According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, travel and tourism accounts for 8% of the world's jobs and has the highest potential for growth of any industry. International travel alone accounts for more than 840 million tourists annually. The economic, social and environmental impact of tourism is significant and vital to creating sustainable jobs and quality of life.
Hospitality and tourism represents a broad range of career opportunities in industries that include:
- hotels and resorts
- restaurants and commercial food service
- meeting and event planning
- tourism destinations and attractions
- leisure, recreation and sports management
- airlines, cruises and other transportation
- environmentally sustainable and cultural tourism development
- spa and wellness management
As a vast, dynamic and growing industry, hospitality and tourism provides tremendous opportunity for ambitious students who enjoy working with people. The hospitality and tourism industry operates in a highly competitive environment. It is important that those seeking careers as successful professionals develop a strong business foundation and customer service skills. Graduates of hospitality and tourism management programs are well rounded with a combination of business and life skills that are in high demand with employers.
While hospitality and tourism has traditionally been an industry that emphasized hands-on experience, the competitive nature of the business now requires a combination of experience and higher education to build a successful management career. To meet the needs of the industry, hospitality and tourism programs offered by colleges and universities have grown rapidly in Kenya. Today programs are offered by a variety of colleges and both public and private universities. Options range from short-term skills-oriented certificates to post-graduate degree programs.
With so many choices available, how do you choose the right school and program for you?
There are various hospitality and tourism management programs offered in Kenya. If you seek a bachelor's degree or higher, a university will provide a well-rounded education with a specific industry focus designed to prepare students for management-level careers check out the course offered at the university of Nairobi.
