January 4: The interest of students towards hotel management is increasing of late. The attraction of students towards hotel management has started to increase because it is easy to study and pass the course and there are many job opportunities.

Gaurav Gurung, who is studying Hotel Management (HM) at Oxford College of Engineering and Management in Nawalparasi (Bardghat-Susta East), said that he opted for this subject because he could get a job immediately after his studies. Gurung, who lives in Nepalgunj in Banke, says that he traveled all the way to Nawalparasi to study hotel management. Gurung says that there is a high demand for employment in the country and abroad after completing his hotel management course. He says that he studied this subject to become self-employed.

Ronisha Bhujel, who came here to study HM from the eastern district of Khotang, Nepal, said that she learnt many things in hotel management, from simple work in the kitchen to speaking style and cleanliness.

"It is fun to apply the theory in practice," she said, adding that studying the course has also brought changes in her daily life.

Saroj Tamang, a hotel management trainer, said that most of the hotels and restaurants in the country have workers who have learned from experience rather than reading. According to him, the attraction of students to this course has increased because modern and big hotels are looking for educated and skilled human resources with theoretical as well as practical knowledge to cater to the needs of international guests.

"The demand for educated manpower is increasing in Nepal with the development of new tourist areas and the establishment of large hotels and restaurants," he said, adding, "There is a great demand for those who study hotel management in small to large hotels and restaurants."

Tamang said that apart from employment at home, many people are attracted to study hotel management in order to go abroad.

“There is a high demand for people who have studied hotel management, especially in the western countries," he said, adding that the number of students who want to study hotel management has increased because they can earn a good income after completing the course.

Hari Thapalia, head of the Faculty of Management at Oxford College, said that the number of students coming to study hotel management is increasing every year.

"Last year, we had only three sections for hotel management," he said, "This year, we have been teaching students in four sections for hotel management class."

He argues that students who study hotel management will also have the opportunity to become self-employed and employ others as they will develop the ability to open hotels and restaurants by themselves.

Thapalia says it is natural to desire to study hotel management in the context of modernization and imitation of western culture.

Premhari Subedi, principal of Eden Garden School, another educational institution where hotel management course is offered, says that the number of educational institutions teaching this subject has increased due to the keen interest shown by students towards hotel management.