In 2017, the value of bookings was close to $1.6 trillion. The U.S. travel/tourism and hospitality market generated $353 billion in 2017 and nearly $370 billion in 2018.
Hospitality is still a people-first industry in the sense that it serves guests in restaurants, hotels, car rentals, airlines, etc. However, the tools that hospitality professionals are using to maintain and develop the best possible service have changed significantly. Today, technology and data help maintain the human touch and customer-centric approach upon which the industry was built.
In order to secure the growth and development of this transversal, dynamic, and international industry, an educated and highly skilled workforce is a necessity.
Long gone are the days when you could start as a bellboy and work your way up to general manager. The global hospitality industry has evolved by only relying on professionals’ practical experience, making it a knowledge-based industry when it comes to innovation and development.
Skills are required
Today, hospitality industry recruiters are looking for future employees with transversal skills such as problem-solving, tolerance, confidence, and curiosity. Candidates with international experience will have the opportunity to take on greater professional responsibility.
When educating future professionals, universities, schools, and other hospitality educational institutions are delivering programs and training courses that prepare students to face the future challenges of the industry.
Forget about dusty books and long, boring classes taught by uninspiring professors.
Today’s education gives you the right skill set for the industry, which includes complex problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, people management, and the ability to coordinate with others. These are basic skills you will need to operate within an industry that constantly develops and expects you to do the same.
At any educational institution, you will be able to find interesting courses and programs that focus on providing you with the latest knowledge within the hospitality industry, and make sure you have the right skill set for the work you’re seeking.
Hospitality educational innovation and development today is focused mainly on the following areas:
Technology
Innovative technology plays a vital role in the development of the international hospitality industry. Universities with hospitality technology programs will focus on artificial intelligence, facial recognition, and the Internet of Things, and how you can use these technologies to improve guest services. Programs will also focus on how these technologies can create opportunities to develop new value propositions and business models within the hospitality industry.
Niche services
With new technologies in play, new business areas and markets have emerged within the hospitality industry, which have created new niche areas. This is why universities and colleges have developed programs and courses that meet the demand for specialized labor.
For example, some programs will focus exclusively on luxury hospitality. With a higher demand for luxury products and services worldwide, you will learn more about how to balance heritage with innovation, bridging online and offline luxury experiences while maintaining personalized human interaction to build client loyalty.
Internationalization
Educational institutions are strongly focused on internationalization through study trips, internships, and exchange programs abroad. Many institutions today will work with “Internationalization at Home,” which creates an international environment on campus.
Many universities have made international online classrooms that link you with fellow students across the globe. By developing international curriculum, these institutions can help you develop global mindsets and skills.
Education is a necessity to continue growing and developing the international hospitality industry.