Tourism & Travel

IATA stands for International Air Transport Association. IATA supports airline activity and helps formulate industry policy and standards. It is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with Executive Offices in Geneva, Switzerland. It's main priorities are Safety, Security, Simplification of business, Environment and Service Provision. IATA recognized training centers train thousands of aviation professionals and businesses each year with a commitment to developing careers and a workforce that makes our industry safe, secure, and sustainable. IATA Training offers flexible training solutions in a classroom, distance learning, virtual or in-company format to meet all budgets and needs. Whether you are a new recruit, a specialist or senior management, their unique industry insight guarantees diplomas and courses that are engaging and effective.
A company hiring aviation professionals would always like to hire one trained in an IATA recognized course rather than one who has not done any course.

Tour Managers are responsible for organizing, planning and conducting long distance expeditions, travel, and tours for groups or individuals. They make sure that the travel runs smoothly from venue to venue without any issue. These professionals are required to confirm reservations and show times.
Tour management has also moved away from the glamour industry which involve music/acting etc. but has now began to involve basic tours that a group travelers plan to make in particular location.
The stay, travel and events to be experienced will all be taken care of for by the tour manager.
The eligibility depends on the type of course that you wish to pursue, the details of some courses is stated below:
Bachelor's Degree: Class 10+2 examination with at least 50% marks.
You could also option for a Diploma.
Candidate must pass class 10th from a recognized board with minimum 40% marks.
A Bachelor's degree may be required by some employers, while others are looking for applicants with some internship experience. Organization, interpersonal skills, listening skills, problem-solving skills, business skills, creativity, knowledge of musical instruments and sound system equipment are some of the skills required for this career.

1. Master in Tourism Administration (MTA)
2. MA in Tourism Management-This is a two-year course. The course has papers on tourism concepts and principles, travel agency management, tourism marketing, etc. Students are expected to study a foreign language. BHU offers this course.
3. M.Sc Hospitality and Tourism Management-There are many institutes that offer M.Sc courses in tourism. M.Sc Hospitality and Tourism Management is offered by Global Institute of Management Science Mumbai, Manipal University, Annamalai University, etc. Christ College, Bangalore offers M.Sc International Tourism Management.
4. MBA Hospitality and Travel Management-MBA in Hospitality and tourism management is another option. National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management Hyderabad, Bangalore Management Academy, GIMS, etc., offer this course.
Masters in Hospitality and Travel Management/Tourism will open opportunities to work with branded hotels like Marriot, Hyatt, ITC, TAJ and Rosewood. You can also be a part of tour/travel organizations like Airbnb, Ixigo, Goibibo or travel planner companies like Thomas Cook and Cox and Kings. If you like to travel or have interest in the similar field than graduation and post-graduation after that will enhance your business view in this field.

PhD is a very reputed program. The basic eligibility of the course is a Master's degree. The candidates generally develop high standards of research ability and a knack for application of concepts in a specialized field. Professionals generally opt for this option once the wish to use there caliber for research and development of a particular part of a sector and for the purpose sharing their knowledge with the aspirants.
Tourism sector will generally offer customer related job profiles however the benefit of pursuing PhD in tourism will allow one to build a career in the sector of teaching and imparting knowledge in the various T&T institutes. These institutes give preference over general master degree holders.
The good institutes offering these PhD programs are:
Amity University
IGNOU
KSOU
Pondicherry University

Tourism is a booming industry offering many job opportunities in the sector.
As this is an upcoming sector hence there are certain mandate skills required to excel in the field:
Customer dealing- The art of understanding the customer requirements, needs and expectation is a key to building a rapport with the customer.
Knowledge of the geography of said area- This goes a long way in giving the best experience to the customers keeping their requirements in mind.
Additional language- This makes an advantage to foreign tourists as communication is a key to being able to deliver the requirements.
Technical knowledge of travel process- Right from ticket booking, package booking, experience packages, fooding areas, etc. will help improve the travel experience.
Problem solving- One needs to be very decisive and spontaneous to handle any problem/concern as and it occurs.
These skills are learnt through experience and also taught in many personality development subjects in T&T course. However, the actual application basis the situation one faces will ensure better learning.

Yes, softwares are involved as once a booking is done the same needs to be updated with all concerned departments immediately to avoid confusion hence a software is required.
List of software involved in ticketing/reservations are:
-Galileo CRS
-Amadeus
-Sabre
-Worlspan, etc.
The various version of these software keep developing based on the company and any additional features that are introduced.
The best training institutes for these software would definitely be the IATA authorized centers as these certification from there are globally accepted.
Few top institutes that provide equally good training for the same are:
Kuoni Academy
TMI Academy of Travel & Tourism
Thomas Cook
Skylark Institute of Travel
You can pursue different level of course, with varied duration and also option for the campus placements and assistance provided.

Most of the people working in the adventure tourism sector have some kind of qualification in tourism, outdoor sports, or management. By taking courses in adventure sports, one can become instructors or tour operators in specific adventure sports. As people get more adventurous to try out new destinations and recreation, there is a growing need for qualified adventure instructors. Opportunities in adventure tourism can be as a Tour Guide, Adventure Tour operator, Outdoor Education Officer, Safari Guide, Adventure Sports Trainer, Travel and Information Consultant, Diver, Adventure Sports Photographer, Wildlife Photographer and so on. They can find employment with tour companies, excursion agencies, holiday resorts, leisure camps, commercial recreation centres, sports centres and athletic clubs. One can even set up their own adventure sports center where they can offer services and impart training in their area of specialization. Job in adventure tourism sector does not have structured salaries. Salary varies depending on the location, career opportunity, responsibilities and whether the position is seasonal or full-time. In most cases adventure tourism jobs are seasonal. Hence one cannot expect fixed income throughout the year. However, in the beginning of this career, you can get salary ranges from Rs. 7,000-12,000 per month. Income from self-employment venture depends upon the nature and size of the operations, it can be more than those who work under someone.