Tourism-Past, Present and Future

Opportunity for employment. Your playground is indeed the world! It is therefore important for you to learn of the new changes that will take place in your employment lifetime. You will be the path- breaker who will retain the ethnic traditions yet adventurous enough to experience local rural food or fusion cuisines of the world! You would have already done bungee jumping, perhaps, so why not fly at Mach 2.5 in a MIG 27 if you want the adrenalin rush. It is possible today.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been unfortunate to tourism as travel dropped dramatically. However new concepts developed as Day-cations (one-day trip) and Stay-cations (an overnight trip) by road with family. The concern for hygiene and sanitation swept over all aspects of tourism. When the pandemic stopped, the world went on “revenge” tourism breaking all records in tourism sales.

Another concern is climate change. Suddenly summers are hotter and winters freezing. Rains are falling when we should have sunshine. Cities are getting wiped out by unnatural floods and wildfires. The tourism industry is getting green. They are taking initiatives to be environmentally friendly to protect the planet. Are you preparing yourself to be part of sustainable tourism which is a term that prevents the destruction of the eco-systems?   Have you prepared yourself to receive guests who are eco-friendly and demand such environments? Be prepared to lead environmental drives in your professional career.

Many of you like to work in five star hotels. Now hear is a surprise. The future is in Bed and Breakfast accommodation, Boutique hotels which are small. Small is beautiful and one must be flexible to change with the times. If you want to be part of something large, then think of marketing villas in a remote resort that acts as a club, health spa, with a signature golf course and a marina.

The future workforce shall be young. It is quite possible to see a work force below thirty-five years. So you will have to think of two or possibly three phases in your working life. Those mature professionals who get out of the employment market have to re-engineer themselves to consider self-employment. There are ample opportunities for entrepreneurship in growing cities and countries. Perhaps you would like to think of becoming a tourism entrepreneur and work along with local tourist departments in developing new tourism sites within nature. There is enough space for small business that provides service.  The new generation want this.

This book is ideal as an introduction to the tourism industry and is therefore rightly in the first year of a tourism and hotel school curriculum. It is necessary to understand the present dynamics and the future directions. This book will be an ideal eye-opener to the future. Students will like to keep this in mind when preparing for exciting careers.