Hotel, and Travel and Tourism Management | Career Bazaar

The hospitality industry in Nepal, as any others, is going through trying times. It has in recent times seen a lot of retrenchment activity. The irony however, is that on one hand personnel are being laid off while at the same time recruitments are taking place. The reason for this as explained to us was a dearth of quality and skilled manpower: with proper training and education and with the requisite skills, there were ample opportunities and openings in the hospitality industry of Nepal.

There is no denying Nepal's tourism potential and many view tourism as the salve for its economic crisis. As a career too, the hospitality industry is seen as having huge potential, both nationally and internationally. The demand for skilled manpower has been on the rise but the supply has not been adequate to bridge the gap, thus despite the IT sector being portrayed as the industry of the future, the hospitality sector could be a very promising and paying career option.

As a study option, a course in Travel and Tourism, and Hotel Management is unique, being very practical oriented, it requires attitude as much as academic aptitude. Academically, anyone who has completed the +2 level, in any stream, is eligible. Apart from that, a student has to have ample motivation, an ability to communicate and a strong sense of dignity of labour to survive the rigours of the course.

A 3 year Travel & Tourism and Hotel Management course costs around US $ 15000 if undertaken in Singapore, Australia and Europe. Similar courses are also offered in India at a lower rate but the ideal option would be to opt for a course in Nepal itself. Worldclass courses in hotel and travel trade management has finally come within easy reach of students in Nepal and it comes at a fraction of the cost of similar courses abroad.

Nepal Tourism And Hotel Management College (NTAHMC), Pokhara, is Nepal's first quality institute offering internationally recognized courses on its campus that is equipped with the state of the art facilities comparable to the best in the industry. Promoted by a group of 127 investors, some locals and others non-resident, it boasts a big, serene and safe campus away from the hubub of the Pokhara town and yet is easily accesible.

Established in 1999, it is affiliated with the Pokhara Unversity and is also Nepal's only partner institute of the American Hotel and Motel Association (AHMA). It currently offers 3 year Bachelor Level Courses in Travel & Tourism and Hotel Management apart from Certificate Courses certified by AHMA. They are considering a 4th year, so that students can graduate with Honours. They also provide one year post-SLC courses in Management as well as specialized corporate training.

Confident of their facilities, the training quality, and the grooming they provide, the principal, Mr. Kamal Pant and the faculty members look forward to their very first graduates who pass out in the next few weeks. The students too looked a contented: confident and forward in their outlook and satisfied at having got their money's worth. Having interned at some of the best Hotels in Kathamandu amongst students from other institutes, some even from abroad, they felt competent and better prepared than most of the others. Hotels like the Hyatt Regency, Soaltee Crown Plaza, Yak & Yeti and Radisson have already offered positions to some of them.

Mr. Kamal Pant, a Diploma holder in Travel & Tourism and Hotel Management from India has a long background in the hotel industry, with nearly 8 years of experience specifically as a trainer. He has been involved with the institute since its inception, from the design of the college to the drafting of the systems. The association with the AHMA has ensured that the college maintains its standards. The management has left no stone unturned to ensure that it stands equal if not better in comparision to the institutes abroad. It is among a handful in South-East Asia that complies and with the stringent requirements of AHMA. The study involves the use of the latest audiovisual aids, CD- ROMs and the Internet. Despite the courses being highly subsidized, it has not led to any compromise in the educational standard or the facilities.

Among its few drawbacks, the lack of a hostel is one. However, with plenty of land available in its campus, the management looks forward to having one in the very near future. They hope to have foreign admissions with a hostel in the college premises.