International courses

in hospitality and tourism

Hospitality and tourism are two subjects which have seen an increase in popularity and recognition over the past few years; as a result more and more international students are applying to study these subjects overseas. i-HT is a comprehensive guide for students considering studying hospitality and tourism internationally. The i-HT guides are bursting with an array of university profiles and articles from leading hospitality associations and international education experts, to help students navigate the often-complicated maze of choosing the right hospitality and tourism course. Featuring articles on snowsport in New Zealand, catering in Canada and hotel management in the USA, i-HT is specifically designed to help international students choose the right hospitality and tourism course for them.

Whilst Switzerland is perceived by many as the long established home of hospitality, many regard Australia as the new, innovative and strategic centre of tourism and hospitality education. The infrastructure of world-class hotels and educational facilities, currency in curriculum, innovation in deliver, and genuine Australian hospitality make for a great learning environment.

Australia is also one of the best places in the world to live while you learn. The standard of living is amongst the highest in the world, yet costs remain competitive. On your breaks from study, you will have a wide choice of activities to enrich your experience — from cultural festivals, concerts and museums, to major sporting events.

Recognised as one of the world's premier travel destinations, Canada is well-known for providing visitors with a wide range of unique tourism experiences but while Canada has always been a leading destination for business and leisure travel, it is also quickly becoming known as one of the world's best educational destinations. Canadian institutions are rapidly creating new programmes, improving existing course selection and creating space for more students, suggesting that the time to study in Canada couldn't be better.

For students interested in pursuing their studies in tourism and hospitality, Canada offers an outstanding range of educational opportunities to both domestic and international students. Given tourism's importance to the global economy, it's no wonder that this is the case. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has predicted 1.6 billion international travel arrivals by 2020 and tourism has always been one of the most resilient sectors of the global economy. As we emerge from the recession, there is an unprecedented opportunity for growth in the sector and an energetic, vibrant, knowledgeable workforce will be vital to its success.

New Zealand's large and vibrant hospitality industry employs around 136,000 people, nearly 7% of the workforce, working in more than 20,000 businesses around the country.

A job in hospitality can be had in a wide variety of workplaces. The New Zealand industry includes cafés, bars, pubs and restaurants, to hotels, motels, backpackers, hostels, holiday parks, lodges, resorts and halls of residence. Food service, traditionally called catering, whether in hospitals, residential care, prisons, schools and universities, offices, airports, factories or stadium and event catering is another part of the mix. Quick service restaurants, often called fast-food, such as the global giant McDonald's and many other independent outlets and clubs — sport and recreation clubs, social clubs, working men's clubs, cosmopolitan clubs — are two other parts that make up this multi-faceted sector. And of course many of these workplaces are in towns and cities that tourists head for, like Queenstown, the 'adventure capital of the world' and Rotorua, for the Maori culture and its geothermal activity, or Wellington, the capital city, often compared to San Francisco.

Travel and tourism is one of the 21st century's most dynamic industries — it's growing and it's international. And with over 30 universities in the UK alone offering three-and four-year degree and postgraduate courses in various aspects of hospitality, travel and tourism — as well as 200 or so other colleges offering specialised craft courses — the UK is a great place to study for a career in an industry that offers almost unlimited, world-wide opportunities.

All the degree courses include periods of work experience so that graduates are able to understand the pressures that they will be working under once they leave college. When they enter the industry, the major companies have training and development schemes to ensure that the graduates they hire can reach their full potential.

There are a variety of four-year programmes in the US offering hospitality management as a major of study — there are estimates of between 200 and 250 four-year programmes and even more at the two-year level. Typically, these programmes will offer hospitality (or a combination of hospitality and tourism) as a major although some offer it as a 'track' or 'emphasis' where students will take fewer courses in the hospitality area and more in other areas, such as general business.

Hospitality management programmes usually focus their curriculum on the study of hotels and restaurants although numerous other areas may also be covered including meetings and conventions, event management, gaming, on-site food service, resort management, and private clubs, just to name a few. Before choosing a programme, students are advised to preview the curriculum to see if it matches with their desired course of study.