World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) forecasts the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide to increase by an average of 3.3% a year over the period 2010 to 2030, equaling 43 million. At the projected rate of growth, international tourist arrivals worldwide will reach 1.4 billion by 2020 and 1.8 billion by the year 2030. The Americas indicate the strongest growth in the Tourism industry followed by Asia, Pacific and the Middle East.
Sri Lanka continues to emerge as one of the world’s best tourist destinations with accolades from various travel guides and travel magazines including Lonely Planet and National Geographic Traveler. Lonely Planet named Sri Lanka as its best tourist destination for year 2019/20 while National Geographic Traveler featured Sri Lanka in its UK edition highlighting 21 must-see places. Sri Lanka also topped the best 13 locations selected by British Airways. With the anticipated increase in inbound tourists, the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors will experience an exponential growth and a major demand for human resources at all levels. This expansion in the global and local tourism industry will provide thousands of employment and migration opportunities for qualified Tourism and Hospitality management professionals.
Many top jobs in travel and tourism come from global brands and international chains. Unlike in the past, these employers demand academic and professional qualifications. Therefore, having a relevant degree from a globally recognised university is a prerequisite to be employed with international brands.
