Millions and millions travel to different locations across the world every year for business or leisure. Consequently, travel and tourism industry has become big business. Importantly, certain elements determine the magnetic appeal of locations in drawing crowds such as facilities, ambience, good food, hospitality, history of place, pricing, recreation and amusement. The challenge is to successfully manage these elements while drawing larger clientele and ensuring that business is profitable and sustainable.

From this perspective, certificate programs in travel and tourism management come in handy. These are short duration programs that usually span a year or less and are available either through campus mode or online channels. The latter is especially convenient to working staff since it allows them to simultaneously study and work. Moreover, these certificate programs incorporate elements of travel and tourism and business management to ensure that business is being run in a scientific and profitable manner. Additionally, they provide formal education which is now becoming necessary for seeking out employment opportunities. They may also provide internship opportunities thus creating field exposure. Course work may include topics such as travel destinations, professionalism in tourism, practices and procedures in airline industry, travel products and administration, tour operations; and automation in travel industry.

Career outlook is strongly positive for this industry despite stiff competition in some types of jobs as per US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those possessing formal education gain over others invariably. Employment opportunities open up in travel agencies, tour companies, airlines, cruise lines, hotels and many other related companies.

Certificate programs may be offered by world class institutions like International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes, Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America and Le Cordon Bleu International well known for their quality of education. Equally reputed are The French Culinary Institute and The Culinary Institute of America.

Change has invariably caught up with hospitality industry and consequently, this discipline is now being run in a more structured manner befitting any business where hospitality needs to gel with profitability. It primarily covers hotels, restaurants, travel and tourism and also includes theme parks, amusement parks, casinos, resorts and cruises under its umbrella.

An MBA in Hospitality Management is ideal for students and staff who wish to work their careers up into the top echelons of management in the hospitality management industry. An MBA degree is available through campus and online modes and is especially convenient for those intending to balance study and work commitments. Interestingly, the curriculum of MBA program is mixed with elements of hospitality management and business administration. Course work may involve regular components of MBA programs such as managerial accounting and finance, business management, economics and operations management, strategic planning and implementation. The hospitality courses span food and beverage control, international travel and tourism, tourism planning and marketing, people management, hotel and restaurant accounting information systems coupled with case studies and field exposure.

Career outlook is bright for this industry with Bureau of Labor Statistics projected strong growth in this industry. There is also keen competition for jobs and those completing an MBA program stand to gain immensely. Typical employment opportunities include hospitality manager, hospitality franchisee, hospitality finance director and hospitality management consultant to name a few. Salaries are lucrative and as per US Bureau of Labor Statistics, hospitality managers earned about $38,000 annually as of 2004.

Several top institutions offer Master’s program in Business Administration focusing on Hospitality Management with International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes, Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America and Le Cordon Bleu International leading the group. The French Culinary Institute and The Culinary Institute of America also provide “best in class” education.

Hotels, restaurants, theme parks, amusement parks, casinos, resorts and cruises all belong to the hospitality industry. As the nature of businesses change and they become more structured, employers now expect potential employees to possess degrees in hospitality management over and above established exposure to the field.

Without doubt, students who possess formal education by way of Bachelor’s degrees have an edge over others who don’t. Moreover, employment opportunities are higher in number and they are also better equipped to work in this industry since this program not only introduces them into the nuances of hospitality management but also hones their skills. The program is particularly flexible for working staff who wish to enhance their credentials since it is available through campus and online modes. Alternatively, a combination of campus and online courses may also be offered.

It is comprehensive and stretches over 4 years with field experience included. Course work may include math, English, sciences and humanities. Additionally, it can also span information technology, food and beverage management, business administration, hotel/resort management, accounting and financial management, marketing and sales management and human resources management.

Career outlook is extremely bright in the hospitality management industry with projections emanating from Bureau of Labor Statistics that growth is expected at 17% in the coming decade. Employment opportunities begin in entry level executive management positions. Opportunities may crop up as hotel managers, conference services managers and general managers with salaries of $37,660, $39,620 and $77,420 respectively. Variables such as experience, location and employer determine earnings.

International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes, Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America and Le Cordon Bleu International lead the premier group of institutions offering this program followed by The French Culinary Institute and The Culinary Institute of America with established track records of excellence.

A love for food, a passion for cooking and a taste for different flavors… If these apply to you, then you should be in the Culinary Arts discipline.

You can time your entry into this field through an Associate Degree in Culinary Arts which equips you with necessary skills to run your own kitchens or prepare you for careers in food production and kitchen management. Moreover, you can advance your career through educational qualifications such as Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Arts.

Formal education is always good since it equips you thoroughly, increases employment opportunities, enhances credentials before employers and pays higher remuneration. An Associate Degree in Culinary Arts is flexible and is also available through campus and online modes. So, if you are already working in the kitchens, then your work doesn’t get disrupted. Course content spans introduction to hospitality industry, food preparation, purchasing, sanitation, business administration, employee management, menu planning, meal presentation, wine and beverages, baking & pastry arts and of course, artistic presentation. Importantly, practical exposure is provided to inculcate real world skills in the industry.

Career outlook is positive with the industry growing overall as indicated by Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment opportunities present themselves as executive chef, sous chef, or staff working in food production or kitchen management. Self-employment avenues in terms of managing own kitchens or restaurants are also opted for. Salaries are attractive with executive and sous chefs drawing median annual earnings of $50,401 and $37,515 respectively. Earnings also depend upon education, experience, location and employer.

Associate Degrees are offered by top institutions such as International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes, Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America and Le Cordon Bleu International well known for their quality of education. Equally reputed are The French Culinary Institute and The Culinary Institute of America.

If you are creative with food and cooking being your passion, then you can do something you love and get paid for it too! Think about it – is that not everybody’s dream?

Baking and Pastry Arts is part of the culinary arts discipline. It is a creative profession that involves the making of different types of bread and also includes desserts, pastries, patisserie and confections. Students in this discipline learn basic pastry and cake production, cake styling, menu planning, basic cooking, nutrition and food safety. An Associate Degree in Baking and Pastry Arts stretching over 2 years is an excellent way to enter this profession. It is a flexible degree offered through campus and online modes. The latter is convenient for those who work and allows them to study without disrupting their work commitments. Course work in this field may include making ingredients, equipment technology, design principles, pastry techniques and nutrition, to name a few. The course also provides practical exposure and some institutions may offer paid externships too.

Career prospects are strongly positive and growth is expected at 10% through 2016 as per projects of US Bureau of Labor Statistics. An Associate Degree in Baking and Pasty Arts can open up employment opportunities as bakers, pastry chefs, chocolatiers, catering managers, artisan bread bakers and event planners to name a few. Self-employment is also an option. According to BLS, median earnings for cafeteria or short-order cooks in 2007 were $21,340 and $18,630, respectively while bakers earned a median salary of $22,590 with top 10 percent earning an estimated $36,340.

Top institutions offering this program are The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes, Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America and Le Cordon Bleu International. Priding themselves as second to none are The French Culinary Institute and The Culinary Institute of America.

Champagne, Zinfandel, Shiraz, Albarino, Riesling, Cava and Sangria – the common threads are alcoholic beverages. However, there are non alcoholic beverages that include, among others, Cappuccino, Espresso, Café au lait, Frappe, Mocha, Glühwein, Green Tea, Yerba Mate and Sanka.

In earlier times, food was considered as the main driver of sales in restaurants. However, that scenario has changed and the hospitality industry recognizes the significance of beverage sales to ensure strong profitability. However, this can only be achieved with professionals who are well acquainted with beverages and equipped with a strong sense of business.

Several programs in the culinary industry focus specifically in the area of wine, spirits and beverages management. Institutions offering these programs provide Associate’s, Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees along side diplomas and certifications available through campus and online modes. Practical exposure is crucial for success. Course content spans training in wines and food pairing, beer and spirits training, inventory and cost control, beverage delivery and presentation, legal laws affecting industry, marketing, sales, communication and management of human resources and restaurant / hotel resort operations.

The culinary discipline is growing at faster than average growth of all occupations as per Bureau of Labor Statistics positively influencing the beverages field too. Career opportunities present themselves as hotel beverage managers, restaurant managers, microbrewery managers, winery managers and casino beverage managers to name a few. Average salaries of food and beverages manages managers was $43,020 in 2006. At the top end, the highest was greater than $70,810.

International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes and Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America lead the group providing quality education programs followed by Le Cordon Bleu International and The French Culinary Institute emphasizing on customized courses designed for today’s world. The Culinary Institute of America offers programs that have been setting standards of excellence for over 60 years.

A sizable chunk of the world’s population spends its time every year traveling around the world for various reasons viz., exploration, leisure and business. This has been made possible with rapid advances in Science and specifically transportation via road, rail, water and air. Consequently, travel and tourism has become a big business and is still growing despite occasional hiccups like 9/11.

Lovely destinations, comfortable living spaces, good food and exciting recreation usually draw the crowds and the travel and tourism industry works at leveraging that through hotels, theme parks, casinos, resorts, heritage sites or cruise liners. Travel and tourism management specifically looks at increasing profitability by optimizing resources, attracting larger clientele by understanding needs of customers and translating desires into reality through amenities and facilities. Education is needed if you want exciting and rewarding careers. Several programs cater to formal education in this field by providing various courses and degrees. Examples are Associate’s, Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees along with certifications and diplomas. Importantly, internships add value to the student experience. Coursework may cover legal aspects of travel, hospitality accounting, marketing exotic destinations, managing travel and tourism services and technologies.

Career outlook is bright for this industry with Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a high growth trajectory for travel and tourism management. The median earnings for professionals ranged from $21,600 to $35,070 based on variables like education, experience, position, location and employer.

The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes and Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America lead the top schools in Business Management providing quality programs for all. Following it are Le Cordon Bleu International and The French Culinary Institute offering host of programs in this discipline with excellent academic credentials. The Culinary Institute of America joins the league with a reputation of setting the standards of excellence for over 60 years.

If you are a food lover and have an aptitude for business, then you might want to consider a career in Restaurant business. This field is becoming popular in modern times aided by the structured approach brought in by management principles.

Interestingly, restaurant managers dance with many hats. They recruit staff which partakes in Human Resources function and supervise personnel demonstrating people management skills. They manage inventory of food ensuring that all requisite materials are available at any given point of time. They also make sure that customers “delight” in the food served to them. Though natural aptitude for restaurant management is an asset, yet not all skills can be demonstrated through it solely. For this reason, the demand for restaurant management courses has increased. Several institutions offer programs in restaurant management from short courses of a few months to those lasting several years. These courses span Associate’s, Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees with students also having an option to choose diplomas and certifications as per their requirement.

The career prospects for restaurant management are robust with the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a growth that is faster than the average of all occupations through 2012. Job opportunities include restaurant manager or owner, food service manager, a bar and beverage manager, a banquet manager or an executive steward. The salary ranges are also attractive in this line of business with food service managers drawing a median salary of $35,790 in 2002.

International Culinary Schools at the Art Institutes and Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America lead the group of institutions offering quality courses in restaurant management. Following them are Le Cordon Bleu International and The French Culinary Institute providing “best in class” education. The Culinary Institute of America joins the league with its consistent track record in setting standards of excellence for the group.

Ever thought for a moment about vendors selling eateries in theatres and concierge in 5 star hotels? Interestingly, both belong to the hospitality industry. The hospitality industry has a wide reach spanning health spas, hotels, museums, resorts, travel, tourism, cruise ships, amusement parks and casinos. It is one of the biggest industries in the world.

The competition in this industry is intense particularly for higher positions. As such, it makes sense to pursue higher education in this field. Several institutions offer programs catering to educational needs of this industry through diplomas, certifications, Associate’s, Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Course content covers industry standards and practices, hospitality management, convention and meeting planning, destination services management; travel and tourism, recreation related industries, purchasing fundamentals, food and beverages. By attending hospitality management courses through an educational institution, future workers may gain the edge that will help them to succeed in this dynamic field. Even better, qualifications can be acquired through online mode in most cases. Moreover, working staff can work and study simultaneously.

The hospitality industry has a robust forecast in terms of growth. The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics has indicated that employment in hotels and other accommodations is expected to increase by 17% in the coming decade. Salaries vary depending on the job role. For example, in 2004, lodging managers drew median annual incomes of $38,000 with the top end at $72,000.Additionallly, yearly performance bonuses and lucrative discounts add flavor to hospitality careers.

The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes is a preferred destination for culinary management degrees offering quality education. Following it closely are Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America and Le Cordon Bleu International with an established track record of long standing excellence in imparting education. The French Culinary Institute and The Culinary Institute of America continue setting high standards in imparting quality programs.

There are many interesting tidbits about food. Let us read some important, informational, fun facts about the food we commonly eat.

Coffee:

The rarest coffee is found in Indonesia and is called as Kopi Luwak. It costs $300 for a pound.

To prepare one pound roasted coffee, it takes about 20,000 coffee cherries.

Tomatoes:

On average every year each American consumes 22 pounds tomatoes.

Over half of the total tomato consumption is Tomato ketchup and sauce.

Rice:

There are more than 15,000 rice varieties present all over the world.

Cabbage:

The entire cabbage has 91 percent water content in it.

Milk:

On an average an American drinks 25 gallons milk in a year.

88 percent of the milk constitutes water whereas just 12 percent of it has a food value.

A family of four people in America consumes around 6000 pounds of food per year.

Bananas:

A banana is considered to be a great body builder. It helps in tissue building. A single banana if consumed each day will provide better health and in turn save a lot of money.

Never keep them in refrigerator.

Green bananas: cook and eat it has raw starch like potatoes.

Partially yellow bananas: cook as a dessert or as a vegetable.

Yellow banana: eat raw, can get digested now.

Yellow banana having brown freckles: best time to eat. Highest nutrition and can be digested by people with weak digestion.

Brown with yellow freckles: can’t be eaten raw. Can use in banana and bread recipes.

Miscellaneous:

In the year 1977, Americans consumed way more than 7.5 billion quarts popcorn.

Fifty gallons maple sap produces a single gallon maple sugar.

Do you know what Hushpuppies are? They are made up of small pieces of cornmeal batter that are fried and are mostly used in southern traditions. Years ago, hungry dogs were fed with fried batter, after the pieces finished the owner use to stop the dogs calling "Hush, puppies" and this is how they got their name.

Every day a bird consumes food weighing half the weight of its body. Imagine a 50 pound weighing child eating 25 pounds food daily!

In the US, farmers use about 1.5 billion pounds pesticides and half of it is in the food they eat, while just one percent of food shipment is tested. In fact, even the apple growers use around 24 types of pesticides on apples. Imagine the intake of pesticide we take each day.

Now, aren’t these facts interesting?