WHAT IS TOURISM?
- Tourism is when people leave the area where they usually reside and travel to another area for entertainment, rest, or other reasons.
- The tourism industry in our country has grown faster than the global average to attract 36.8 million foreign visitors in 2014. As opposed to other global sectors, instead of shrinking during the 2008 global financial crises, the tourism sector has grown by turning crises into opportunity. This success has attracted the attention of investors, and national and international brands have continued to invest in tourism in our country every year. This new investment has also resulted in an ever increasing demand for qualified manpower.
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT COURSES IN OUR DEPARTMENT
- The language of instruction in our department is English. Since tourism is a competitive sector, we use the most up-to-date textbooks and guide you through the most relevant selections and topics.
- During the first year of the academic term, the curriculum familiarizes you with the tourism industry and the different types of tourism, national and international tourism destinations, and the basics of micro and macro economics. Additionally, we bring local and industry experts as guest speakers to our seminars to share their experiences with you. During your second and third years, we provide opportunities for you to gain relevant experience in the sector during the summer break. During the third and fourth years, we provide you with the opportunity to study a second foreign language so that you may graduate knowing two foreign languages. Our students graduate after spending the last semester of their senior year as a management trainee, where they take classes one day a week and spend the rest of the time gaining practical experience in their sector.
WHAT SHOULD I CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING A CAREER IN THIS SECTOR?
- The tourism and hospitality sector is especially suitable for people who are friendly, polite, patient, and understanding. The ability to think analytically and quickly, utilize dynamic social skills, be a highly capable communicator, to be free of prejudice, and to enjoy constant interaction with guests is very important for those choosing this career.
WHERE CAN I WORK AFTER GRADUATING?
- The lack of qualified personnel is increasing while investment in tourism is booming. Also, there are rare and specialty fields within tourism that will insure that you will not have a problem finding work. With this in mind, our graduates have easily found work in the following areas:
- Hotel Management
- Travel agents and tour operators
- Food and drink businesses
- Academic careers
- Department of Culture and Tourism
- National and global airlines
- Starting businesses that do not require a large capital investment (agent, pension, apartment hotels, etc.)
TOURISM AT ABU
- We created our department with the goal of raising the middle and high-level administrators needed by the sector: administrators with an international vision who have strong communication skills and who are committed to adding value to the country and raising awareness about humanity. Other advantages of our department include:
- The opportunity to study tourism in the touristic capital of the world, Antalya
- Partnerships with respected hotels such as Rixos, Delphin, and Jakaranda
- The founders of our University are leading businessmen in tourism
- Making it easy to find work after graduation with the support of the Career Center
- The opportunity to study abroad through our international partners
- The opportunity for double-major and minors
- The presence of faculty who have gained extensive experience in tourism and have their fingers on the pulse of the sector
ABU does not limit itself to training administrators for Turkish tourism; its ultimate goal is to raise leaders who will shape the world of tourism, stay on top of the trends, and become problem-solvers for the sector.