Does an MBA in Travel and Tourism offer good career outcomes against investments towards its fees?

The Tourism sector is expected to grow at a rate of 6.9% annually to 32.05 lakh crore INR (US$450 billion) by 2028 (9.9% of GDP). Simultaneously with the growth in the industry, the demand for studies in this specialisation has increased over time. Hence, an MBA in Travel and Tourism can be given consideration. It is a full-time 2-year program directing and guiding students to make their career in this adventurous field. Applicants are required to possess at least 50% marks in their Bachelors. Public as well as private institutes in India, offer courses in MBA in Travel and Tourism specialisation.

Fees are pretty affordable starting from 50,000 INR to 12 Lakhs INR for the full course. The average annual salary hovers between 3 – 10 Lakhs PA. Hence, the course offers decent job prospects against the spendings. Government and private concerns employ these graduates with high salary packages. Students are recruited as Travel Consultant, Hotel Manager, Visa Executive, Tour Manager and more.

MBA in Travel and Tourism: A Sneak Peek into the Details

Course	Master in Business Administration (Travel and Tourism)
Duration	2 years
Program type	Full time
Eligibility	Securing at least 50% marks in Bachelors degree from a recognised university
Entrance tests	CAT, MAT, XAT, GMAT, CMAT, etc.
Course Fees vs Package	3 to 10 Lakhs INR PA as average annual salary against an estimate spending of 50,000 to 12 Lakhs INR for the course
Recruiters	IRCTC, SOTC India, Make My Trip, Balmer Lawrie, etc.
Job roles	Travel Agent, Hotel Manager, Operations Manager, Visa Executive, etc.

What does it take to be eligible for an MBA in Travel and Tourism?

Standard eligibility criteria in institutes imparting MBA course in Travel and Tourism Management include acquiring at least 50% marks or its equivalent in aggregate in Bachelors degree from a recognised university. Final year undergraduate students can also apply, provided their results are out before initiation of the academic year. This is applicable for mostly General and in some cases to OBC category students; there are relaxations for students from other reserved categories.

Top Institutes demand scores of entrance tests like – CAT, MAT, GMAT, XAT, CMAT, to name a few. In addition, there will be a Group Discussion and Personal Interview round for admission to this MBA course. Some colleges also specify that candidates who have cleared Chartered Accountancy from Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) or Cost & Management Accounting from Institute of Cost Accountants of India or Company Secretary (CS) from Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) will be eligible as well.

Course Fees to study MBA in Travel and Tourism at top colleges

Both government and private institutes offer MBA in Travel and Tourism management. Let us take a look at some of them and their fees. All figures are approximate, based on semester fees.

Government / Public Institutes	Location	Fees (in INR)
Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM)	Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh	339,850
Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS)	Trivandrum, Kerala	180,000
Cochin University of Science and Technology	Kochi, Kerala	65,620
Central University of Tamil Nadu (CUTN)	Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu	24,347
Private Institutes	Location	Fees (in INR)
Lovely Professional University (LPU)	Jalandhar, Punjab	580,000
Chandigarh University	Ajitgarh, Rajasthan	320,000
Invertis University	Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh	270,000

Job prospects of MBA in Travel and Tourism

Being a flourishing industry in India, graduates of MBA in Travel and Tourism are on high demand here. It not only opens up varied job prospects in the industry but also serves as a benefit to the graduates who desire to start their business in the Travel and Tourism sector.

Prospective Job Sectors

MBA in Travel and Tourism makes way into sectors like,

• Travel agencies
• Tour operators
• Airports
• Airlines
• Ships and cruises
• Logistics and Transportation
• Event Management
• Hotel and Hospitality
• Adventure tourism and more.

Salary Packages

MBA in Travel and Tourism graduates earn pretty well. On an average, they are capable of earning at least 370,186 INR per year.

Job profile	Entry level pay	Average salary per annum
Event Planner	101,000	397,317
Travel Agent	185,021	358,749
Hotel Manager	357,779	467,648
Visa Executive	297,476	300,000
Travel Consultant	241,139	319,051

Top Recruiters

Students are placed in the top national and international companies in the tourism industry. Some of them have been enlisted below.

• Yatra.com
• Make My Trip
• Marriott
• Holiday Inn
• Thomas Cook
• Jet Airways
• Air Asia
• IRCTC
• Sheraton
• Club Mahindra Hotels and Resorts
• SOTC India
• Balmer Lawrie Travels and Vacations
• Radisson Blu
• Cox and Kings

Adding to this one can start their own business and promote tourism through YouTube. YouTube can be a great platform for such businesses. Besides reaching more clients, one will also get paid from YouTube for the huge number of followers on their channels.

So, if you have a passion for travelling the world and also being paid for it, go ahead with an MBA in Travel and Tourism. With the increase in tourist destinations in and outside India, this course will never let you down and ensure a very good job offer. The salaries are up to the mark with respect to the investments towards course fees. All you need to do is prepare yourself through an MBA in Travel and Tourism course.