India has been an enchanting destination since ancient times for travellers from across the world. Famous for our “atithi devo bhava” view of those who come to experience the expanse and vibrancy of our country, our citizens have taken utmost care and pride in honouring and serving the guests with respect and love.
The art of hosting travellers is not something that can be mugged up, it is rather a skill to be acquired. For that, the Indian education system has introduced many Bachelor of Vocation (BVoc )courses in tourism for undergraduate students. BVoc in Tourism provides students with a wide range of exciting career opportunities in the dynamic industries of tourism and hospitality.
The education system of India is now bridging the gap between what is expected of the job market and what is taught in the college classroom. In September of 2011, the Ministry of HRD, Government of India, introduced the National Vocational Education Qualification Framework (NVEQF). NQEF was later replaced with a new framework called the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) in December 2013.
India recognised the need to bridge the gap between the job market and college education, leading to the introduction of BVocprogramme through the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF).
In 2014, UGC introduced a Bachelor Of Vocation (BVoc) programme for undergraduate students to give them practical knowledge of courses to make them more job ready. These BVoc courses in India have had multiple exits over three years. The students get the certificate of a diploma holder in the first year, advanced diploma holder in the second year, and BVoc degree holder in the third and final year.
Why Is A Bachelors in Vocations Needed?
The economic growth and job opportunities in a country depend on the knowledge and skills of its workforce. India requires a sufficient number of qualified and skilled workers in both tourism and hospitality industries. We have only a small percentage of the Indian workforce that has received professional training so there is a need to invest more in vocational education. Skill India aimed to train 300 million people by 2022 with a big investment by the Indian government.
Significance of BVoc In Tourism
During the pandemic, the tourism industry suffered financially worldwide. But as per the Economic Survey of India 2023, after the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism industry of India gained balance. After the international flights resumed there was a month-on-month rise in the number of foreign tourists visiting India.
The survey also revealed that India positioned itself in 10th rank from the list of 64 countries of the World Medical Tourism Index FY21. Vocational training and tourism lay a foundation for a career in which hosting, planning, managing, and handling grievances are the major roles.
Undergraduates interested in the glamorous and multi-dimensional career of tourism can pursue BVoc in hospitality and tourism from these colleges of the west zone of India with the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. After some research, we at Careers360 chose the top five colleges depending on the curriculum, NAAC rating, NIRF ranking, and other criteria combined. All the courses listed below have an offline mode of teaching
Students who have successfully completed their Class 12 or equivalent level of examination are eligible to apply for this course.
Also Read: Law Internships For Undergraduate Students To Explore In June 2023
Tata Institute of Social Science, Maharashtra
Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) is one of the top 100 universities in India as per the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranking 2022. It has set up the School of Vocational Education (SVE) to provide vocational training to undergraduate-level students.
For every BVoc programme, TISS SVE is associated with a hub partner and a Skill Knowledge Partner (SKP) in various cities in India. The hub partner provides the classroom with theoretical-based education. The SKPs are the industries or companies which provide on-the-job training. TISS SVE has successfully enrolled 5,200 students across 95 locations in India.
About the course: The course structure emphasises a balance between theoretical understanding and practical application through assignments. The curriculum of the course has basic subjects like Functional English, Basics of Economics and Markets, Communication Skills, and Computing Skills. Students explore specialised topics such as Introduction to Tourism, Tourism Geography, Modes of Transport, and Travel Agency to develop their expertise in the field.
What makes it special: TISS SVE offers internship-focused vocational training to its undergraduate students. The BVoc programme in Hospitality and Tourism at TISS offers a unique learning experience through its "learning while earning" module. This module allows students to gain practical knowledge and skills while simultaneously earning a living in the industry.
The WITP (Work Integrated Training programme) features of BVoc courses at TISS make it stand out. This involves on-the-job training of the student in an actual industry or company. TISS SVE as hub partners.
St Xaviers Mumbai, Maharashtra
St. Xavier's College, Mumbai has gained a NIRF ranking of 87th on the list of top 100 colleges in India. It offers excellence, critical thinking, multidisciplinary learning, industry relevance, social inclusion, and environmental responsibility to its students. Students develop confidence, empathy, a sense of social justice, and environmental protection through curricular and extracurricular activities.
About the course: The programme offers courses like enterprise and entrepreneurship, functional areas of management, personality and work behaviour, and localisation or globalisation. It also includes French Language and Culture as part of its curriculum, aiming to pique students' interest in a cosmopolitan society.
What makes it special: The course structure is one of a kind. It forms the foundation for the basics of the tourism industry with a modern-day industry like web designing. It also offers a unique blend of historical perspectives, exploring the rich heritage of tourism in North India through itineraries, culture, and music.
HR College of Commerce & Economics
HR College of Commerce and Economics is a prestigious institution for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. It is an important part of the list of colleges under HNSC University. The college offers industry-demanded insights into commerce and business education. It follows a student-centric approach giving them practical experience and personal growth. It conducts partnership programmes with the corporate sector and non-profit communities for the overall development of its undergraduate students.
About the course: It has an extensive curriculum. It focuses on providing its students with essential managerial skills for effective leadership in the tourism and hospitality industry. Subjects like Financial Management Accounting and Service Marketing teach financial knowledge and skills for the effective management of resources. It also teaches strategies and techniques for delivering exceptional customer experiences in the tourism sector
What makes it special: HR College has a Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS) which allows its students to personalise their education and pursue interdisciplinary courses. The programme focuses on practical skills and interdisciplinary learning. Honours courses are available to enhance job prospects. The college ensures a well-rounded education that prepares students for the future.
The course stands out because of its well-curated syllabus based on research by a committee. They researched the industry needs, and current trends feedback from experts and incorporated it into the syllabus. What Is Working And What Is Not In A BVoc Degree? The global and Indian tourism industry challenges, its challenges, and future technology.
Also Read: What Is Working And What Is Not In A BVoc Degree?
NS Patel Arts College, Anand (Gujarat)
NS Patel Arts College has a legacy of around 50 years in its commitment to providing an educational programme that goes beyond traditional academic curricula. The curriculum of the college supports holistic development and prepares students for the challenges of the future. It adopts a pedagogy that enhances the teaching-learning experience with the use of modern technology.
About the course: The college has a detailed curriculum that focuses on key areas of tourism development, travel industry management, tourism marketing, and tourism services.
What makes it special: The vocational programme equip the students with essential knowledge and skills related to the travel and tourism industry. The training process prepares them for a wide range of exciting career opportunities in the field of tourism and hospitality.
Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, Gujarat
Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University (HGNU) an esteemed institute of Gujarat established in 1986 offers a wide range of educational opportunities. The institute holds accreditation from NAAC, ensuring quality education and academic excellence.
About the course: The curriculum of the Hospitality and Tourism Management programme includes courses such as Hospitality Marketing, Tourism Marketing, and Tour Operations Management. These courses provide in-depth knowledge and practical skills in managing marketing strategies, tour operations, and their practical application in the industry.
What makes it special: The course structure combines lectures, case studies, minor projects, and presentations to provide an engaging learning experience for the students. This approach helps students understand the real-world working conditions of the industry. This develops practical and problem-solving skills similar to customer grievance handling ability which they will need in the future
Tourism in India can be a major source of economic growth in the future. Undergraduates with adequate knowledge and skills can pave their way to a better and bright future.
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Explore Career Options (By Industry)
Food Scientist
A food scientist enhances the safety, quality, and nutrition of food products. They work on developing recipes, testing for quality, analysing nutrition, optimising processes, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Their work spans labs, factories, and offices, often in collaboration with engineers and quality teams to create safe, innovative, and cost-effective food solutions for the market.
Food Inspector
A Food Inspector ensures the safety and quality of food by inspecting facilities, enforcing regulations, and preventing contamination. They examine food products, check sanitation practices, and uphold public health standards. The role requires knowledge in food science or biology, relevant certifications, and strong analytical skills. Their work is essential in preventing foodborne illnesses and maintaining hygiene standards
Food Engineer
A food engineer applies engineering principles to food production, processing, packaging, and storage to ensure safety, quality, and sustainability. They design processing systems, develop packaging and storage solutions, handle supply chain issues, and ensure compliance with food safety standards. Their work combines engineering, biology, and chemistry to improve food systems.
Food Technologist
A Food Technologist develops safe, nutritious, and innovative food products through research, quality control, and process design. They work in labs, processing units, and sometimes on-site to ensure food safety and customer satisfaction. With growing demand for healthy and processed foods, this career plays a crucial role in modern food production and technology.
Family Social Worker
In a career as family social worker, an individual help those people who grow up in dysfunctional families and suffer from mild to extreme dysfunction. Some people are able to overcome the obstacles that childhood brought them and have a positive impact on the future. This negative behavior brings great pressure on family members. Sometimes they need help to learn how to deal with certain family situations or problems faced on a personal level. Individuals who opt for a career as family social worker can help restore harmony by providing services to families in crisis.
Chef
Individuals in chef career path work responsibilities include planning the menu, observing the kitchen, and supervising the entire kitchen staff. In the beginning, a trainee chef might be asked to wash dishes, clean the kitchen, and chop vegetables. There is a gradual process of learning and growth to reach the final destination ‘head chef’.
Every restaurant needs a culinarian and the country has a thousand great restaurant chains. So, there are immense career opportunities as well. In this article, we will discuss Chef roles and responsibilities, how to become a Chef in India, Chef skills, Chef eligibility, how to become chef after 12th and Chef qualification.
Event Manager
An Event Manager plans, coordinates, and oversees events like weddings, conferences, and festivals. They work with clients to understand needs, manage budgets, coordinate vendors, and handle logistics. Strong organisational, communication, and problem-solving skills are essential. Career opportunities exist in agencies, hotels, or freelancing, with growth potential into senior roles like Event Director.
Travel Agent
A travel agent helps clients plan and book trips by arranging transport, accommodation, and tours. They offer advice on visas, insurance, and travel safety, and handle itinerary changes or cancellations. Using industry knowledge, they customise travel experiences and secure deals. Travel agents also support clients throughout their journey, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable travel experience.
Linguist
Linguistic meaning is related to language or Linguistics which is the study of languages. A career as a linguistic meaning, a profession that is based on the scientific study of language, and it's a very broad field with many specialities. Famous linguists work in academia, researching and teaching different areas of language, such as phonetics (sounds), syntax (word order) and semantics (meaning).
Other researchers focus on specialities like computational linguistics, which seeks to better match human and computer language capacities, or applied linguistics, which is concerned with improving language education. Still, others work as language experts for the government, advertising companies, dictionary publishers and various other private enterprises. Some might work from home as freelance linguists. Philologist, phonologist, and dialectician are some of Linguist synonym. Linguists can study French, German, Italian.
Hotel Manager
A hotel manager oversees daily hotel operations, ensuring guest satisfaction, staff efficiency, and financial performance. Key duties include managing guest services, supervising staff, handling budgets, maintaining facilities, and promoting the hotel. A degree in hospitality and work experience are usually required, along with strong leadership and communication skills.
Food Stylist
A food stylist is a culinary art specialist who is responsible for making the food look arranged in a presentable way decked up with accessories for a close shot. He or she works with chefs, photographers and editors.
Bartender
The bartender is the person who mixes and serves drinks at the bar. He or she helps the people to serve drinks at parties which adds to the glamour of the event or the night and makes the environment like a party mood. It is difficult to plan parties without the help of a bartender serving beers and alcohol with all the mixing techniques.
Students can pursue BHM (Bachelor of Hotel Management), or other related courses to opt for a bartender career in India. Here, in this article, we will discuss the details of how to become a Bartender in India, bartending a good job, bartender career growth, bartender roles and responsibilities, bartender courses in India, and bartender skills.
Station Master
A Station Master ensures the smooth and safe operation of trains at a railway station. Appointed by the Railway Recruitment Board, they manage train schedules, operate signals, oversee station facilities, assist passengers, and supervise staff. Their role is crucial for maintaining safety, punctuality, and passenger convenience, making it a responsible and rewarding career in Indian Railways.
Linguist
Linguistic meaning is related to language or Linguistics which is the study of languages. A career as a linguistic meaning, a profession that is based on the scientific study of language, and it's a very broad field with many specialities. Famous linguists work in academia, researching and teaching different areas of language, such as phonetics (sounds), syntax (word order) and semantics (meaning).
Other researchers focus on specialities like computational linguistics, which seeks to better match human and computer language capacities, or applied linguistics, which is concerned with improving language education. Still, others work as language experts for the government, advertising companies, dictionary publishers and various other private enterprises. Some might work from home as freelance linguists. Philologist, phonologist, and dialectician are some of Linguist synonym. Linguists can study French, German, Italian.
Travel Planner
A travel planner is a professional who assists clients or people in planning and organising their trips. He or she is responsible for making arrangements for the client's travel requirements such as reservations, booking flights, and arranging transport. A travel planner may also visit the holiday destinations and resorts to help the clients make informed decisions.
In a career as a travel planner, he or she must design cost-effective travel packages according to the client's needs and budget and provide the best recommendations to them. The travel planner oversees the negotiations for the accommodation, transportation, rental companies, tour guides and restaurants for the clients to get the maximum benefits of trips.
Travel Agent
A travel agent helps clients plan and book trips by arranging transport, accommodation, and tours. They offer advice on visas, insurance, and travel safety, and handle itinerary changes or cancellations. Using industry knowledge, they customise travel experiences and secure deals. Travel agents also support clients throughout their journey, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable travel experience.
Travel Journalist
A travel journalist explores destinations and shares experiences through articles, blogs, or social media. They plan trips, manage logistics, and may create guidebooks. A degree in Journalism or Mass Communication is typical, with added value from internships and skills in photography or film-making.