Travel and Tourism one of the world's largest foreign exchange earner among industries, provides employment directly to millions of people worldwide and indirectly through many associated service industries. A very wide industry, it includes Government tourism departments, Immigration and customs services, travel agencies, airlines, tour operators, hotels etc and many associated service industries such as airline catering or laundry services, Guides, Interpreters, Tourism promotion and sales etc. Travel and Tourism enterprises include major internationals with a workforce of thousands, to the small private travel agent with a handful of employees. Work in the travel and tourism industry is essentially concerned with providing services for people who are away from home, on business or holiday. Travel can be leisure travel involving package tours, pilgrim travel, adventure travel etc or purely business. Work at every functional level in the industry involves dealing directly with people. Travel agents assess the needs of tourists and businessmen and help them make the best possible travel arrangements from the many travel options available. Also, many major cruise lines, resorts, and specialty travel groups use travel agents to promote travel packages to the millions of people who travel every year.

Travel company personnel must be up-to-date on current rules and regulations and documentation required, in areas like cargo, ticketing and passports, visas etc. so as to correctly advise their clients, and to take care of the paperwork when necessary. Besides this, all tourism staff in marketing, counter sales, or guide services, should be knowledgeable about the places their clients visit, in terms of general background, how to get there connections by air, rail and road and the facilities available.

In India, Travel and tourism, as an industry, has been somewhat slower to take off than in many other places. However, with increasing worldwide interest in travel, and with the Government's encouragement of its activities, it is undergoing massive expansion and improvement. This forecasts a bright future for all those who choose to make a career of travel and tourism. Young people with drive and a capacity for hard work can rise to top positions very quickly in travel and tourism or even head their own agencies. A job in the industry gives good returns as well as perks including opportunity to see many locales at low prices.

The eligibility criteria for admission to Travel and Tourism courses at the undergraduate level is, higher secondary examination pass.

For the postgraduate level courses, the eligibility is, graduation in any discipline. Fluency in at least one foreign language is preferred. It is also possible to gain these qualifications through correspondence courses. Several large travel agencies also offer short-term training programmes, and tend to absorb most of the candidates.

Travel and Tourism is probably the world's largest industry. The main reasons for travel today are leisure, business and government work - the first two providing the majority of the industry's clientele. The travel and tourism industry is the largest foreign exchange earner among all our industries and currently provides direct employment to over fifty lakh people, and indirectly covers possibly all areas of economic activity. Moreover, the number is likely to increase with massive plans for future expansion, creating a demand for skilled, trained personnel in various spheres of the industry.

Work in the travel and tourism industry is essentially concerned with providing services for people who are travelling away from home, either on business or on a holiday. At every functional level in the industry, the work involves dealing directly with people, whether with clients, on a one-to-one basis over the counter while helping them plan their itinerary or providing ticketing services to company executives, while trying to procure business, or with airline, railway, road, shipping and transport company staff , passport and visa officials, suppliers, hotel personnel and various other agents.

Travel Agents are concerned with the marketing of travel and tourism. There are mainly four areas of work in any travel agency. These include - Marketing, which includes advertising and promoting agency services to existing and potential clients to procure business for the company ; Ticketing, which involves helping clients plan itineraries, working out travel routes, providing information on destinations, selling transportation tickets, arranging visas, making stay reservations, etc. ; Tour Operators of a travel agency deal specifically in travel and destination management. They put together and sell package holidays, which include offering special interest packages that range from archaeology to golf, wildlife, and even astrology. And Tourist Guides who accompany tourists to their destinations, taking care of their various needs there and organise various activities in these locations.

With the growing professionalism and resultant competitiveness of the travel and tourism industry, it has become essential to receive formal training in the profession. Most companies too, now prefer to hire applicants who have received professional training in Travel and Tourism.

The duration of training varies between one and two years, depending on the course. Moreover, training may be taken at both graduate as well as postgraduate levels.

Some of the prominent institutions offering courses in Travel and Tourism are as follows :

• Indian Institute of Travel and Tourism Management, New Delhi.
• The Ministry of Tourism and Delhi Tourism, New Delhi.
• YWCA, New Delhi.
• Sita Travels, New Delhi and Mumbai.
• Sophia Polytechnic, Bhulabhai Desai Road, Mumbai.
• Trade Wings, Mumbai.

Aptitude for figure work ; accuracy ; good memory ; organising ability ; awareness of people, places and areas of interest ; ability to handle people ; interest in people ; good sense of judgement ; verbal fluency ; aptitude for languages ; up-to-date knowledge of available services and facilities ; friendly and personable manner and appearance ; common sense ; good health ; a passion for travel ; willingness to work hard, long hours and on weekends and holidays.

Job prospectus both in public and private sector's, are bright. However, the best prospectus for qualified tourism professionals are in the private sector with travel agencies, tour operators, airlines, hotels, transport and cargo companies etc.

Job opportunities in the travel and tourism industry are varied and tremendous.
The main ones are listed below : Travel agencies,
National / State tourism departments,
As Tourist guides,
Travel desks in five-star hotels,
One can set up one's own travel agency.
Ground job in International / Private airline offices.