The hospitality sector has been one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with travel restrictions, lockdowns, and social distancing measures affecting millions of businesses and workers worldwide. However, some business students are not deterred by the crisis and are preparing themselves for the opportunities and challenges of this dynamic industry.
Learning from the pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities and strengths of the hospitality sector, as well as the need for innovation and resilience. Business students who aspire to work in this sector can learn valuable lessons from the current situation and apply them to their future careers.
One of the lessons is the importance of digital transformation and customer-centricity. The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies and platforms in the hospitality sector, such as online booking, contactless payment, virtual tours, and digital marketing. These tools can help businesses reach new customers, enhance their services, and reduce costs. However, they also require a customer-centric approach that focuses on understanding and meeting the needs and preferences of different segments of travelers.
Another lesson is the need for sustainability and social responsibility. The pandemic has highlighted the environmental and social impacts of the hospitality sector, such as carbon emissions, waste generation, and labor exploitation. Business students who want to work in this sector should be aware of these issues and seek to create positive change through their actions and decisions. They should also be able to communicate their values and vision to their stakeholders and customers.
Developing skills and competencies
To succeed in the hospitality sector, business students need to develop a range of skills and competencies that can help them adapt to changing situations and overcome challenges. Some of these skills and competencies are:
- Leadership: The hospitality sector requires leaders who can inspire and motivate their teams, manage conflicts, handle crises, and foster a culture of innovation and excellence.
- Creativity: The hospitality sector is constantly evolving and facing new demands from customers and competitors. Business students need to be creative and think outside the box to come up with new ideas and solutions that can differentiate their businesses and create value for their customers.
- Communication: The hospitality sector involves interacting with diverse people from different backgrounds, cultures, and languages. Business students need to have effective communication skills that can help them build rapport, trust, and loyalty with their customers, partners, and employees.
- Analytical: The hospitality sector generates a large amount of data that can provide insights into customer behavior, market trends, operational performance, and financial results. Business students need to have analytical skills that can help them collect, process, interpret, and use data to make informed decisions and optimize their strategies.
Choosing the right education
To acquire the skills and competencies needed for the hospitality sector, business students need to choose the right education that can provide them with relevant knowledge, practical experience, and industry exposure. One of the options is to pursue a specialized degree or diploma in hospitality management or tourism management that can cover topics such as service quality, revenue management, marketing, human resources, finance, law, ethics, sustainability, and innovation in the hospitality sector.
Another option is to enroll in a general business degree or diploma that can offer a broad foundation in business principles and practices, as well as electives or minors in hospitality-related subjects. This option can provide more flexibility and versatility for business students who want to explore different aspects of the hospitality sector or pursue other career paths.
A third option is to complement a business degree or diploma with a certificate or short course in hospitality management or tourism management that can provide specific skills or knowledge in a particular area of interest or specialization. This option can help business students enhance their qualifications and credentials for the hospitality sector or update their skills according to changing market needs.
Preparing for the future
The hospitality sector is expected to recover from the pandemic and resume its growth in the coming years. According to a report by PwC, global hotel revenue is projected to reach $550 billion by 2025, while international tourist arrivals are forecasted to grow by 3.3% per year until 2030. However, the sector will also face new challenges and opportunities arising from changing customer expectations, technological innovations, environmental concerns, social movements, geopolitical tensions, and regulatory changes.
Business students who want to work in this sector need to prepare themselves for the future by staying updated on the latest trends and developments in the industry, networking with industry professionals, seeking mentorship from experienced leaders, participating in internships or projects that can provide hands-on experience, joining professional associations or clubs that can offer learning opportunitiesand career guidance, and pursuing lifelong learning that can help them acquire new skillsand knowledge.
