Introduction: Hospitality is one of the key sectors which provide the best services to keep the guests happy. In demographics, the term world population is often used to refer to the total number of humans currently living and was estimated to have exceeded 8.1 billion as of March 2022. People around the world move from place to place, wherein they expect certain services either in terms of food or accommodation or both. Hospitality is the relationship between a guest and a host, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill, including the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis, chevalier de Jaucourt defined hospitality in the Encyclopedia, as the virtue of a great soul that cares for the whole universe through the ties of humanity. Hospitality is also the way people treat others, that is, the service of welcoming receiving guests for example in hotels. Hospitality plays a fundamental role to augment or decrease the volume of sales of an organization.
The hotel industry is a subdivision of the hospitality industry that provides customers with accommodation services. There are a variety of hotel types by size, function, service, and cost. Levels of service can usually be split into three options: limited-service, mid-range service, and full-service. Some consumers may be more familiar with the star system, with one being the lowest and five being the highest. The function of some of the categories includes business, casino, spa, extended stay, bed and breakfast, and more. The hotel and resort industry market size worldwide saw growth up until the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020 when the market size dropped considerably. The industry was forecast to grow to 950 billion U.S. dollars in 2021; however, this figure still was still not predicted to reach pre-pandemic levels. According to the source, there were 17.61 million hotel rooms worldwide in 2019. This shows an increase of just over 2.5 million hotel rooms globally over the past 10 years.
India has a wide scope for tourism in almost every sector. India Brand Equity Foundation in a report mentions that the tourist count in India is set to grow to more than 30 million by 2028, hence, doubling the contribution of the tourism industry to the country’s GDP from USD 251 bn to approximately USD 500 bn.
Services in the Hospitality:
A hotel is paid lodging for travellers or tourists on a short-term or long-term basis for up to a few weeks. They provide a comfortable home-like environment with basic amenities as well as luxurious services such as restaurants, swimming pools, a spa, gym, casinos, etc. Whereas, a motel means a hotel located near a major highway route, with rooms facing a parking lot for easy coming and leaving. Today, most motels have inward-facing doors that open in common areas, usually a parking lot. Motels are meant for short-term stays as they have fewer amenities and services for guests.
Hospitality ethics is a discipline that studies this usage of the services. The hospitality industry has many career paths and options for those who enjoy interacting with people and providing them with the services they need. One of these careers is Hotel Management, which is about overseeing every aspect of a hotel’s operations and functioning. It requires knowledge of distribution strategy, customer service, staff management, marketing, finance and many more. All the said functions can be performed effectively provided the people involved are skilled.
Skills in Hotel Management
Hotel Management professionals have to cope with working long hours and rough working conditions before they can expect to make it big in the field. Candidates to become professionals are expected to be detail-oriented, culturally aware, have good communication and customer service skills should be able to function independently and as part of a team, patient, flexible and quick problem solvers. These qualities are a hallmark of good hotel management professionals, it is also very important to have formal theoretical and practical knowledge of the field.
Programs in Hotel Management:
There are many Hotel Management programs in India. After completion of the 10th standard, a candidate can go for a certificate course for a duration of up to 6 months. At an undergraduate level, both diploma and degree programs are being offered. Diploma courses are typically 6 months to 3 years in duration while degree courses mostly take 3-4 years to complete. At the postgraduate level, a candidate can choose to pursue PGdiploma like PGD in Hotel Management (1 year) and Master of Hotel Management (2 years) or MBA in Hotel Management (2 years) and many more. Some more details are as follows;
- B.A. (Culinary Arts)
- B.A. (Culinary Arts) [2+2 with International Credit Transfer Option]
- B.Sc. (Hotel Management)
- Bachelor of Hotel Mgt. and Catering Technology
- Bachelor of Hotel Mgt & Catering Technology (BHMCT) [2+2 with International Credit Transfer Option]
- B.Sc. (Airlines, Tourism and Hospitality)
- BBA (Tourism and Hospitality)
- BBA (Airlines and Airport management)
- After Diploma or Certificate
- B.Sc. (Hotel Management) [Lateral Entry]
- Bachelor of Hotel Mgt and Catering Technology (BHMCT) [Lateral Entry]
- B.Sc. (Airlines, Tourism and Hospitality) [Lateral Entry]
- M.Sc. (Hotel Management)
- MBA (Tourism and Hospitality)
- MBA (Tourism and Hospitality)
Leading education institutions across the world including India are offering programs. Aspirants have to select the best institutions for which they are advised to visit the website for more details.
Eligibility Criteria for Hotel Management:
The eligibility criteria vary based on the programme. After completion of the 10th standard, a candidate can go for a certificate course for a duration of up to 6 months. Completion of Class 12th (Standard XII/ Intermediate/ 10+2) is considered a minimum requirement for admission to Diploma or degree in Hotel Management programs in India.
Top Hotel Management Exams in India:
There are many entrance exams conducted for admission to Hotel Management programs in India. Some institutes set specific entrance exam requirements while some have their own exams for admission. Candidates have to meet all eligibility criteria for the particular exam or college they wish to apply for. Entrance exams for Hotel Management in India are conducted at both the National and State level.
- National level are NCHMCT JEE, AIMA UGAT and IIM eCHAT and
- State-level exams are UPSEE BHMCT and MAH-B.HMCT CET, UKSEE BHMCT and WB JEHOM.
Once the results of the entrance exam are out, candidates have to appear for a personal interview. A merit list for the exams is released 3-4 weeks after the exam is conducted. Diploma and Certificate courses in Hotel Management do not usually have common entrance exams.
Diplomas and Certificates are short-term programs and are designed to prepare candidates for working in certain niches of the Hospitality industry and these programs often vary in terms of their curriculum and teaching methodology.
Careers in Hotel Management: Hotel Management opens up a lot of career opportunities. Employment opportunities are spread across Hotels, Restaurants, Airline Kitchens, Cruise Liners, Fast Food Chains and even the Indian Army and Navy’s Hospitality and Catering Services.
Salary package: The median salary is 19,600 INR per month, which means that half of the people working in Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering are earning less than 19,600 INR while the other half are earning more than 19,600 INR. The median represents the middle salary value. Skilled professionals in star hotels of the high range are drawing salaries ranging from Rs 12 l1khs to Rs 16 lakhs per annum.