Hotel Management Colleges in Switzerland

Switzerland is the first country to develop tourism as a major industry. To meet the growing demand for professional hotel managers, the first ever hotel management school, the Ecole Hôteliere de Lausanne was founded more than a century ago. The country still enjoys numero uno position in this field.

Moreover, Switzerland being friendly, small and a safe country, with a superb infrastructure, and a beautiful, unspoiled landscape, with both clean water and pollution free air. To many parents, this is a significant argument when choosing an overseas destination for their child’s higher education.

However the most important point undoubtedly is the excellent education provided by most Swiss hotel management schools. People from other countries are surprised to hear that all are private institutions – no government approval or permission is required, nor the government has any control over the school. The owner of the school decides the curriculum, level and the award of the school. This flexibility enables the schools to decide autonomously what kind of courses they wish to offer, and, modify the curriculum whenever necessary, to suit the new developments in the hotel industry. This explains why there is such a wide choice of programs and standards.

A characteristic feature of Swiss hotel management schools is the amalgamation of operational training with a changing degree of business administration subjects, and the emphasis is on the development of the student’s overall personality.

Operational training includes an exposure to practical work up to the level necessary for the understanding of related departmental management procedures. This operational training is considered essential by the hotel industry, but is often missing or not paid sufficient attention. The business administration subjects provide the student with the skills in human resources management, finance, marketing and other related fields necessary at the general management level. In the past years, several schools have started paying more attention to the part devoted to business administration, and have gained the right to offer US or UK Bachelor’s Degree programs.

The kind of discipline, professional attitude and grooming expected from students at hotel management schools in Switzerland is normally not obligatory at schools in other countries. Because of their independence, Swiss hotel management schools are not under any pressures from powerful politicians or influential business people to accept or consider for promotion of any particular student.

In conclusion, another important benefit is the international environment at most Swiss hotel management schools. In view of the globalization of the economy, it is vital that future managers learn to work with people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. With students from more than 50 different nationalities, the Swiss hotel management schools, students are fully engrossed in this environment.