The hotel industry needs employees with a strong understanding of current business trends and principles. Earning an MBA, for example, can give a prospective employee a working knowledge of all the major areas of the hotel/tourism business: finance, customer service, human resources and marketing. Those with a business degree may be able to secure a slot in a management training program or find an entry-level management position, and then work their way up to a middle- or senior-level management title such as director of operations.
Food service is a large part of the hotel industry. Resort dining facilities may include sit-down restaurants, snack shops and room service. A degree in the culinary field, with or without a management specialization, could help secure a position in the industry. This type of degree sets a job candidate apart because most hospitality food service workers do not have a degree or are still in the process of earning one.
Marketing is key in the hospitality industry. Advertising a resort and its offerings in the right way attracts more business, and someone with a marketing background brings expertise in the various ways of promoting the locale. Hotel and tourism marketing includes writing commercials and designing brochures, doing radio talks and getting the resort into travel articles in print or online.
A degree in hospitality encompasses all the aspects of a hospitality and tourism career. It introduces the foundations of business management, human resource management and customer satisfaction. Those with a hospitality degree are routinely considered for higher level management positions and may be sought out by resorts and hotels.
Degrees in tourism are designed to prepare the student for working in the travel industry. Someone with an education in tourism may be responsible for hotel bookings and reservations, entertainment arrangements, plane ticket purchasing, car rentals or other concierge services. Many people who have a degree in tourism own and operate travel agencies.