Careers are being built on this and schools and programmes have been set up or expanded.

The School of Hotel and Tourism Management became an independent unit at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2002 and it offers an assortment of higher diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes for those looking to join the industry.

Locally taught programmes include Bachelor of Science degrees in hotel or tourism management.

These programmes specialise in management fields such as aviation services, conventions and exhibitions, and theme parks and attractions.

Programme director Tony Tse said higher diplomas and degrees expose students to a wide variety of subjects in their respective areas of study and selected fields of specialisation.

The only difference between the two is that a higher degree prepares people for supervisory-level responsibilities in hospitality, catering and tourism, while a degree prepares people for a management level career in these fields.

All students of the undergraduate and higher diploma courses must take part in 'work-integrated education' - a mandatory programme in which students work for hospitality and tourism-related companies.

Mr Tse said that students learnt theories, obtained hands-on experience and ultimately learnt what it was like to work in a tourism or hospitality environment.

Students of the undergraduate and higher diploma programmes are mostly secondary school graduates.

Those who have degrees and are looking to make a mid-career transition into tourism should take Master of Science degrees.

The school also offers a PhD in hotel and tourism management for those keen to go into research.

The school specialises in China tourism research and consultancy services in the tourism and hospitality industry.

A career in the hospitality and tourism industry offers stability and many long-term prospects.

Mr Tse said that aside from foreign tourists, the increasing number of mainland visitors to Hong Kong had also helped generate income in the hotel, retail, attractions and transport sectors.

'The tourism trend is still on the rise and our students can find a career not just in Hong Kong but on the mainland and in Macau.'

Occasionally the school's honorary professor Jackie Chan will drop in to do a guest lecture.

Mr Tse said that although Chan was mostly affiliated with the Hong Kong tourism campaign, he came to speak to students about setting goals and planning for their futures.