Raising a toast to hospitality industry

KOCHI: Tourism and hospitality are fast growing sectors and courses in hotel management promise an array of career options for youngsters. India, and particularly Kerala, are two major tourist destinations and so quality hospitality is always something on demand.Within the industry, there are plenty of openings in sections like front office, general operations, sales and marketing, food and beverage, service keeping and catering. There are long and short term courses in hospitality and for majority of them the qualification is just Plus-Two. Students who already have a degree can also go for some diploma course, the duration of which is six months. Job opportunities are aplenty in both private and public sectors. People employed in the hospitality industry have to handle responsibilities like processing  reservations, taking care of the registering of guests and rooming and giving information.One of the main institutes in India which offers courses in hospitality is RIG Institute, Delhi, which offers three-year BA in International Hospitality Administration, Diploma in International Hotel & Tourism Management, certified by HTMi Switzerland; one-and-a-half-year Diploma in International Hotel & Tourism Management certified by HTMi Switzerland for graduates; with Diploma in Hotel & Tourism Management certified by HTMi Switzerland and one-and-half-year Certificate in Food Production. Then there are IHMs (Institute of Hotel Management) in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Calcutta, Ahmedabad and other institutes like Oberoi Centre, Delhi, WGSHA, Manipal and Christ College, Bangalore. In Kerala, there are institutes and colleges like Kerala Institute of Hospitality Management Studies, Ernakulam; Rajadhani Institute of Hotel Management, Thiruvanathapuram; Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology,  Thiruvanathapuram; Munnar Catering College, Munnar and Food Craft Institute, Kochi.Other than hotels, qualified candidates can also join airlines, cruises and other related areas. Career prospects and pay depends on the organisation you join after completing the course. In the beginning, the remuneration starts from Rs 10,000 for trainees and once the training period is over, most of the firms offer very handsome pay.