of years, the tourism industry has come up as one of the chief drivers of growth among the service sector in the country. In the last financial year, thirty-nine million jobs were created in this sector, and the number is expected to rise by two percent per annum to lead to more than fifty-two million jobs by 2028. Furthermore, during this period, both the rate of foreign tourist arrival and the presence of hotel chains in India are going to rise in tandem.

Thus, there is no denying that the industry is broadening its horizon at a rapid pace, with more key players and greater opportunities coming to the forefront. And, in such an ever-growing sector with rising competition, challenges are bound to come up on a day-to-day basis. As such, mitigating those challenges and moving past them is what makes a tourism manager truly stand out in his/her field.

With that being said, we, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, a renowned tourism management institute in Kolkata, will take a closer look in this article today at the major managerial challenges in the niche of tourism management and the most effective ways to overcome them.

Building and maintaining a credible online presence

We live in the day and age where an average tourist would spend hours online researching about the place, the hotels, the restaurants, and more before booking anything. In fact, eighty percent of travelers take over four weeks to complete their research and actually book something. In such a scenario, if the tourism management fails to offer adequate attention to their online presence, the losses would run too high to count.

As such, many management teams are going for approaches where they partner with famous cab aggregators to combine their powerful web presence with successful mobile apps. Additionally, there is increased attention being paid to organic SEO, content marketing, and responsive apps and websites.

The disruption of the supply chains across the industry

The tourism industry heavily relies on the diverse network of global supply chains, many of which have been deeply imfpacted by the pandemic. As a matter of fact, seventy-five percent of the companies have claimed that their supply chains have been disrupted. Furthermore, some of the supply chains that have remained relatively the same until now are likely to experience issues in the future.

As a way to address this issue, the management has to create contingency plans for maintaining a high level of service. Per se, one of the viable options is hiring suppliers from other countries and opting for alternative delivery companies and local replacements. Thus, tourism management professionals have to understand the necessity to maintain a balance between the global and local suppliers.

Keeping up with the changes in guest expectations

Keeping up with the demands of the modern-day tech-savvy and worldly-wise guests is certainly one of the major challenges faced by the tourism industry. With a majority of the establishments bringing in sophisticated tech involving AI and VR, along with increasing the expenditure on smart gadgets and rooms, a company that is yet to invest in these aspects is certainly going to lag behind. Thus, the startups that are newly setting foot in the industry have to learn too much too soon, and thus, raise more capital in order to meet the demands of their target audience.

Of course, the businesses that have newly started making their presence felt in the industry need their tourism management professionals to come up with other avenues to entice the customers. As such, the management can decide on reward systems, discounts and offers, and a better marketing budget in order to fulfill customer expectations within the company’s allotted resources.

Maintenance of their own service standards

We, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, have noticed that the common perception about the scenario of increased competition is about addressing the need to be better than the competitors in the market. However, it is equally challenging for businesses to maintain and improve their own service standards in the current scenario, where everyone is targeting the same group of millennial travelers.

So, the key to solving this particular challenge starts with carrying out a thorough market study focusing on the specific demands of customers from the business. As such, it is not only about ensuring the presence of advanced facilities, but also about having a structured training schedule for all the employees. Moreover, even the tourism management teams have to keep themselves updated about the latest trends in the market and have them followed accordingly.

A host of challenges brought in by the global pandemic

The fact remains that the global pandemic has compounded the challenges that were already being faced by the tourism managers. For instance, the pace of digitalization had to be accelerated, the facilities for contactless travel had to be established, and the employees were trained and prepared again, and so on. To top it off, the message that all these additional steps are carrying had to convincingly reach the customers to make them rely on the business more.

There is no denying that the pandemic has changed the tourism industry in unforeseen ways. The high-mileage travelers are changing their bucket lists and focusing more on the options that are safer and closer home. Thus, it offers the right opportunity for the tourism management professionals to focus more on the traveling ‘experience’ offered by their companies, along with ensuring a greater attention to maintaining the general safety protocols.

When it comes to facing the multitude of core managerial challenges in the tourism industry, the young professionals need to be trained and prepped to the optimum, whereby they become the solutions that the sector needs. And this is where Avlon Shiksha Niketan comes into the picture as one of the premier tourism management institutes in Kolkata, successfully honing and grooming the aspirants for past many years to enable them to make their mark in the niche of tourism and travel management. With our holistic and real-world based approaches, we, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, have always made sure that all our students are prepped up well to turn challenges into accomplishments in their illustrious careers

Significance of Sustainability in the Tourism & Hospitality Industry

Sustainable practices have been lately gaining a lot of attention from almost all industry verticals, and the hospitality sector is no exception to it. In this article today, let us have a look at the importance of sustainability in the hospitality sector and a few viable measures that are have been adopted by the industry in this regard.

30-seconds summary:

  • Sustainable management practices turn out to be more cost-effective in the long run
  • Sustainability is a crucial factor in the choices made by modern travelers, especially the millennials
  • Millennials want to work for businesses that adopt sustainable practices
  • The brand image created by adopting green practices helps in bringing greater profits

The hospitality sector historically has had an undeniable environmental impact through its water and energy consumption, use of durable and consumable goods, and hazardous and solid waste creation. In fact, the sector is responsible for about 8% of the global greenhouse gas emissions, which makes hotels the second-largest polluters. The environmental impact of the sector is so pronounced that the Paris Climate accord has explicitly addressed the hotels to bring down their carbon emissions by 66% by 2030.

In such a scenario, adopting sustainable practices becomes a necessity rather than an option for the hospitality industry. And, we, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, a renowned tourism management institute in Kolkata, are saying this not only from the viewpoint of environmental concerns but also from the customers’ perspective. Indeed, adopting sustainable practices can offer multifold benefits of customer satisfaction, environmental wellbeing, and profit acquisition. Let us explain this in detail by outlining the significance of sustainability in the hospitality industry.

Busting the myth of green operations being more expensive

There is a widely believed myth that green operations are invariably more expensive, and the guests don’t really care much about it. Let’s start with unraveling the truth about the first part of that sentence, shall we?

As per reports, recent advancements in technology related to renewable sources of energy, such as wind or solar energy, have considerably reduced the long-term costs incurred by the hospitality businesses. Of course, we are not denying that the initial cost of setting up such alternative energy sources is a bit on the steeper side, but it’s also true that these setups pretty much pay for themselves in the long run.

Moreover, when the businesses decide to go green, the encouragement comes from multiple quarters. The government offers several financial grants, tax write-offs, and expedited permitting for sustainable practices, and even insurance companies provide premium discounts.

That’s not all! An important aspect of sustainability in the hospitality industry is the employee training program to help them embrace green practices. It ensures improved performance and efficiency from the employees, which further helps to bring in the profits.

Adding to the guest experience and ensuring happy customers

Now, let’s come to the second part of the aforementioned myth: the customers are not concerned about sustainability. This is even farther from the truth because 87% of travelers rate sustainability as a crucial factor in their choices, and almost 40% actively opt for more sustainable lodging and travel options.

To add to that, two-third of the travelers indicate that they are willing to pay at least five percent more for sustainable alternatives. This trend also extends to their travel choices as a majority of tourists look for eco-holidays nowadays. And, the ever-rising demand for eco-tourism bears testimony to that.

From our years of experience as one of the leading hospitality and tourism management institute in Kolkata, we, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, can vouch for the fact that all these trends are mainly being set by the millennials as they are the ones with the spending power. And, millennials are keener on supporting brands with strong environmental and social policies, whereby greener management practices are not just there on paper but in practice. So, even if the aim is to attract and appease more customers, a viable way for the industry is to go green.

Creating a stronger and better brand image for the businesses

The brand image of the businesses in the hospitality sector is strongly linked to the customers’ perception of them. In a world where a few bad reviews can make or break the reputation of an establishment, sustainable practices might just be the key to make the customers happy and satisfied.

It is important to keep in mind that the millennials take pride in having a clear idea about which brands are walking the walk instead of just talking the talk. So, investing in sustainable business practices will ensure an enhanced brand image and reputation that translates into bigger profits in the long-term.

Besides, it’s not only the guests and their satisfaction, but also about the employees and their preferences. The millennial professionals prefer to work for socially responsible companies. In fact, 70% of millennials claim to want to work for companies that help them in contributing to environmental and social issues. Thus, with sustainability being a major perk for the guests and the employees, it has to be on the top of the agenda for the employers.

The sustainable practices being adopted by the hospitality industry

The good news is that the significance of sustainability, as showcased above, has been realized by the hospitality industry. To that effect, several established and new businesses have already adopted green policies in the operations and management of their hotels and restaurants. Most hospitality businesses now prefer to work with vendors who follow the same green philosophy. After all, the products used in the hotel or restaurant have a direct impact on the overall sustainability of the operations.

Across the industry, businesses of different types and scales have embraced the policies of recycle and reuse and are paying greater attention to smarter waste management. Furthermore, regular training of the employees is being emphasized by the businesses because the staff has to be well-equipped to enact the policies levied by the top management.

To help the hospitality industry move forward with effective sustainable strategies, the need of the hour is skilled and proficient young professionals with adequate prior knowledge of the green practices. And, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, one of the most prominent tourism management institute in Kolkata, we are doing the same by training our students to lead from the front when it comes to ushering an era of sustainability in the industry. Our advanced training in tourism and hospitality pays special attention to the real-world scenarios of eco-friendly practices and environmental management. And, this not only makes our students more skilled and employable but also serves as the way forward to making the planet cleaner and greener.

An Overview of the Key Segments of the Hospitality Industry

The hospitality industry is a vast arena comprising of a number of elements that work cohesively under the banner of hospitality. In this article, we will discuss the key segments of the hospitality industry and their roles in customer satisfaction.

30-second summary:

  • The hospitality industry has four key segments, namely, lodging and accommodation, food and beverages, travel and tourism, and entertainment and recreation.
  • Each of the segments involves varied job opportunities with varying degrees of direct customer interaction.
  • Customer satisfaction is the main aim for all sectors of the hospitality industry.
  • Lucrative career prospects exist in every segment of the hospitality industry.

The hospitality industry represents a bustling, multibillion-dollar industrial sector with a myriad of categories. And, the focus towards delivering the finest customer service is the unifying factor of all these segments. In any case, the coming together of these varied sectors of the industry is what ensures that the needs of the guests or travelers are catered to in a holistic manner.

At Avlon Shiksha Niketan, the leading hospitality management institute in Kolkata, we believe that the hospitality industry is a well-oiled machinery with each segment acting as a cog that keeps the system running smoothly for years. Thus, as you plan to foray into any of the categories of the industry in future, we believe that it’s crucial for you to have an understanding of the roles and responsibilities that comes with each segment. After all, each category can work only as well as the people who are a part of managing and running it. Keeping that in mind, today, we have brought to you an overview of the key segments of the hospitality industry.

The four key segments defining the hospitality industry

The hospitality industry consists, by and large, of four key segments, namely:

  • Lodging and accommodation
  • Food and beverages
  • Travel and tourism
  • Entertainment and recreation

As mentioned above, each of these segments has a crucial role to play in ensuring that the industry thrives and maintains its profitable stature. Let’s take a closer look at all of these segments one at a time.

Lodging and Accommodation

This segment covers a wide expanse which involves all kinds of facilities that provide lodging services, right from luxurious resorts, lavish hotels, bed & breakfast establishments, to campgrounds. Though we can’t deny that world-class amenities and comfort are at the heart of great accommodation, it’s also true that efficient customer service is indispensable to any hotel or resort. And, this is where your skilled expertise will come into place.

If you are entrusted with a role in managing the lodging and accommodation section of an establishment, you can have a variety of responsibilities. For instance, you can work as a front office associate or a concierge. In both these job roles, you will be handling a considerable amount of direct customer interaction.

According to reports, there is expected to be a 6% and 9% increase in the demand for lodging manager and front office associate jobs, respectively, within the year 2026.

Food and Beverages

The food and beverages segment covers everything from a simple bistro to a high-end restaurant and all other catering establishments in between. This segment is further divided into three key categories:

  • Quick-service restaurants: These establishments mainly focus on garnering quick meals, drinks, and snacks (For example – Pizza Hut or KFC).
  • Full-service restaurants: It refers to a typical eatery that features course meals, drinks menu, and other food services. Fine dining to themed restaurants are all full-service establishments.
  • Catering businesses: This category mainly offers services for special occasions, like birthday parties and weddings.

At Avlon, we have often seen that people have a misplaced notion that being a chef is the only major role in this segment. However, the truth is that you can have a really lucrative and fulfilling career here, working as a part of the restaurant or food management team.

Travel and Tourism

There’s another commonly mistaken idea that we have noted, and that is considering tourism as something synonymous with hospitality, instead of counting it as a segment. In fact, it is one of the most important elements of the hospitality industry because, as you can guess, the other segments largely depend on it. The travel and tourism sector mainly involves the responsibility of moving people from one destination to another. Thus, without adequate development of travel and tourism in any region, the growth of the hospitality industry would also be stunted.

If you are a part of this particular segment of the hospitality industry, you’ll be probably working as crew members in the airlines, cruise ships, and the likes. As such, your focus areas to excel in the sector would be customer satisfaction, relationship management, and other integrated marketing and management skills that are necessary for smooth running and expansion of the business.

Entertainment and Recreation

The fourth segment of the hospitality industry is the entertainment sector, which is, in fact, also increasingly coming up as one of the significant aspects of traveling. At the end of the day, wouldn’t you want your traveling experience to be filled with all the fun and adventure to make it even more memorable? Keeping that in mind, activities like golf, casino games, nightclubs, bars, and private cruises have also been included as an integral part of the industry at present.

As an entry-level professional working under this segment, you can be a part of the team handling event management, meeting and convention planning, meeting coordinator, and so on. The earning potential and career scope are pretty good, and you can expect to keep rising higher and higher as you gain experience in the domain.

We, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, being in the domain of hospitality management education for several years and recognized as a renowned hospitality management college in Kolkata, know what it takes to thrive and flourish in the various segments of the hospitality industry. We prepare our students to foray into these varied sectors of the hospitality industry through extensive skill training and experiential learning. At Avlon, we believe you can excel at any job role that you choose once your foundation of knowledge and expertise are set right. And this is exactly what we do at Avlon. We lay a firm foundation for our pupils to enable them to soar high in the skies of professional success. Our alumni have always been making us proud by finding their place in some of the top-notch companies operating on national and international levels. And, we are sure that our present and future students will keep bringing us similar glories by making their mark in the various segments of the hospitality industry.

What All You Need to Know to Crack the GD-PI for Hotel Management Admissions

GD-PI forms a crucial part of the interviews for hotel management admissions. This article will outline the strategies that you can follow to crack the GD-PI rounds, and be better prepared to join us for the next academic session at Avlon Shiksha Niketan.

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30-second summary:

  • GD-PI is one of the key hurdles you need to cross to join the top hotel management courses in the country.
  • The communication skills, thinking and decision-making abilities, and leadership qualities are judged in the GD-PI round.
  • It is important to have a strong awareness about the current occurrences in the country and beyond to ace the rounds.
  • The genuineness and sincerity of candidates can earn them more points than the memorized answers.

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The hospitality industry has been among the key drivers of growth in the service sector of India for the past few years. The major share has been contributed by the hotel management sector, which has not only secured its place among the top employment generating domains but is also significantly contributing to the nation’s economy. Hotel management is one of those professional domains that offer a plethora of opportunities for career development, fast growth, and lucrative salary potential to its pursuers. If you have the drive to take up challenges at work, can effectively handle public relations, and can skillfully manage multiple duties, the domain of hotel management can be the best fit for you.

However, in order to inch closer to your dream career, you need to get aptly trained in the varied aspects of the hotel management sector from a reputed institution. And, any top institution in the country will require you to appear for a GD-PI (Group Discussion-Personal Interview) round in the admission process.

With that in mind, we, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, regarded as the best institute for hotel management in Siliguri, have decided to give you today a couple of tips on how to ace the GD-PI round of your hotel management admissions.

Understanding the Demands of the GD-PI Round

Before we take you through more details of the varied ways in which you can prepare yourself for the interview, let us first brief the factors on which you will be tested on in the GD-PI sessions.

So, for the group discussion round, you can expect to get topics from recent events such as politics, different cultures, cuisines, latest news, and more alike to discuss. For this round, you will be tested on your level of confidence, communication skills, and leadership qualities in comparison with other candidates in the room. Moreover, you will also be judged based on your ability to get your points across while respecting the opinions of your opponents.

Coming to the personal interview round, you will face a panel of interviewers here who will ask you a number of questions. Their aim would be to assess your knowledge, communication skills, and quick thinking abilities. Furthermore, in both the GD and PI rounds, you will also be evaluated based on your personal grooming and body language.

Most Common Questions Asked in the Personal Interview Round

Though we cannot outline the exact questions or the number of questions that will be asked to you during the personal interview round, it is something that’s completely dependent on the interviewers’ judgment and the answers of the candidate. However, in any case, the interviewers try to assess the knowledge and point-of-view of the candidates.

Having said that, the following questions and answering tips will give you a sense of the personal interview proceedings.

  • Tell us a bit about yourself.

A: The interviewers usually start with this question. Your job here is to keep the language and speech clear, and talk about your academic background, extracurricular achievements, interests, and hobbies.

  • Why did you choose hotel management as your career?

A: You can outline your inspirations, talk about your role models in the industry, and even share any anecdotes that led you to choose hotel management as your career. Keep in mind that it’s important to show your passion for the field, but that should be done without going overboard.

  • What are your strengths and weaknesses?

A: Now, this one is a tricky question! Your answer should be focused on your strengths, without making it sound like you are boasting. It is also important to mention your weaknesses in the end while talking about the steps you are taking to overcome those weaknesses.

  • Where do you see yourself in five or ten years?

You will have to outline what you hope to learn and achieve, along with your career goals and milestones. There is no need to go into details about any position that you want to achieve, but there is no harm in mentioning that, as well.

  • What do you hope to learn from this hotel management course?

For this question, you can talk about the roles and responsibilities in hotel management that inspire you the most, and the way in which this course will help you make your name there. You can mention the details about the course to show that you are well-informed about the institution.

How to Prepare Yourself for the GD-PI for Hotel Management Admissions?

So, now that we have given you an inkling of what the GD-PI rounds are all about, let us take you closer towards attaining success by highlighting the ways to prepare yourself for the admissions. Given below are a few elements that you must give due consideration to for cracking the GD-PI admission rounds.

  • Keep sound awareness about the current topics

It is important to be well-aware about current happenings, covering national politics, social issues, population trends, and the likes. Make sure to listen to the questions and the ongoing discussion attentively before answering.

  • Show your conviction and confidence during the PI round

You need to be confident in the way you deliver your ideas and thoughts to leave a positive impression on the interviewer. After all, your research and knowledge will be for nothing if you don’t speak with conviction.

  • Master the art of presenting yourself

Presenting yourself the right way, including crisp deliverance of ideas, the right tone and voice, and smart body language will help you earn brownie points with the panel.

  • Be sincere and genuine in your approach

The experts have been interviewing candidates and sitting through GDs for years now, and they can sense when you’re not being true to your words.

At Avlon Shiksha Niketan, we believe that if you have the zeal to make it big in the hotel management sector, it will surely shine through in your GD-PI rounds. Just keep hold of your dedication towards the profession, and keep honing your knowledge and skills, and you will definitely get through the admission process to join our prestigious institution. We, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, the leading hotel management college in Siliguri, will be more than happy to be your guiding light towards a better and brighter future.