Hospitality 2.0: Why Now Is the Best Time for Students to Bet on This Industry
Sunder Srinivasan
Assistant Professor
AISSMS College of Hotel Management & Catering
Industry Pune
You are standing at a great doorway. Whether you have just finished Class 12 or you are midway through a hotel-management degree, the question is the same: Is hospitality still a smart future? My short answer – Yes! My longer answer is below: what is changing, where the real opportunities are, and how you can prepare to thrive.
Why now??
Hospitality has evolved from “rooms and restaurants” to a wide ecosystem: branded residences, experience-led
dining, cruises, events, wellness retreats, cloud kitchens, and travel tech. Domestic tourism is strong, Food & Beverage is innovating faster than ever, and companies now value revenue management, digital marketing, and guest-experience analytics as much as classic service. Yes, the industry demands discipline, long hours at times, and you may start modestly – but career velocity is real for those who build the right mix of service mindset, tech fluency, and business awareness.
Career paths (within and around hotels)
- Core Operations: Front Office, Housekeeping, Food & Beverage Service, Culinary & Bakery.
- Commercial roles: Sales, Marketing, Revenue Management, e-Commerce, Loyalty, Public Relations.
- Specialised tracks: Events / MICE, Banquets, Spa & Wellness, Facilities / Property Management.
- Corporate functions: Human Resource & Training, Finance & Cost Control, Procurement, Quality & Safety (HACCP / HSE).
- Technology & analytics in hospitality: Property Management Systems, channel management, pricing analytics, guest-feedback mining.
- Entrepreneurship: Cafés, cloud kitchens, artisanal bakeries, catering, boutique stays, travel experiences.
If you love people and problem-solving, operations will feel like home. If you enjoy numbers and strategy, commercial or analytics roles can fast-track growth. Want to be creative – Culinary research & development, menu engineering, food styling, food blogging and content around food and travel are all real careers today.
Skills to build (beyond the textbook)
- Service DNA + communication: Clear English, confident Hindi / regional language skills, polite assertiveness, and active listening.
- Digital literacy: Comfort with POS / PMS basics, spreadsheets, and an introductory grasp of data (pivot tables, dashboards).
- Revenue & marketing basics: Understanding demand cycles, pricing, upselling, and how social media shapes discovery and loyalty.
- Culinary / science awareness: Even if you are not a chef – food safety (FSSAI basics), hygiene audits, and menu logic matter.
- Professionalism under pressure: Time management, grooming, resilience; hospitality is a team sport.
- Global etiquette & cultural intelligence: Guests and teams are diverse; being inclusive and culturally aware is a superpower.
- Storytelling: From a table-side recommendation to a LinkedIn post about your internship – being able to frame value opens doors.
How to prepare yourself (from Day 1 to placement)
- Set semester goals: e.g., “This term I’ll master guest complaint handling,” or “I’ll build a pricing case study in Excel.”
- Intern with intention: Do not just clock hours – keep a journal of incidents, what you learned, and measurable outcomes.
- Build a portfolio: Photos of practicals, menu costing assignments, revenue mini-projects, event plans, certificates – curate them.
- Certifications that signal readiness: FSSAI FoSTaC (food safety), basic HACCP awareness, barista or beverage service, first aid.
- Network early: Follow brands and GMs on LinkedIn, comment thoughtfully, ask for informational chats – five minutes can change a career.
- Compete & volunteer: College fests, culinary contests, and MICE events teach agility, budgeting, and teamwork in real time.
- Be placement-ready year-round: A one-page CV, crisp 60-second pitch, and 2–3 quantified stories that show impact.
Options beyond the hotel building
The hospitality skillset is remarkably portable. You can work in airlines (cabin/ground), cruise lines, luxury retail, coworking and property management, destination management companies, amusement parks, corporate cafeterias, hospitals & healthcare hospitality, travel startups, cloud kitchens and aggregators, wedding & event companies, wellness resorts, and sustainability consulting for F&B. The common thread is service, operations excellence, and guest experience – your core training.
Choosing the right institute (make this decision like a professional)
- Recognition & approval (non-negotiable).
Prioritise institutes recognised by AICTE or UGC and, where relevant, those affiliated to a reputed public university (e.g., SPPU). This ensures academic legitimacy, credit mobility, eligibility for higher studies, and better credibility with recruiters.
2) The autonomous advantage.
Autonomous institutes (under a recognised university) often refresh curricula faster, add industry-led electives, and run continuous assessments that mirror real work. They can incorporate emerging areas – revenue analytics, social media for F&B, sustainability metrics – without waiting multiple years for approvals.
3) Curriculum & labs that reflect industry today.
Look for: front office and housekeeping labs, well-equipped training kitchens and bakeries, a demo restaurant, bar setup, and access to modern PMS/POS tools. Ask how they teach revenue management, digital marketing, guest analytics, and food safety. Request a syllabus with weekly outcomes, not just topic lists.
4) Faculty who’ve “worn the shoes.”
Check for industry experience (not only academic degrees). Good teachers blend standards with real-life problem-solving and keep you interview-ready.
5) Internship & placement transparency.
Ask for the last three years’ internship and placement reports: companies, roles, stipend/salary ranges, and conversion rates from internship to PPOs. Speak to alumni – did the institute support them beyond Day Zero?
6) Partnerships & projects.
MOUs with hotels, QSRs, event firms; live projects (menu revamps, cost control studies, festival pop-ups); guest sessions by GMs, chefs, revenue leaders. These signals show an institute plugged into the industry.
7) Class size, mentoring, and soft-skills training.
Smaller cohorts improve individual attention. A dedicated soft-skills and interview lab, language support, and grooming workshops are big pluses.
8) Location & ROI.
Campuses near hospitality hubs ease internships and industry connects. Evaluate fees against outcomes – not just the brand name.
A balanced truth (that nobody tells you upfront)
Your first job may involve long shifts, weekend work, or handling tough guests. That is normal. But it is also where you learn ownership, negotiation, crisis management, and leadership under pressure – skills that transfer anywhere. In 2 – 4 years, many graduates move into supervisory or specialised commercial roles; some start ventures. The curve is quicker for those who keep learning, track their impact, and communicate it.
A warm note to close
Hospitality is ultimately about making someone’s day better – through comfort, food, safety, or a memorable moment. If that idea excites you, this industry will reward you with growth, global exposure, and a career full of human stories. Start where you are, choose wisely, practise daily, and keep your curiosity switched on. The world will always travel, gather, celebrate, and heal and it needs professionals like you to make those experiences exceptional.