Unfortunately, this cruel pandemic destroyed every bit of enthusiasm for an industry that was not very highly-regarded by the general public even before. The passion of service is not for everyone. This industry which, globally speaking, employs one out of every ten working people, has been deeply wounded, therefore we should seize the moment and start asking ourselves the big questions.
Nowadays, we can outsource almost every single position in a hotel: housekeeping, maintenance and engineering, reception, reservations, etc.
Restaurants can be subcontracted by a variety of restaurant chains, the spas are outsourced to wellness brands and the online travel agencies (OTA) have, in most of the cases, taken over traditional hotel reservation systems (HRS).
If this is the current state, do we really need hoteliers? What is their role today and what will be their purpose tomorrow?
The CEO’s of many of the most important hotel chains are not hoteliers; their background is, in fact, in finance, law, marketing or management in other business sectors. Many of them were never in a leadership position in the operation of a hotel.
If this aspect is true, do we need education in the field of hospitality? The question may be: what do we mean by “hospitality”?
Many graduates of the first two hotel universities in the world (Lausanne and Cornell) do not want to start their careers in the HORECA industry, the one of HOtels, REstaurants and CAfeterias.
Instead, they want to gain attractive positions in national and multinational companies operating in various fields, such as luxury products, healthcare, consulting and banking services, among others. These positions are offered to them because these companies understand that hospitality is not limited to HORECA. It actually encompasses a wide field, a culture and a way of seeing businesses from the customer's perspective.
Ray Iunius
Chief Executive Officer
Winsedswiss Education Group