Thursday, May 5, 2011

Occupations Available Within The Hospitality And Travel Industry

If you enjoy traveling, you know how important kindness, patience and comfort are as part of the experience. You want a hotel, motel or resort room that's clean and equipped with the needed supplies. You also want to be serviced by staff members who are knowledgeable and genuinely interested in making your stay as comfortable and unforgettable as possible.

Some people might enjoy traveling so much that they might even consider pursuing a hospitality degree. This degree can lead to careers in management, marketing or operations. Some careers in hospitality include casino and gaming supervisors, hotel concierges and event planners who coordinate everything from meetings, conferences and workshops to weddings and anniversaries.

The hospitality industry isn't known for providing lucrative salaries. Many jobs, in fact, are accompanied by pay scales that are close to minimum wage. A college degree in the field, however, can help individuals boost their income potential in travel and hospitality careers. Depending upon the company that degree-holders work for, their benefits might even include travel discounts on hotel stays as well as on dining, transportation, attractions and more.

Gambling laws vary from place to place, and there are locales throughout the world where graduates with hospitality degrees might find work in casinos or hotel casinos. These locales extend beyond Las Vegas and Atlantic City - to parts of Maryland, even, where a new college program is keeping up with a growing number of gambling offerings.

The Maryland college teamed up with a university in Las Vegas to offer its casino management program. Also, a university in Massachusetts offers students the opportunity to earn Bachelor's degrees in hospitality and tourism management online.

There are also institutions that specialize in hospitality degree offerings. One university with at least four locations throughout the country calls itself the "hospitality college." This particular university offers Bachelors degrees in everything from baking and pastry arts and food service management to sports/entertainment/event management and international hotel and tourism management. Graduates have gone on to work as executive vice presidents and international directors of hotels, sports advertising and promotions managers and founders and managing partners of restaurants.

A few years back, there were nearly two million jobs provided by lodging facilities alone. Hotels, motels and resorts often provide jobs to people who are new to the workforce. These facilities also employ the greatest percentage of workers in gaming service - some of which, like the hotels themselves, involve supervisory roles.

In addition to general managers, there are front desk and housekeeping managers at lodging facilities. There are also managers who are responsible for areas such as sales and marketing, maintenance and security. There is also some growth beyond service occupations that's expected in the travel and hospitality industry. Within the next several years, there should be an increase in management, business and financial occupations at lodging facilities, as well as an increase in sales occupations at these same types of facilities. For those with hopes of pursuing hospitality degrees and entering the field, that could be good news. Combine that with the flexibility of online classes, and you could be on your way to an enjoyable career where everyday is like a relaxing getaway!

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