1 2 TRAVTALK J A N U A R Y 2 N D F O R T N I G H T I S S U E 2 0 1 5 GUEST COLUMN

Careers in hospitality management are one of the most diverse and dynamic worldwide. What opportunities does adegree-level hospitality education open for graduates? The industry offers exciting career paths all over the world and across prestigious industry leaders. A hospitality degree programme in Switzerland is perhaps, par excellence, the pathway to some of the most elite-level career portfolios in the world.

A glimpse into Swiss hospitality education

What makes Swiss hospitality educationunique for businesses?

Switzerland is the birth-place of classic hospitality edu-cation. Experiential learning isa perfected art amongst hos-pitality institutes in Switzerland,usually accompanied by a rig-orous program of intellectualdevelopment.

Experiential learningdemands that students man-age real kitchens that createhigh-end cuisine, and masterthe art of bespoke service,thus developing an intrinsicability to deliver customer-ori-ented service with both impec-cable aesthetics and precision.More than any other discipline perhaps, Swiss hospitality teaches students to recognise the psychologicalneed of consumers to enjoy an experience, rather thanconduct a transaction. Thenumber of high-net-worth individuals in India is expected to rise by 17.1%

in 2014 to 293, 921 according to the London-based wealth consultancyWealth Insight. This is the sec-ond highest rate of growth inthe world, and will be accom-panied by a commensurategrowth in demand for profes-sionals who can provide thequality experiences that theseconsumers expect.

Experiential learningalso implies professionalinternships and real-life proj-ects within both Swiss-basedand international companies.Through these internships,Swiss hospitality studentsdevelop a raft of soft-skills,such as leadership and inter-cultural fluency, which aretransferable to any sector and

give them a competitive edge over other graduates. By the time they graduate,Swiss-trained studentsalready have an impressiveprofessional resumé.

The reputation Swisshospitality institutes enjoy ispertinently illustrated by thefact that top-tier companies

will conduct regular recruit-ment sessions on the cam-puses of the highest-rankedSwiss hospitality institutes. AtLes Roches InternationalSchool of Hotel Management,for example, at least 50 com-panies visit each semester. Itis not unusual for students tograduate with a dilemma: not,‘will I get a job?’ but rather‘which job offer shall I take?’

These jobs can varydepending on the coursesselected. Some alumni takeup Manager in Training posi-tions in wealth managementfor private banks or estatemanagement. Some willchoose to work in marketingor events for the OlympicGames or World Cup, and stillothers will opt for the traveland tourism sector. This high-lights two important points:prospective students need toselect a Swiss hospitality insti-tute that offers a) businessdegrees; and b) course specializations, to tailor

studies to professional objec-tives. Course specialisationsin Marketing, Finance,Sustainability, Entrepreneur-ship, Event Management and Culinary BusinessManagement open a widerrange of doors than a simple Swiss hospitalitycourse. They maximise thepotential that the training andreputation of a Swiss hospital-ity education offers.

(Sonia Tatar is the CEO of Les RochesInternational School of Hotel

Management worldwide (Switzerland, Spain, China)

Les Roches faculty & students

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NEWS

Boeing Dreamliner 787-900 for Delhi route

2015 will bring in excitingtimes for Virgin Atlantic in India.We will start flying one of ourbrand new Boeing Dreamliner787-900 planes to Delhi from

the end of March this year. Thisis a sign of great commitmentto India as we bring out latestaircraft straight into Delhi. Theairline is currently flying one ofthe Airbus A330s to Delhi. Thiswill now be replaced by the

new 787-9s. We are seeinggrowth in the India-US market.The combination of our excel-lent timing and our productsand services is working well forus in Delhi. We are gettingexcellent load factors in ourDelhi route. Going forward, withthe enhanced cabin atmos-

phere owing to the launch ofthe new Dreamliner, our per-formance in the Delhi route isexpected to be boosted further.Thus, even as we trim capacityto the country as part of ouroverall strategy, we will contin-

ue to deliver excellent servicesand build on our success inDelhi that we have achievedover the last 14 years.

Trimming Mumbai routeLast September, we

announced to pull out our flightfrom Mumbai in 2015. We arepulling out from London-Mumbai route from January-end 2015. We were projectinga certain kind of growth fromthe Mumbai route and this didnot happen. High levels ofcapacity combined with stag-nant market growth unfortu-nately impacted our ability tobe profitable and our revenueswere insufficient to offset ourcosts. Additionally, our globalstrategy also changed. The tie-up with Delta offers VirginAtlantic an opportunity toexpand the US network. Thedeal now allows our airline tosell on Delta’s flights beyondLondon to points in the US, aswell as on Delta’s domesticroutes in the US, increasing its revenue possibilities. Thus, trimming the capacityfrom Mumbai is a part of our

overall strategy to shift focusand flights on to the transat-lantic routes.

Commitment to traveltrade

Travel trade is an impor-tant partner for our airline andwe have many long-term part-ners here. In a market like India,agents are our connection pointwith the passengers. We willonly build our relationship withthe travel fraternity further thisyear. We want to make sure that more travel agents areusing the knowledge hub for the travel trade from VirginAtlantic – vsflyinghub.

In an exclusive interview with , Nick Parker- Country Head, India andMiddle East, Virgin Atlantic talks about the British carrier’s plans for theIndia market in 2015. He goes on to talk about the significance of the Delhiroute and relationship with the Indian trade. Excerpts

Delhi route vital for Virgin Atlantic

ME G H A PAU L

The combination of ourexcellent timing and ourproducts and services isworking well for us in Delhi.We are getting excellent loadfactors in our Delhi route.Nick ParkerCountry Head India and Middle East Virgin Atlantic � Virgin Atlantic will start

flying one of its brand newBoeing Dreamliner 787-900planes to Delhi from the end of March

� The tie-up with Delta offersVirgin Atlantic anopportunity to expand theUS network.

New Offerings

Rajgir Mahotsav: A cultural treatRajgir Mahotsav, a festival

of dance and music was heldin Rajgir, Bihar, fromDecember 28, 2014 toJanuary 15, 2015. The festi-val was held in the mainhanger stage at Rajgir’s QilaMaidan. It is a flagship pro-gram of the Government ofBihar’s Department ofTourism and Bihar StateTourism DevelopmentCorporation and was organ-ised with the support of Nalanda DistrictAdministration.

Given the popularity andthe increased footfall overthe years, the format of theinternationally acclaimedRajgir Mahosav was extend-

ed from three to 15 days. Itwas further extended twiceat the advice of state tourismminister and on populardemand from visitors andbusiness houses. To assisttourists during the festivalthe state tourism depart-ment had arranged for bus

service from Patna and alsomade special tour packagesavailable.

A slew of cultural pro-grammes were organised atthe event to allow thetourists a peek into the cul-tural heritage of the state aswell as meet artists and arti-

sans from across the coun-try. The Nalanda districtadministration also organ-ised a film festival for chil-dren at InternationalConvention Centre, Rajgir.Other special attractions ofthe festival included: her-itage walk, agriculture fair,food fair and sports festival.The district administrationalong with the tourismdepartment had also organ-ised a grand craft model vil-lage showcasing the handi-crafts and textile industriesof the region.

The Mohotsav, was start-ed in 1986, as an annualthree-day event, at SwarnaBhandar area of the state.

What makes Swisshospitality educationunique for students?

Apart from the issue ofcareer optimisation, studyingat a Swiss hospitality instituteoffers students many otheradvantages. Switzerland isreputably one of the safest,cleanest, most efficiently-run

countries in the world, rankingamong Europe’s highest inthe OECD’s Better Life Index.

Famous for its historicalcities and monuments(Switzerland has 11 classifiedUNESCO world heritage sites),and stunning scenery, as muchas its fine wine and dining cul-ture, Switzerland offers stu-dents an incredibly rich lifestyle

that creates memories for a life-time. Those Swiss schoolsthat are based up in the Alpsoffer a unique experience ofwinter and summer sports onthe doorstep. Students will findthemselves becoming expertsat golf and skiing in addition tohospitality. The Greek word forthe hospitality concept is xenia.It means ‘guest-friendship’ and herein lies perhaps one

of the most valuable outcomesof pursuing hospitality educa-tion in Switzerland. The friend-ships made here – because ofthe cultural diversity, becauseof level of practical group tasks– last a lifetime. And in a world where who you know is as important as what you know, the importanceof this factor cannot be underestimated.

Swiss touch to hospitalityContd. from page 12

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