Education Tourism – Potential destination for Tourism and Hospitality Courses?

“If we were to look over the whole world to find out the countries mostly richly endowed with all the wealth, power and beauty which nature can bestow-in some parts a veritable paradise on Earth-I should point to India, if I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some of its choicest gifts-I should point to India.” Max Mueller

“India is the cradle of human race, the birth place of human speech, the mother of history, the grand mother of legend and great grand mother of tradition” Mark Twain


New Dimension: Potential for Education Tourism

India having world class Institutions and Brains, has shown the world during the current recessionary period that we are the world economic power. Tourism growth in the past years was encouraging in terms of arrival of more than 5.3 million foreigner and generating nearly $12 billion Foreign Exchange. Future projections in these areas are encouraging. The growth % of tourism in recent years in comparison to international level is very positive. Looking at the vast potential of this sector and its performance in the tourism field and large number of employees required in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality also highlight India as Potential study destination for Tourism and Hospitality Education.

According to WTTC, by 2013 India will be the third-largest tourism market in the world.
The Indian hospitality sector is expected to grow to Rs 15 trillion (US$ 275 billion) in the next ten years.
India Travel & Tourism is expected to generate INR1,267.3 bn or US$16.3 bn (5.4 per cent of total) in 2014.

In the context of tourism, India is becoming the buzzword the word over having emerged from behind the traditional image. Tourism is economic driver and is having multiplier effect. Role played by tourism activities and its economic benefit for the social good of the country are:
*It directly and indirectly employs about 8.9% of the total work force in the country.
*One in every 15.6 job positions in the country were in Tourism Sector. HVS report (2008).
*Rs.160 trillion (US$ 4 trillion) global travel and hospitality sector
*Globally, 8.1% people are employed in the sector.

Impact of Tourism and Hospitality growth has not proportionately generated the attraction for foreign students to study in India. Destinations are beginning to see the potential to focus on education tourism and seeing education as a green sunrise industry as they contribute to nation’s economy in many ways:
e.g.
Export generating International currency
Students can become brand ambassador
Increased VFR visitors : We need to look at the total value of a student. Their total expenditure, their VFR visits, and their repeat expenditure
Growth potential in future

International Students interested in education abroad focus on education relevant to the global job environment and prefer Accredited and recognized programmes. They also would like to see how well an institute is connected and also an international level with in the industry will become much more important in decision making.


Marketing Hospitality Education Abroad- Our strength

Hospitality Advantage- Concept, tradition, values and welcoming attitude/ environment, Varieties for a traveler, Excellent mode of teaching in English, No racism and Lower cost of Education and living standards will be some of the strength while marketing of India’s Hospitality Education abroad.
Better co-ordination between the education promotion bodies and tourism promotion bodies is recommended to explore this potential market.

Challenges and issues before Marketing of Tourism and Hospitality Education

The future development of education is going to be different from the past, as knowledge and expertise become increasingly borderless. Traveler is more experienced and this is making him/her more demanding. Expectations of international students need to be kept in mind. Following strategies may be considered for attracting this segment:
Increasing global accredited programme having harmonized course structure with transferable credits for easy comparison.
Flexibility for Collaborating initiative and reciprocal recognition of qualification internationally
Internationalization of curriculum, faculty, linkages to become more global and international focused.

Food for thought

The flow of students from the US to India increased by 24 per cent in 2006-07 over the previous year, according to an official survey. This increase is fueled in part by an increase in new programme opportunities and partnerships between higher education institutions in the United States and abroad.
Trends being followed internationally in the field of Exporting Education

*Singapore has a education tourism strategy.
* Dubai (UAE) has created Education Parks -such as Knowledge Village and Academic City
* Hong Kong is now also trying to enter this market
* In Singapore Education Promotion even comes under the Singapore Tourism Board (STB)
* China, whose tourism education is quite young has done a lot and 500 and more universities and colleges today are giving world class education with high class research work and is attracting good numbers of students from abroad.

Developing market and creating demand- need of Branding

Hospitality is a business having International flavour, and it is International Discipline. Quality parameters are same across the Globe. One has to compete at the level of the international standards.
Dynamic Hospitality Education in Global perspective has to be provided.
To create bench mark will be a challenge. Quality first time and all time will always remain a major Concern in Branding India and in creating bench mark.

*Education of Hospitality and Tourism need to be publicized as new destination.

* Methodology need to be readjusted in the age of globalization and Hi Tech. Value addition should be continuous focus and objective of curriculum.

* Institution themselves should come forward and make strategies to market hospitality education.

Following strategies can be explored to market Tourism and Hospitality Education abroad

*Exporting Training
* Sending experts to these countries
* Promoting vocational courses and short courses to these countries
* Expertise in developing student’s knowledge
* Introduce applied education system
* Initiate students exchange programme
* Defined policies on internationalization of higher education
* Better Industry- Institution interface
* Better facilities and services to the visiting students on the concept of “Atithi Devo Bhav”
* International level Training Infrastructure development in the country
* The incredible India Campaign launched by the Tourism Department can also be roped in boosting global students traffic and marketing of Tourism and Hospitality Education abroad.
* Better coordination between the education promotion bodies and tourism promotion bodies.
* Formulation of the strategies to market Education Tourism on the pattern of medical tourism, adventure tourism, sports tourism etc.
* Extensive marketing campaign in the manner of U.K.’s PM initiative, Australia, Singapore and New Zealand etc is needed.

Government agencies should focus on this segment of traveller. Exporting Education deserves public and Govt support. Quality will always be a focus in exporting education as International mobility favour well developed education system and institution. To Globalize one have to Export best Practices and alliances.
Better co-ordination between the education promotion bodies and tourism promotion bodies is recommended to explore this potential market.
Sun is shining bright provided we make an honest effort to put our act together.