tourism management institute in kolkata Archives

Setting Your Sights on Aviation, Hospitality, and Tourism Careers with Avlon Shiksha Niketan

Introduction:

In today’s rapidly expanding global market, the aviation, hospitality, and tourism industries are witnessing significant growth. These sectors offer numerous career opportunities for individuals passionate about providing exceptional service and creating memorable experiences for travellers. Avlon Shiksha Niketan stands as the premier institution in Kolkata, offering an exclusive BBA degree course that focuses on these three core service industries. In this article, we will delve into the unparalleled advantages of pursuing a career in aviation, hospitality, and tourism, and how Avlon Shiksha Niketan can be your gateway to success.

The Growing Significance of Aviation, Hospitality, and Tourism:

The aviation, hospitality, and tourism industries are experiencing rapid expansion due to increased global connectivity and the growing desire for unique travel experiences. As people explore new destinations, there is an ever-increasing demand for well-trained professionals to ensure exceptional customer service and seamless travel experiences. By pursuing a career in these industries, individuals can embark on a fulfilling journey that combines their passion for travel with a rewarding profession.

Avlon Shiksha Niketan: The Best Aviation Institute in Kolkata:

Avlon Shiksha Niketan stands out as the leading institution in Kolkata, offering comprehensive education and training in aviation is the Tourism Management Institute in Kolkata, hospitality, and tourism. With a strong emphasis on practical knowledge and industry exposure, Avlon equips students with the necessary skills to excel in their chosen careers. The institute boasts state-of-the-art facilities, expert faculty members, and a curriculum designed to meet the evolving demands of these dynamic industries.

Unparalleled Course Offerings:

Avlon Shiksha Niketan provides an exclusive BBA degree course that focuses on aviation, hospitality, and tourism. This specialized program offers students a comprehensive understanding of the core principles and practices in each industry, preparing them for a range of career opportunities. By enrolling in Avlon, students gain a competitive edge, ensuring they are well-prepared to meet the challenges of the industry upon graduation.

Faculty Expertise and Industry Connections:

Avlon Shiksha Niketan takes pride in its experienced faculty members who bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise from the aviation, hospitality, and tourism sectors. These industry professionals guide and mentor students, providing invaluable insights into the real-world scenarios they will encounter in their careers. Additionally, Avlon has established strong partnerships with leading organizations in these industries, offering students opportunities for internships, practical training, and industry exposure.

State-of-the-Art Facilities and Practical Training:

Avlon Shiksha Niketan provides students with access to modern facilities that simulate real-life industry environments. From aviation training facilities to hospitality and tourism labs, students receive hands-on experience in various aspects of their chosen fields. This practical training equips them with the skills and confidence necessary to excel in their careers upon graduation.

Industry-Relevant Curriculum:

The curriculum at Avlon Shiksha Niketan is carefully designed to align with the industry’s latest trends and requirements. Students gain knowledge in areas such as aviation management, airline operations, hotel and resort management, event planning, tourism marketing, and customer service. The combination of theoretical knowledge and practical skills ensures that graduates are well-prepared to tackle the challenges and capitalize on the opportunities that await them in the industry.

Placement Assistance and Global Opportunities:

Avlon Shiksha Niketan goes beyond imparting knowledge and skills; it also provides robust placement assistance to students. The institute maintains strong ties with leading aviation, hospitality, and tourism companies, both locally and internationally. This network opens doors for students to secure internships, job placements, and global career opportunities, giving them a competitive advantage in the job market.

Building a Successful Career Path:

With the comprehensive education and training provided by Avlon Shiksha Niketan, graduates are well-positioned to build successful careers in the aviation, hospitality, and tourism industries. Whether aspiring to become airline executives, hotel managers, travel consultants, event planners, or entrepreneurs, Avlon equips students with the necessary skills and knowledge to achieve their goals.

Conclusion:

Aviation, hospitality, and tourism industries offer exciting career opportunities for individuals passionate about delivering exceptional service and creating memorable experiences for travellers. Avlon Shiksha Niketan stands as the premier institution in Kolkata, offering an exclusive BBA degree course focused on these industries. By enrolling at Avlon is the Hospitality Management College in Kolkata, students gain access to world-class facilities, experienced faculty, practical training, and strong industry connections. The institute’s commitment to excellence ensures that graduates are well-prepared to embark on successful careers in these thriving industries.

The Increasing Significance of Hotel Reputation Management

Reputation management has been lately gaining ground in the digital world, and the same is particularly earning a lot of prominence in the hotel industry. So today, let us take a closer look at the rising significance of hotel reputation management and the different facets of it.

30-second summary:

Sites like Yelp, Booking.com, and TripAdvisor have made sure that consumer-generated content has all the influence.
Investing in online reputation management creates the possibility to harness the new and growing revenue stream.
Online reviews are crucial resources for hotel managers to identify the results of their work from the point of view of the customers.

Hotel reputation management is all about monitoring and influencing how a hotel is perceived online. Though the concept emerged within public relations, it has shifted its focus towards the newly emergent review sites, search engines, and social media platforms. As such, at present, it involves keeping track of the review sites, posting and engaging on social media, optimizing the website for search, and the likes. In simple words, the online reputation of a hotel is crucial to its overall business, and staying on top of it is what hotel reputation management is all about. It makes a major difference in how the property performs against the ever-increasing competition in the field and registers sustained growth through each financial year.

In a world where 93 percent of the people read online reviews to determine which hotel they want to stay at and 53 percent of the people surveyed wouldn’t book a hotel that didn’t have online reviews, the importance of hotel reputation management cannot be stressed enough.

Keeping that in mind, we, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, a well-known Tourism Management Institute in Kolkata, will take a closer look today at the different facets of the rising significance of hotel reputation management in current times.

Consumer-generated content can make or break hotel reputations

Before the internet boom, travelers referred to guide books like their very own Rough Guide or Lonely Planet. Get a good review in one of these popular publications, and your hotel’s reputation stays safe for years. But not anymore!

In fact, it won’t be an exaggeration to say that reputations can now change with a single click. One glorious review can make a potential customer consider staying at the hotel, and one full of scathing remarks can turn away customers by the bunch. In fact, studies reveal that when it comes to deciding between two similar properties, 79 percent of consumers are more likely to reserve a room at a hotel with a higher rating.

Sites like Yelp, Booking.com, and TripAdvisor have made it easier than ever for the travelers to share their experiences in real-time, and it impacts the decision-making of travelers more than nearly any other information that is available. Travelers rely more on the words of another traveler, and thus, consumer-generated content has all the influence.

The connection between hotel reputation management and revenue management

In this highly competitive environment of the hospitality industry, online reputation directly impacts sales volume. Efficient hotel reputation management aids you in securing a major competitive advantage. On the contrary, poor online reputation can potentially lead to huge losses. In fact, a one-star decrease in ratings can lead to almost 5-9 percent decrease in revenue.

Not paying heed to negative reviews and comments that come up on page one of Google tends to cost more in lost revenue than investing sufficient resources into efficient hotel reputation management. In most cases, business owners end up spending years creating a positive image of the brand and are surprised by how fast the hard-won reputation takes a hit, and the only way to prevent such an occurrence is by being proactive.

Corin Burr, director of Bamboo Revenue, London, sums up the link between revenue performance and guest reviews: “Of course, there are many contributing factors, but to watch your Revenue Generation Index increase as your Guest Satisfaction Index increases puts more science into the instinct.”

Investing in online reputation management creates the possibility to harness the new and growing revenue stream. After all, the way customers perceive and interact with your business gets directly impacted by your online reputation.

Hotel reputation: An indicator of the performance of the hotel

Hotel reputation management and the data derived from there also acts as a performance indicator for the business. Hotels can take advantage of online reputation as an operational tool, setting it as a key performance indicator as it lets hotels monitor and measure guest satisfaction and its enhancement.

This enables the hotels to establish a ranking or objective to be achieved within a stipulated period of time, recognize strategies and how the goal will be achieved, implement actions and analyze whether the changes are working and making a difference on the online reputation. Furthermore, online reviews act as crucial resources for the hotel managers to identify the results of their work from the viewpoint of the customers since there are often differences between the actual and perceived issues in the operations.

In other words, there are times when the hoteliers are left wondering where they are going wrong if they are doing everything by the book. The varied markers of hotel reputation clearly outline the issues to offer businesses an opportunity to be better than yesterday. If 76 percent of consumers are willing to pay more for a hotel with higher review scores, it makes sense for the hotels to go the extra mile for them, as well.

So, all in all, we can safely say that hotel reputation management has gone from being a possible addition to the revenue strategy of hotels to a crucial element for maintaining competitiveness in the industry. And as a future professional of the hospitality industry, you have a crucial role to play in ensuring that the reputation of the company you join is upheld and glorified consistently. Thus, if you have the ambition to join the hotel industry and wish to get acquainted with the industry-specific know-how that can help you rise as a successful professional in the domain, we, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, one of the leading tourism management institutes in Kolkata, are right here to guide and mentor you on that path.

As your guiding light in becoming a proficient hotel management professional, we, at Avlon, leave no stones unturned to provide you with the necessary knowledge and hands-on training to help you excel in this regard. Get your skills honed at Avlon Shiksha Niketan to rise and shine as a highly valuable resource for your future employers.

AI Chatbots – An Emerging Trend in the Modern World Aviation Industry

Chatbots have emerged as a revolution in the last few years, and almost all service industries have embraced them with open arms. In this article today, let us have a look at how AI chatbots are coming up as a major trend in the aviation industry and benefitting several crucial aspects of its operations.

30-seconds summary:

AI chatbots are mainly focused on improving customer experiences
Increased competitiveness among airlines has led to greater AI adoption
The chatbots reduce operational costs and offer opportunities for revenue growth
AI chatbots eliminate the need for hiring call centers

There was a time when the term AI (artificial intelligence) used to invoke mental images of dystopian futures and humanoid robots. However, AI algorithms and chatbots have now turned into indispensable parts of various applications and devices used on a daily basis. For instance, a majority of websites use AI chatbots to communicate with and aid the customers; there are AI chatbots to enhance your experience on the gaming platforms, and more so. With a majority of industries leveraging the power of AI chatbots to make innovations happen and offer better services, can the aviation industry be far behind?

With the reports showing that global AI implementation in the aviation industry is slated to reach $2.2 billion by 2025, chatbots are among the most prominent trend in the industry at present. Keeping that in mind, we, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, a leading aviation college in Kolkata, have brought forth for you today some crucial details about this emerging trend in the aviation industry and how it is emerging as one of the most promising elements of technology integration in the aviation sector.

The growing popularity of chatbots in the aviation industry

AI chatbots are mainly focused on improving customer experiences, and the airlines are always in a bid to score better on this front. At the end of the day, it’s a highly competitive market, and every airline is trying to ace past its competition. Thus, airlines are developing chatbots for providing prompt answers and support to the common doubts and queries of the passengers.

Conversational chatbots are used to help the airlines save their resources by offering answers to common queries usually related to boarding passes, flight details, reservation information, and arrival/departure timings. Automating the process of answering commonly asked questions through AI chatbots ensures faster resolution of issues and greater customer engagement. Per se, the fact that chatbots save time and offer an effective resolution of issues makes them a viable solution for the aviation industry.

Back in 2018, studies had predicted that almost sixty-eight percent of airlines and forty-two percent of airports would start using chatbots in some way by the end of 2020. However, the pandemic assuredly led to an acceleration in the pace of adoption of the technology.

How have the chatbots benefitted the airline industry?

As we have already outlined the prime reason behind airline companies making a beeline in chatbot adoption, let’s move on to the varied ways in which this technology is aiding the sector.

Remarkable improvements in customer service

Chatbots have the capacity to handle customer queries any time of the day and offer real-time details, which is particularly useful in times of emergency. At the same time, AI chatbots are not bound by linguistic or time zone barriers since they are made to work anyway and any time for the valued customers of the airline. When the customers readily get answers to all their queries from a conversational bot, it helps improve customer experience and elevates the brand image of an airline.

An effective way to drive customer engagement

AI chatbots can improve customer engagement by offering them the required information, helping them in booking flight tickets, fulfilling customer requests, and enabling them to gather crucial info at one place. And we, at Avon Shiksha Niketan, being one of the best aviation colleges in Kolkata, can vouch for the fact that there is far greater engagement made this way than when the customers have to stand in long waiting lines to find the answers to their queries.

The resultant opportunities for revenue growth

One of the best things about AI chatbots is that they are quickly going from customer support facilitators to agile solutions for harnessing upselling prospects. The global aviation industry is already on the next stage of innovation with this trend as transactional capacities, offers, and payment gateways are being added to chatbots to boost the conversion rates and improve the revenues.

Reports suggest that forty-seven percent customers are now open to purchasing services or products from chatbots. It creates an immense prospect for the airline companies to cross-sell, sell, or upsell in-flight services and other related facilities to the customers.

Gaining integrated and streamlined data access

AI chatbots are able to collect and offer all the flight data and information on one platform that the customers can access anytime and from anywhere. Additionally, chatbots are able to keep track of all the interactions with the customers and also offer valuable insights to the airline operators regarding customer preferences, common issues, booking history, and so on. Streamlining the opportunity for easy data access helps the end-users and the airlines to make the industry more efficient in operations.

Chatbots help in saving time and effort of the airlines

Integration of a conversational, omnichannel chatbot can help the airlines in saving a lot of time and money in dealing with customer queries. With chatbots answering routine queries at all times of the day, the companies are able to deploy their human resources to other valuable activities and problem-solving tasks. It will not just save time and energy but also bring an overall improvement in the process of engagement and customer services.

Eliminates the need to outsource customer queries to call centers

Like every other business, outsourcing the queries to call centers was the only option airlines had prior to the AI boom in the industry, but not anymore. AI chatbots working round the clock have turned out to be a more economically viable solution than hiring call centers. After the chatbots are developed and deployed, they continue to automate the processes allotted to them. Now, since there are no call centers involved in the middle, the operational costs are reduced remarkably.

The rise and spread of AI chatbot adoption in the aviation industry is amply evident by now. However, we would also like to draw your attention to the fact that a service-based industry like aviation will always need its efficient team of professionals to successfully complete each day’s work. Thus, human resources and AI not only complement each other but also work the best when in conjunction with one another. And, it is the human resources of the aviation industry that we, Avlon Shiksha Niketan, strive to train to perfection to not only make their careers shine the brightest but also to aid in the continued progression of the industry. So, if you want to be a part of this ever-progressing sector of the economy, we, at Avlon, one of the aviation colleges in Kolkata, are right here to show you the best way ahead.

How are the Airports Gearing up for the New Normal – An Insight

The much talked about ‘new normal’ is now around the corner, and the aviation industry has brought about a lot of changes in its way of operations to deal with the situation. In this article, we have brought to you some crucial insights into the functional and organizational alterations that the airports have implemented to thrive amid the new normal.

30-seconds summary

Strengthening social distancing and health screening measures through better surveillance
Increased automation at several crucial checkpoints across the airport premises
Better management of passenger flows at the major points through active monitoring
Renewed training and preparations for the workforce to play a pivotal role in preventing the spread of COVID-19

With the world coming to a standstill and the countries shutting down their borders, the onset of the global pandemic changed the face of travel and tourism as we know it. And, undoubtedly, the airports had to bear its impact in a major way. There was no more of that mad dash for tickets, crowded immigration lines, sitting areas packed with people, big luggage bags all around, and the general bustle of the airports.

However, the aviation sector is known for being resilient to challenges and hurdles that come along its path. As such, when the country resumed domestic flights back in May, the airports were quick to adapt to the multitude of changes in its procedures and operations that came as part and parcel of this recommencement.

So, today we, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, one of the leading aviation colleges in Kolkata, have decided to take a closer look at how the airports have geared up to welcome the new normal. Read on to know more.

New measures for social distancing and health screening

Given the highly transmissible nature of the coronavirus, the first and foremost thing to ensure is to pertain to the measures for social distancing and health screening. To that end, markers have been placed at each turn to remind travelers of the need to maintain distance. Additionally, authorities and teams are being present at all security check areas, boarding gates, check-in halls, and curbsides to ensure that adequate health screening is being carried out, along with following the norms of social distancing.

Specific measures for better hand-hygiene management

The significance of hand hygiene can never be stressed enough in the current scenario. No wonder why the health officials and the media consistently keep reminding the people about its importance. And, going by the studies that have revealed that as many as 30% of travelers avoid washing hands after using public restrooms, which further increases the risk of transmission of infectious diseases, the airports have enough reasons to particularly stress on the measures for better hand-hygiene management.

A 10% rise in the level of hand cleanliness at the airports can ensure a 24% reduction in the spread of a disease, while a 40% increase in the same can lead to a 69% reduction. This not only outlines the role of airports in controlling the pandemic but also highlights the significance of maintaining hand hygiene for all passengers.

The airports have provided touch-less hand sanitizers at different points along the premises and are also ensuring sanitization of the check-in baggage through UV machines. Furthermore, several points have been demarcated at the airports where hand sanitization is mandatory.

Increasing presence of automation at the airports

With the need of the hour being reducing the contact between passengers and staff, increased automation has become one of the prime focus of the airports. Though Indian airports were already making the move towards greater automation for the past couple of years, the resumption after the pandemic has accelerated the rate of adaption of advanced automated technologies.

Automated information kiosks are already a part of most airports, and these are being further enhanced with decision-making software and artificial intelligence. Here are a few areas where the airports have either already implemented or are in the process of implementing promising automation measures:

Security surveillance
Baggage collection from passengers
Offering information regarding passenger transit
Disinfecting and cleaning operations

The present health crisis might even accelerate the realization of the vision that airport robotization might be a possibility by 2030. Apart from the inherent cost-saving potential of increased automation, such solutions offer the added benefit of keeping both the passengers and the employees safe from close interactions.

Improved management of passenger flow at the major points

Just as the tower control makes sure that there is a safe separation between aircrafts, the airports are now promoting safe separation between the passengers! Better management of passenger flows at the major points pertains to taking a number of critical actions.

For instance, airports have regulated access to different areas, and are carrying out active monitoring of the expected and present passenger density to mitigate any chances of congestion. To add to that, since queues are simply unavoidable at places like check-in counters and passport control, improved queue management techniques are also being implemented.

Training and acquainting the teams to face the new normal

Last but not the least in importance, the pandemic has made the airport employees gear up for the latest challenges with a new round of training and preparation. After all, the airport managers and their teams are instrumental in ensuring the effective implementation of all the measures that we talked about so far. Being in the frontline of the fight against the pandemic, the airport staff are not only having to keep the premises protected and secure for the passengers but also ensure their own safety to offer the optimum level of services.

So, when it comes to being one of the leading forces of the country in its combat against COVID, the aviation industry needs an adaptable, proficient, and skilled workforce that can rise to the demand of the times. And, this is where our advanced training and real-world teaching methodologies come into the forefront.

As one of the pioneering aviation colleges in Kolkata offering world-class training in the field of aviation, tourism, and hospitality management, we, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, make sure that our students stand out based on their experiential knowledge, dexterity, and dedication to excel and succeed. So, if you want to see yourself making a mark in this dynamic field, let Avlon be the wind beneath your wings.

The Varied Career Opportunities in the Aviation Industry

The aviation industry is once again back to its previous glory and is again shining as one of the brightest career domains. So let’s shed some light today on the varied career opportunities that the aviation industry has to offer and also have a look at the salary and growth prospects in the same.

30-seconds summary:

India has the third-largest domestic aviation market and is slated to overtake the UK to become the third-largest air passenger market.
The demand for talent is the highest in customer services, cabin crew, and ground operations.
The opportunity for growth and lucrative salary packages are the two main features of the popular job roles in the industry.

If the facts and figures of the last three years are considered, the aviation industry in India emerges as one of the fastest-growing sectors in the country. In this period, India has not only become the third-largest domestic aviation market in the world but is also all set to overtake the United Kingdom in becoming the third-largest air passenger market by the year 2024. The consistent growth of the sector naturally translates into an increase in job opportunities. Experts also suggest that there is going to be a major rise in demand for talented and skilled professionals in the industry in the coming years.

So, our young and well-trained students looking forward to joining the aviation industry have much to rejoice in terms of having a glorious future ahead. On that note, we, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, one of the most prominent aviation colleges in Kolkata, have brought to you today a brief overview of the varied career opportunities in the sector that are great in terms of growth as well as salary prospects.

Airline Customer Service Supervisor

In this fast-paced, highly competitive industry, the airline customer service supervisor holds a highly responsible middle management job role. These professionals have the responsibility of overseeing the inside gate or check-in/ticketing operations of the assigned flights during the scheduled shift. It also involves supervising the needs of their team of employees and answering customer inquiries that need managerial level assistance. The average base pay of ₹4.5 lakh makes this a lucrative opportunity to look forward to.

Airline Cabin Crew

Airline cabin crew hold the responsibility for the safety, welfare, and comfort of the passengers traveling on aircrafts during long-haul and short-haul flights. We, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, one of the most esteemed aviation colleges in Kolkata, believe this to be the perfect career opportunity for someone who is a people’s person and loves the prospect of traveling far and wide.

Along with a degree and honed soft skills, being a part of the airline cabin crew also demands the presence of good general health and fitness. As you gain experience in this job role, you would get the chance to progress to the role of cabin management or senior cabin crew.

Airport Ground Staff

There is practically no air carrier or airport that can sustainably operate without proficient ground staff. As such, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that they are the vital cog in the wheel of the aviation sector, and no amount of machines or computers can replace them.

As the airport ground staff, you will have varied responsibilities, right from manning the check-in counters to taking reservations from the passengers who call. Moreover, if you want to progress further in this field, you need the ability to think on your feet and come up with effective solutions to unforeseen problems. One of the best aspects of this career is that the monthly pay package can be around one lakh and even more.

Cargo and Baggage Handling Staff

Taking up the job of cargo and baggage handling involves a lot more than simply lifting and moving all kinds of baggage and cargo. An important part of the job is to know about loading an aircraft in a way that the specified maximum allowable weight does not exceed and the center of gravity after loading stays within the permitted levels for a smooth operation of the aircraft.

Imagine being responsible for something that dictates the takeoff reference speed, stabilizer position, flap/slat position, and many other crucial parameters of an aircraft taking flight. That’s how crucial precision is in this job!

Fares and Ticketing Agent

Fare and ticketing agents work at the airport ticket counter for providing customer services to the incoming passengers, and their responsibilities include a complete range of customer service functions. A ticketing agent is generally the one who assists the passengers with tagging baggage and luggage check-in, ticketing, seat assignments, reservations, and answers queries related to flight fares and schedules. Besides working at the airport ticket counter, the ticketing agents also find their place in a hotel or at an airline ticket office in the city. Since the job involves direct interaction with the customers, the airlines prefer professionals with excellent written and verbal communication skills, along with basic mathematical and computer skills.

Airline Administrative Personnel

Airline administrative personnel are the ones who operate behind-the-scenes to keep everything smooth sailing on the ground and in the skies. With that being said, your job role as an airline administrative professional will depend on the department you are in. Some of the general duties and administrative tasks that you might need to deal with could include maintaining and preparing all kinds of records, record-keeping, entering and retrieving data, finding and compiling information, and so on. As an entry-level professional, you will be working in one of the administrative teams of the airline, but the ample scope of promotions would give you a top-notch position within years, along with a salary of over ₹5.8 lakh.

As you can well understand by now, each of these job roles requires the optimum honing of your skillset through advanced training, along with a thorough knowledge of the real-world scenarios at an airport. And, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, one of the Best Aviation Colleges in Kolkata, those are exactly the things that we focus on to groom our students into the most sought-after, high-in-demand professionals with a rising career graph. When your dream is to fly high, let us, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, be the ones to make those win

The Rapidly Growing & Strengthening Potential of the Tourism & Hospitality Industry in India

The Tourism & Hospitality sector has always remained one of the prime contributors to our country’s economy. Let’s take a closer look at the rapidly growing potential of this industry and how it is emerging as one of the best options from the employment perspective.

30 seconds summary:

The tourism & hospitality industry is a major contributor to India’s GDP.
Greater employment opportunities stemming from an increase in investments and new government initiatives.
The pandemic has only been a temporary setback to the potential of the sector.
More Indian tourists are eager to travel internally in the current scenario.

From having some of the most remarkable landscapes on earth to a unique historical and cultural heritage, our country is well-endowed in more ways than one. To add to all that, India is also a rapidly developing nation that the top multinationals are considering as one of the major hubs for their operations. When you consider facts like these, the immense potential of the tourism and hospitality industry in India becomes clear as the day.

The country has truly made the most of its potential as the tourism and hospitality sector continues to be one of the foremost drivers of growth among our services sector. In this regard, the fact that the contribution of travel and tourism to GDP in 2019 was 6.8 percent (US$ 194.30 billion) of the total economy would be a good case in point. (Source: https://www.ibef.org/industry/tourism-hospitality-india.aspx).

No wonder, tourism and hospitality are emerging as one of the prime career choices among the youth of the nation. And before you embark on your journey, we, at Avlon Shiksha Niketan, one of the finest travel and tourism colleges in Kolkata, would like to give you a clear idea of the massive potential that the industry holds and the actual picture of the scenario post the pandemic.

The figures showcasing the increasing potential of the industry

We have already mentioned how the industry majorly contributed to the country’s GDP in 2019. The fact is that the tourism & hospitality industry has come to the forefront of the economic progress of India in every financial year. As a matter of fact, if these growth trends of the last five years are considered, the scenario looks truly promising in the years to come.

In 2017, the contribution of the industry to India’s GDP was more than US$ 91 billion, which increased to over US$ 98 billion in 2018. During 2019, over 10.89 million foreign tourists arrived in the country, which means a year-on-year growth rate of 3.2 percent. In the previous year, 10.56 million foreign tourists visited India, which was an increase of 5.2 percent from the figures of 2017.

The number of hotel chains, restaurants, and ancillary services has also increased in tandem in the past couple of years. And this translates into some really great numbers in terms of employment opportunities, which also brings us to the next segment of our discussion.

The growth and diversity of employment opportunities

Reports show that international hotel chains have increased their presence in India. At present, it accounts for around 47 percent share in the industry, and it’s expected to rise to 50 percent in a span of two years. The increase in investments naturally stems from the demand for the tourism and hospitality sector in the country, which is also proven by the fact that this sector received a total FDI inflow of over US$ 15.48 billion from April 2000 to June 2020.

These figures show a bright ray of hope for the young aspirants studying in the travel and tourism colleges in Kolkata. After all, the increase in the number of tourist inflow and hospitality establishments leads to a subsequent growth of job opportunities. And, in fact, 39 million jobs were generated in the tourism and hospitality sector in India in the fiscal year 2020, which made up about 8 percent of the country’s total employment.

The key drivers behind the strengthening potential of the sector

The facts and figures we have discussed above must have made it amply clear that the growth of the tourism and hospitality sector is relentless. Now, let’s try to understand these growth trends further by outlining their key drivers:

Government initiatives leading to infrastructural improvement:

The government has made significant strides in bringing infrastructural improvements in the industry to ensure its further growth. Along with the inauguration of several new tourist spots across the country, the Ministry of Tourism has aimed at encouraging local tourism through initiatives like Swadesh Darshan for eight Northeast states.

The steadily increasing number of international tourists:

We have already shown the numbers with regards to the increasing influx of foreign tourists in the country. The fact remains that India is still an affordable destination to most of the international tourists from the developed nations. Add the diversity of traditions, places, cultures, and food choices to the mix, and you’ll know why India remains the top choice of millions of foreign tourists.

The rising competition in the tourism & hospitality sector:

The direct result of this increase in demand and investments in the sector is seen in the growing competition among the businesses. Every establishment, regardless of their scale of operations, wants to stand out from the rest in terms of their customer services, facilities offered, location, and so on. And, in an obvious cycle of events, it translates into better employment opportunities for skilled professionals.

The picture of hope for the future of the tourism & hospitality sector

We cannot discuss the growing potential of the sector without dwelling upon the ongoing pandemic and its impact on the tourism and hospitality industry. After all, there is no denying that the pandemic had given a never-seen-before heavy blow to the sector. Yes, we said “had” because the industry has already bounced back and shown how those setbacks are a thing of the past.

With greater attention to safety measures, the airports, hotels, restaurants, and local destinations have opened up their doors to welcome the excited travelers. And, they have reasons to rejoice as 65 percent of Indian travelers want to travel more in the upcoming years to make up for all the lost time in 2020.

Furthermore, 52 percent of Indian travelers are planning to travel more within the country on a long-term basis. Thus, even though international trips are going to have to wait and so does the international tourists, the tourism & hospitality sector will still go on strong.

At Avlon Shiksha Niketan, one of the top travel and tourism colleges in Kolkata, we prepare you to become an accomplished part of this booming sector of the country. With the experiential learning and real-world skills that you acquire during your time with us, you will be ready to make the most of all those opportunities mentioned above. So, are you ready to have a high-flying career in the rapidly growing tourism and hospitality sector of India?

Tag: tourism management institute in kolkata