Hospitality and Tourism industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in the world with its direct contribution to GDP was USD2, 229.8bn (3.0 of total GDP) in 2015. By 2026, Travel & Tourism will account for 135,884,000 jobs directly, an increase of 2.1 per annum over the next ten years (WTTC, 2016). The potential growth trends of this sector in India and Malaysia can also be predicted by identifying occupational/professional interest trends among students in the hospitality education. This study established a comparison between 400 hospitality and tourism students of two different universities located in India and Malaysia, who identify their interests in the various domains of the hospitality and tourism industry. Findings revealed that both the Indian students and Malaysian students have a deeper interest in domains like F&B Service, F&B Production, Housekeeping and Front Office. In addition, the study infers that the score was indicative of their desire to pursue careers in Cruise Lines for Indian students while for Malaysian students; they have a deeper desire to pursue careers in domains Entrepreneurship. Findings will help institutions and industry to know the trends of students’ occupational interest in totality, which will further aid Institutions and industry to make decisions on strategic planning and implementation of taking up the course, introducing specialised areas and creating enough employment opportunities in the thrust domains.
