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Hospitality industry is a broad umbrella term usually used to describe various fields within service sector such as lodging, restaurants, event planning, amusement parks, etc. Presently hospitality industry is worth several billion dollars even though it mostly depends on the disposable income and availability of leisure time of its consumers. The word hospitality is said to be coming from Latin for ‘hospes’ which means a host, guest or stranger. Tourism on the other hand, is a travel related leisure activity, which may involve travel for both, recreational or business purposes. Modern tourism can be dated back to the days of Grand Tour, a travel custom that flourished around 1660s. Back then, only the affluent upper class members of European society had the means to undertake such tours across mainland Europe. It is believed that the word ‘tourism’ was first used in 1811. By the second half of 18th century and after invention of rail and steamship, tourism also became more and more prevalent among the middle classes of the western societies.

Hospitality companies such as hotels or restaurants chains may encompass other secondary functions such as facility maintenance, direct operations, management, food and beverage services, marketing and public relations and human resources. Tourism as well, comes with its own host of sub sectors and subsequent skill requirements for travel related goods and services such as transportation services, airlines, hospitality services, accommodation such as hotels and resorts and entertainment venues, amusement parks, casinos, shopping malls, music venues, and theatres etc. Tourism and hospitality are not only interdependent, but also the fastest growing industries collectively with over 72.4 million jobs around the world. With the advent of e-commerce and globalization, even more career opportunities have emerged worldwide, especially in the areas related to meetings and conventions, attractions, event planning, gaming, or even food and beverage. As a result of a soaring demand of highly skilled personnel, it has become essential to recruit qualified executives who have an ideal balance of academia and praxis. Many reputed universities and higher educational institutes around the world have introduced specialized degree programs pertaining to Tourism and Hospitality Management.

These academic courses train students in the concepts, principles, procedures and vocabulary essentials of the industry. The course usually entails modules such as event management, hotel operations, food and beverage management, destination and resort marketing, sales management and much more. After graduation, most of the students take up employment in any of the various segments of hospitality such as hotels, restaurants, convention and event organizing companies, etc. Many outstanding graduates are also absorbed by large hospitality corporations as interns, trainees or apprentices.