The hospitality industry is currently the third largest employer of workforce worldwide and trillions of dollars are being invested in this sector. Hospitality consists of a wide variety of fields within the service industry. It includes establishments like tourism, hotels, restaurants, cruises, parks and management of events to name a few. The hotel industry in the United Arab Emirates is experiencing dynamic growth as large international chains establish luxurious hotels that are attracting more and more tourists from around the world. It is estimated that upto 500,000 professionals will be needed over the next five years to meet the human resource requirements of hotels in the UAE.

Hospitality Scope

Due to the rapid growth in tourism, the hotel industry is also booming. Many international players are expanding their business across the globe. With developing infrastructure, increase in demand, open sky policies and increased competition, the hospitality industry is getting consolidated and has many more opportunities to grow further.

Additional Skills Required

An individual seeking employment in this dynamic sector needs excellent social skills. A pleasing personality, enthusiasm, discipline, a genuine interest in a customer's needs and a willingness and aptitude for public relations work are the basic traits employers watch out for in their applicants. Managerial positions in hotels require excellent organisation skills, besides quick thinking and adaptive capabilities needed to handle the pressures of dealing with guests from vastly different cultures.

Employment Prospects

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, 45 million jobs will be created by 2015, making the travel and tourism industry a global leader in the employment sector. Faced with such rapid expansion, the profession is transforming and developing into new areas that offer an extensive choice of diversified career opportunities. While most graduates usually seek work in five star hotels or other private hotel chains, some find themselves seeking alternative employment avenues in restaurant management, cruise ship hotel management, institutional and industrial catering, club or bar management, airline catering and cabin services, or management of catering departments in banks and insurance houses. Duration 2 Years Full-time or part-time equivalent Required Credit Hours: minimum hours