If you've been wondering whether a career in hospitality is worth it, this month’s news just answered that question for you.
David Marriott, Chairman of Marriott International, the world's largest hotel company, sat down with the Economic Times and said something that every student in Punjab, every parent weighing course options, and every career counsellor should read twice:
"India is, in many ways, the birthplace of hospitality."
He didn't stop there! He added that Marriott's India hotel count will cross 300 by the end of this year. Just think about the pace of that growth for a moment. Sixteen months ago, Marriott had around 150 hotels in India, and today that number has already crossed 220. That's roughly 70 new properties in just over a year!
In fact, they're not slowing down. With over 200 more hotels already in the pipeline and a stated goal of doubling their India footprint within five years, the trajectory isn't speculative. The foundation is already being laid, the investments already committed, the locations already chosen.
“This isn't a company hedging its bets on India. This is a company that has made its decision.”
And that's not a trend; it's a hiring wave headed straight toward students graduating from the right programs at the right time.
What does 300 hotels actually mean in real life?
Let's translate that number into something concrete.
Each branded hotel property, whether it's a Marriott, Westin, Courtyard, or Sheraton, needs between 150 and 300 trained professionals to run it. Not just housekeeping staff. We're talking about chefs, front office managers, revenue management analysts, F&B supervisors, event coordinators, guest relations executives, and general managers in training.
Multiply that across 200+ hotels in the pipeline, and you're looking at tens of thousands of structured, salaried, career-track roles opening up across India over the next five years.
And it's not just Marriott. IHG, Hyatt, Taj, and Lemon Tree are all running parallel expansion stories. India's hospitality sector is in a genuine boom driven by rising domestic travel, surging inbound tourism, a roaring wedding and MICE industry, and an Indian middle class that has firmly decided it wants to spend money on experiences.
As David Marriott put it himself: "Travel helps people appreciate differences, and that's ultimately a very positive force." People aren't going to stop travelling; if anything, they're going to travel more.
So where does Punjab fit into all of this?
Let’s have a closer look at the exact scenario! Amritsar alone draws millions of visitors every year, and the hospitality infrastructure around the Golden Temple corridor remains massively underdeveloped relative to demand. Even Chandigarh is also becoming a hub for premium hotels, destination weddings, and corporate events at a rapid pace. In fact, the Chandigarh-Landran-Mohali belt is seeing new hotel brand entries every quarter.
Above all, Punjab's wedding industry is among the largest in the country. Every grand wedding needs trained event managers, catering professionals, front-of-house coordinators, and hospitality supervisors who know how to execute at scale under pressure.
And then let us talk about the airline side. India's aviation sector is the third largest in the world and still growing. More routes, more passengers, more demand for cabin crew, ground staff, airport hospitality, and corporate travel management professionals.
All in all, if you're from Punjab and you're looking at a career in hospitality or travel, you are not looking at moving far away to make it work. The industry is coming to you.
The window is open — but it won't stay open forever.
Here is the part students often miss!
The students who will fill those 300 hotel management pipelines won't appear out of nowhere in 2028. They're in college right now, doing their internships, learning hotel management software, getting their F&B costing right, understanding GDS systems and airline operations.
By the time those hotel openings hit peak velocity, these students will be two or three years into their careers, and this is why it's exactly the right profile for a junior or mid-level management role.
The students who are still deciding whether hospitality is "worth it" will be starting from scratch just as the best entry-level windows are closing.
This is what timing looks like in a career. You don't get many moments when a major industry signals this clearly and publicly that it is about to absorb thousands of trained professionals. David Marriott said it in a national newspaper. The numbers are right there!
What you can study at CGC Landran
CGC Landran offers four programs that speak directly to this moment in India's hospitality and travel industry:
Bachelor in Hotel Management and Catering Technology (BHMCT) — AICTE Approved
This is CGC Landran’s flagship hospitality degree! Four years of structured training in hotel operations, food production, front office management, housekeeping, and hospitality business, which is built around AICTE standards and real industry practice. This is the degree that hotel chains look for when they're hiring management trainees.
Bachelor of Tourism and Travel Management (BTTM)
Built for students who want to work in the travel side of the industry, including tour operations, travel agencies, destination management, inbound and outbound tourism. As India's tourism numbers climb and outbound travel recovers, travel management is one of the most in-demand specialisations in the sector.
Bachelor of Management Studies — Airlines, Tourism and Hospitality
A management-oriented program for students who want to lead, not just operate. Covers airline management, hospitality business, and tourism strategy. Ideal for students who see themselves in corporate travel, airline operations, or senior hotel management roles down the line.
B.Voc. — Hospitality and Catering Management
A vocational program for students who want to enter the workforce faster with sharp, job-specific skills. Practically focused, industry-aligned, and designed to get you placed quickly in a sector that always needs hands-on professionals.
Why this matters more than the course brochure says
Every college offering a hospitality program will talk about its labs, placements, and faculty. That is the standard pitch.
What CGC Landran offers, which a brochure cannot fully capture, is the advantage of timing and location.
What makes this especially important is the stage at which you are entering the hospitality industry. India’s hospitality sector is expanding rapidly, creating new opportunities across hotels, tourism, travel, aviation, food service, and luxury experiences.
At the same time, you are studying from a campus located in one of North India’s fastest-growing hotel corridors, giving you stronger exposure to real industry opportunities. Most importantly, you are doing it through programs designed to make you industry-ready, not just degree-ready.
The placement cell actively works with leading hotel chains. The curriculum is regularly updated to reflect what the industry needs today, not what it needed five years ago. Internships are offered in properties that are themselves expanding, which means the professionals guiding students during internships may also be part of future hiring teams.
That is not theory; that is how real hospitality careers are built.
The honest case for choosing this path
Hospitality is not the easiest industry! The hours can be long, the clients can be demanding, the standards are high, and the pace is relentless.
But it is also one of the most human industries in the world. You work with people, for people, to create experiences they remember. You get to travel, grow across departments, and build a versatile skill set that translates across countries and brands. And right now, in India, you do all of that in a sector that is actively looking for people like you.
David Marriott, who runs a company with hotels in 139 countries, chose to fly to India and call it the birthplace of hospitality. He chose to open his 10,000th global property here and committed to doubling his presence in India.
And, that tells you something. However, the question is what you're going to do with that information.
Are you ready to explore your options?
Admissions for the 2026–27 batch are open. If you're a student or a parent helping a student decide, the best next step is a conversation.
Visit Website! to explore the programs, check your eligibility, and connect with the admissions team. As the hospitality industry continues to grow, the right program can help you enter it with confidence. The opportunities are expanding, the programs are ready, and the seats will fill.
The only question left is whether you're going to be in one of them.
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Source: Economic Times interview with David Marriott, Chairman, Marriott International, June 2026. All expansion figures are attributed to Marriott International's stated plans.
