What do you like about the hospitality industry

The concept of "hospitality" comes from the English word hospitality and refers to the set of principles and services in the hospitality sector, which have as their ultimate goal the satisfaction of tourism customers. The experience gained in the hospitality sector in certain countries with a tradition of tourism has become so dense and specific over the last 50 years that the world has developed veritable university centres where this discipline is studied by tens of thousands of students every year.

The concept of Hospitality is the direct relationship between a host and a guest, the way the host makes the guest feel welcome and appreciated.

The hospitality industry refers to activities in the service industry: accommodation, food and beverage (F&B) services, event planning, theme parks, transportation and everything else that is entertainment for the guest.

Accommodation and food services play a distinct, essential and primary role in the overall tourist service, being by their nature and content the basic services for tourists' consumption at their holiday destination. In tourism theory, the term hospitality is used to designate these two categories of services in a unified way - it represents a set of commercial activities providing accommodation and/or food services to people away from home. Given the scale of these activities, the volume of investment attracted and the size of the workforce involved, we usually use the term hospitality industry. Tourism theory considers that the hospitality industry comprises both profit-oriented activities (those of commercial hotels, restaurants, etc.) and non-profit businesses (accommodation and catering in hospitals, universities and other institutions, industrial catering for offices and factories, etc.).

The hospitality industry is employing more and more people globally, and a career in the industry offers people who work in it a number of unique benefits and rewards that make hospitality a truly attractive field.

guest experiences is an essential part of the job. But a good leader in this field will need more than good customer care skills. In hospitality management it is absolutely necessary to create a great team that can help the organisation perform at the highest level, but to achieve this, targeted leadership skills and qualities are vital.

Regardless of the branch of the hospitality industry, a solid career and the development of leadership skills can be achieved by continually taking specialised courses, but also by the power of example, more specifically, by standing 'in the shadow' of a highly experienced professional.

Here are 5 reasons why a career in the hospitality industry is important to me as a hotel front desk manager:

1. Leadership

Why is leadership important in the hospitality industry?

As in any other industry, the leadership team is vital to the success of the business. Great 'leadership' can inspire and engage staff towards a success-oriented environment. It has been proven that an enthusiastic team is the path to success in both business and customer satisfaction. A positive work environment definitely influences results, and studies show that businesses with happy employees experience around a 20% increase in profitability. The relationship between employees and senior leaders is a key factor in long-term employee loyalty. A leader will ensure that all staff members feel valued and have a positive relationship with where they work, with the company. Only through such an approach can a strong team be built and the best hospitality talent retained.

What are the qualities of a leader in the hospitality industry?

Being a good leader requires certain qualities, largely centred on the ability to relate to and inspire people. If we were to list the main qualities of a leader, they would be:

Model by example: Staff look to leaders for cues on how to behave. Effective leaders model both the values of the company and the behaviors they want to see in their team. Leading by example can include things like listening to the team, being supportive and helpful, keeping promises and being inclusive.

- Emotional intelligence: Understanding and managing your own emotions and recognising the emotional state of the team is absolutely necessary to build strong relationships and to interact with a diverse team. It's not easy to learn, but taking the time to understand that each team member may have different reactions in certain situations and responding empathetically are important attributes for future leaders.

- Displaying vulnerability and visibility: Some leaders believe that expressing emotions, vulnerability, etc. is a sign of weakness and thus risk losing the respect of the team. But this may be far from the truth. Everyone has vulnerabilities and weaknesses, and the reality is that the team will respect a leader who shares his or her vulnerabilities rather than hiding them.

- Passion and engagement: We all respond to passionate people. It's important for a leader to show passion for the company's mission and a desire to succeed. This attitude will inspire and enthuse all team members, creating a positive and productive workforce.

- Leadership is personal: No two leaders are the same, and each leadership style is unique and personal, revealing the individual personality. The best leaders use their personal experience, skills and qualifications to bring something special.