KOCHI: At the Tourism Education Expo ‘Level Next-Tourism Edufair’ held here experts from the tourism industry and the academia expressed concern over the scarcity of qualified professionals in the field of tourism. “There is a dearth of the right candidates. If the situation persists, it will be very difficult for the tourism industry to flourish,” said T N Jayasankar, centre-in-charge and faculty of tourism, Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies.An increase in the number of students opting for Information Technology and engineering courses has resulted in the scarcity of students in the tourism field. “Another problem is the rise in the number of private institutions, many of which did not provide quality training. Thus, the quality of the whole industry has gone down. Moreover, this is an industry where one has to struggle in the initial stage. This might also be a deterrent for prospective candidates,” Jayasankar said.The experts highlighted the opportunities provided by the industry, including entrepreneurial development and other courses like MBA in travel and tourism, diploma in customer service management and Tourist Gate Training Programme. There are also courses for degree, Plus-Two, SSLC and SSLC-failed students.Over 200 students from schools and colleges along with experts from the tourism and hospitality industry participated in the fair.The programme was a state-wide initiative of the government to provide awareness to students on the opportunities in the tourism industry.
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