Many people often get confused and think about what is hospitality management, and how is it different from other international kinds of management. The term ‘Hospitality’ literally means “friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests”. Hospitality Management is a very wide term which is concerned with multiple industries such as food, beverage, travel, event management, etc. Since the hospitality industry contains a wide range of subdivisions, opportunities in this industry are also abundant.
Hospitality versus Hotel Management
Many people might confuse Hospitality with Hotel Management. While the two are very closely related, there is a considerable amount of difference between them. So what is hospitality management in actual?
Hospitality Management is concerned with a large number of sectors including hotels and resorts, food and beverage, travel, event management, etc. On the other hand, Hotel Management limits itself to the management techniques which are employed in running and managing various hotel departments. Hospitality management has emerged to be one of the hot career options in recent times.
International Hospitality Management
Besides working in the domestic market, you can also try your luck overseas by earning a degree in International Hospitality Management. Simply put, this program prepares an individual to travel and work abroad in the hospitality sector. Students who wish to establish themselves in the international hospitality market typically have to obtain a bachelor’s degree in courses like business and international hospitality. Since it involves going to a different country, it’s imperative that you know the language and culture of that country. This enables you to better connect with the local people.
Because after all, hospitality is all about human connection. Hence, you should also be able to learn the language of that country and mix with their culture. An internship in the relevant sector of the hospitality industry would be an added advantage.
Careers
A degree or diploma in hospitality management can open up a wide range of job opportunities for you, ranging from business management to marketing. And from event management to catering. An aspirant who wishes to stay long in any of the hospitality management careers, should have good organizational abilities, excellent communication and interpersonal skills. He should also be highly disciplined and dedicated to his work.
Normally, extroverts or outgoing people have a better chance to shine in this field. This is because of their innate ability to converse and connect with anyone and everyone. A person who likes to remain in his shell and is hesitant in communicating might find it difficult to survive in this industry. Also, the person should be polite and respectful towards the guest. Often times, it becomes difficult to handle certain guest due to various reasons. So as a part of hospitality management, he should be able to handle the situation calmly and deal with the guest’s criticism even when one knows that he is right.
Here are some of the options in hospitality and tourism jobs list which you can go for after attaining a proper degree.
1. Event Organizer
As the name suggests, this involves organizing and event or a conference. This role often involves coordinating a large group of people to achieve a common organisational objective. You need to be able to think and act quickly, respond to any queries or request made by the customer, deal with various suppliers and finish the work on time. It can sometimes be a very hectic task so you should be able to work day and night if the job asks you to. The average salary of an event organizer can be anywhere between 4-5 lpa.
2. Travel Agent
This involves organizing and managing domestic and overseas trips for an individual, group or an organization. Travel agents are especially preferred on overseas trips or while going to a completely new location as they can provide better and more affordable packages. Hence, to be a successful travel agent, the most important trait you should possess is organizational ability. Also, you should be willing to network with a large pool of people to have a better understanding of the market and for remaining up to date on various trends and deals. The average salary of a travel agent can range anywhere between 3-4 lpa.
3. Hotel Manager
This particular job has the potential of growing into a high paycheck one. The primary role of a hotel manager involves overseeing various administrative tasks of a hotel. He/she also has to maintain coordination and communication between various departments starting from housekeeping to accounting. For this job, you will need an excellent ability to manage and coordinate various groups of people. Also, experience in the hospitality industry counts for this. The average salary ranges between 4.5 – 5.5 lpa.
4. Executive Chef
This one is for the foodie and chef in you. If you are passionate about cooking for people and think you can make it, then this might be the perfect career for you. An executive chef is in charge of a whole kitchen and is responsible for various activities including the planning of the menu, obtaining the fresh fruits, vegetables and other supply and managing the staff. He should be able to cater to the taste of various people and make variations on demand. The average salary of an executive chef can be anywhere between 8-9 lpa.
5. PR Manager
A PR Manager is tasked with managing a brand. His job includes planning and developing specific strategies to build a brand’s reputation and its own place in the market. A PR manager also acts as a spokesperson, answering various questions related to a company’s working and policies. This job also involves writing and planning press releases, arranging media conferences and connecting with the relevant influencers in the industry to better market the company’s products and services. Hence you need to have good problem solving and managerial aptitude. The average salary of a PR manager is between 6-7 lpa.
These are just some of the major jobs in the Hospitality Management domain. Apart from this, there are numerous other things to try your hands on this sector. Just like any other domain, this one also rewards experience. Hence you should be patient and willing to work in the initial days to ensure good pay. It is a very customer-centric industry hence knowing about what people want and communicating properly with them will always reap benefits for you. You should be willing to work day and night for the satisfaction of the guests. Because after all, as they say in Hindi:
“Athiti devo bhava”
“The guest is god”
