The Indian tourism industry is the driving force in the service sector and has fuelled the country’s phenomenal economic expansion. Foreign currency earnings increased by an average of 7% between 2016 and 2019. By a recent estimate, hospitality and tourism are expected to generate more than $50.9 billion by 2028. No wonder it is a wonderful market for entrepreneurs, with high growth margins. Especially when the populace at large continues to be eager to travel, to go to local unexplored corners along with the regular places, after being stuck at home for the past two years.
“It has been and continues to be, our responsibility to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.” — Conrad Hilton, founder of Hilton Hotels. True to the words of Conrad Hilton, the hospitality industry has never taken a pause in face of challenging circumstances. This is an industry that has been built by some remarkable individuals with incredible entrepreneurial outlook.
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The history of hospitality is riddled with tales of entrepreneurs who started businesses and were highly successful, John Willard Marriott is one of them. He with his wife Alice Sheets Marriott started their business with a root beer stand in 1927. This grew into a chain of restaurants called Hot Shoppes and finally transformed into the behemoth called the Marriott International that we know today. McDonald’s is another hospitality success story in the domain of Quick Service Restaurant that we all are well versed about. In fact, Airbnb—a relatively late entrant into the hospitality industry—started when two friends could not make money for the month’s rent!
Entrepreneurship is a state of mind that has to be nurtured by the burning desire to cross the borders of one’s own comfort zone and step into the unknown. It starts with a detailed assessment of the industry that one may want to explore and about the various sub-sectors that complement that industry, helping it to flourish. Knowing your way around the business of hospitality requires a lot of skill, attention to detail and self application, which is what you learn experientially at hospitality administration and culinary sciences programs at prestigious institutions such as Chitkara University.
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The scope of entrepreneurship in hospitality is vast and varied as long as you have an idea that clicks and you have the ability provide excellent customer service, and stay consistent. Here are some ways you can pursue your entrepreneurial dreams in domain of hospitality and tourism, after building a foundation through a program in hospitality administration or culinary sciences:
Specialize in Lodging and Accommodation: Experts in lodging and accommodation can offer services that help hotels and resorts fine-tune their housekeeping, guest services and restructure revenue generating avenues. Additionally, launch your own enterprise such as a resort, a hotel, well managed guest house or a even homestay.
Develop an Expertise in Food and Beverage Operations: The possibilities are endless for an entrepreneur specialised in the area Food & Beverage. You can take on lease a hotel’s bar or a stand-alone bistro, start your own catering service and if you had it in you to become a chef, then you can even start a restaurant or baking operation or become a consultant after gaining valuable indepth experience in hotel operations. A first step in this direction can be Chitkara’s Culinary Management program, offered in association with George Brown College, Canada, which can give you a global platform to showcase your skills to the world.
The prestigious curated Degree in Culinary Arts from Chitkara University can also help you build a strong foundation.
Specialize in Events: Event management is immensely rewarding segment and has evolved in recent times. In hotels event specialists manage big-ticket weddings and international events.
Facility Management Specialist: Housekeeping expert is known as the unseen soldier of a hotel. A veteran from the department of housekeeping becomes well versed in managing a facility, from hotels to malls and multiplexes to hospitals. Many diversify into the space of facility management by floating one’s own company.
Also Read: Which Hotel Management College Has The Best Placement?
Why Choose a Career in the Hospitality Industry?
A fast-growing field that can also open alternate opportunities: The possibilities are endless when it comes to hospitality management. Whether as an entrepreneur or working with a hotel company, you will have opportunities coming your way from business vertical that has a large scope of customer engagement, viz; luxury retail, cruiselines, banking and more.
Global exposure and networking: An opportunity to travel nationally and globally for professional reasons, networking with people from different aspects of life is an integral aspect of jobs in hospitality.
Customer centric mindset: Understanding the product holistically and being able to assess from a customers’ perspective is one of the most sought-after skills globally. A course in hospitality trains you to become flexible and adaptable, a quality that is essential to be customer centric.
It doesn’t feel like work: The hospitality fraternity is a very close knit large family, where you will always feel at home with a very high level of professional satisfaction. The fraternity is about hard working passionate fun loving professionals, and it is very rewarding.
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At Chitkara, when you study for a career in the hospitality, you get exposed to an immersive hands-on experience encompassed in academic excellence. You will gain experience in first-hand student managed events, engaging with guests real-time. You will learn the intricacies of hospitality management in simulated environments in labs complemented with well balanced classroom interactions.
Come seize the opportunity and pursue your entrepreneurial dreams with a specialisation in the field of your choice.
