Travel

TRAVEL AND TOURISM

WHAT IS TRAVEL AND TOURISM?

Travel and tourism is a field that is often offered as part of a college or university's larger "hospitality" program, or it can be contained within a geography department, department of recreation management, or other program. It is a growing field that examines global trends in travel and tourism and the management and marketing of businesses and services in this growing sector.

WHAT COURSES DO YOU NEED TO TAKE?

Depending on what college or university you choose, your tourism major will take different forms. Some colleges and universities provide a strong general business background as well as offering a concentration in tourism-related subjects. Other programs lean toward more liberal arts-oriented programming, asking students to study foreign languages, geography, and cross-cultural differences.

As a tourism major, you will want to do an internship or find a job in the tourism arena while in school. This will give you experience you can show on your résumé as well as give you a leg up on your career. In the classroom, here are some classes you are likely to encounter:

• Accounting
• International Tourism
• Management
• Meeting Planning
• Tourism Planning
• Transportation
• Travel and Tourism

Tourism majors often participate in study abroad programs to gain perspective on how different countries handle their operations as well as gain first-hand travel experience.

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A DEGREE IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM?

The tourism industry is an incredibly vibrant and glamorous sector of the global marketplace, offering job opportunities in resorts, restaurants, hotels, conference centers, corporations, and government. Graduates who leave college with tourism degrees are equipped with a flexible skill set they can use in many kinds of jobs, including administrative positions at hotels, as special events planners, sales people, marketing professionals, security directors, controllers, personnel managers, travel agents, and resort managers.