For over two decades, leisure trips have been an integral part of our lives. Regardless of the seasons, or even during critical times like recessions or pandemics (like the COVID19 pandemic happening at the moment), there is a need to travel. Therefore, the hospitality management industry is one of the most dynamic industries, attracting many young people to join the workforce. Working in the hospitality industry is particularly suitable for young, energetic people who have a passion for tourism, people, and services.

 

When traveling sightseeing, we all pay extra attention to the services provided so that we can fully enjoy our trip. Therefore, hospitality in general and hotel and restaurant management industry, in particular, are becoming essential.

 

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the employment growth of meeting, convention, and event planners will increase by 12 percent, 5 percent higher than the average. Hence, it is critical to identify the types of degrees in the field of travel – restaurant – hotel.

 

This article will give you an overview of hospitality and tourism management and its career opportunities after graduation.

Table of content:

• What is Hospitality Management?
• The difference between hospitality management and hotel/restaurant management
• How to choose your hospitality management program?
• The career opportunities

What is hospitality management? 

Hospitality is the relationship between a guest and a host, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill. And just like its name, hospitality management is all about customer services in all aspects like travel, restaurant, and hotels. Hospitality management can be referred to as service management.

 

Graduates from the Hospitality management course can work in many service-related fields like tourism, event planning, and management, aviation, nightclubs or casino management, and also restaurants and hotels.

 

Services management is divided into three sub-categories:

1. Travel/Tourism
2. Lodging
3. Cuisine in general and food services in particular

Besides, there are also entertainment services like casinos, spas, and beauty centers.

The differences between hospitality management and hotel/restaurant management

Hotel and restaurant management is a discipline that studies everything restaurant and hotel. Although greetings and meeting visitors are not such hard of a task, arranging their accommodation and amenities, as well as performing administrative tasks related to the hotel or restaurant you are managing are complex tasks. Therefore, it is important to have professional knowledge and a degree in hotel and restaurant management. The degree will greatly assist you in your career path.

 

The hotel and restaurant industry deals with all types of guest stays. In fact, hotel and restaurant management is not only about managing five-star hotels, resorts, or Michelin restaurants but also includes short-term overnight stay services like motels, guest houses, hostels, dormitories. Catering services are also included in this category.

 

The industry’s target audience is travelers who are traveling, working, or studying in a foreign place. The hotel and restaurant industry provides them with food and beverage, and accommodation.

 

In a nutshell, hotel management includes managing anything related to accommodation and F&B.

 

If you want to have a certain foothold in the hotel and restaurant or hospitality industry, including marketing, hotel administration, food service management, housekeeping, and administrative procedures, etc, then you should seek to learn and improve your professional knowledge. 

 

So, the main difference between hospitality management and hotel and restaurant management is that hotel and restaurant management encompasses all aspects of hotel management; while hospitality management is a broader term to refer to the management, negotiation with, and provision of services to people.

 

Hospitality management includes hotel and restaurant management. The courses offered will be somewhat different. However, the knowledge learned will be somewhat correlated, graduates of the hotel industry can still have enough professional knowledge to work in other hospitality industries and vice versa.

 

In addition, a number of industries that are equivalent in nature to the two above include tourism and hotel management, restaurant and foodservice management, travel and tourism management, hotel management (managerial management), food service manager), hotel management (finance and marketing), services management (room department manager), etc.

 

Because all disciplines are equivalent, students interested in the hospitality industries can choose to study any of the above disciplines. In addition, courses in economics, accounting, finance, marketing, or computer studies will help those who want to advance to higher management positions.

 

Students can choose to study BBA in Hospitality Management and Bachelor of Advanced Studies in Hospitality Management program offered by SIMI.

How to choose the right program

Before choosing to participate in any program of study, you should carefully research the program of each school. One of the first things you should look for is whether the programs allows students to enroll in full-time or part-time. For master’s programs in this industry, students are often very busy due to the nature of their work, so a part-time study can be a good option.

 

You should also pay attention to the graduation time, tuition fees, teaching models, study time.

 

There are many variables to consider when researching a curriculum. Busy individuals may prefer to study online, saving both time and money.

 

If you have identified a future career path or a future position in a particular way, for at least the next five years, then you can consider programs related to your area of ​​interest.

 

Academic programs will give you a more extensive perspective on a specific area of ​​the hospitality industry.

 

In addition, some study programs will include internships, providing opportunities for students to work with, and learn from, experts. If having an internship while in school is something that interests you, this can be one of the factors to consider when choosing a study program.

 

Most importantly, students should check the reputation of the university, college or training institute that you will be attending. Academic recognition profoundly influences future employment opportunities. If a school is accredited in its own state/city/province, this is a trusted school and worth the investment.

Job opportunities after graduation

As mentioned above, the hospitality industry graduates can themselves in different roles  and working environment. 

 

Some students will choose to work as program coordinators on cruise ships, while others will choose to work as resort supervisors in five-star resorts.

 

Programs will train students in widely applicable skills. The nature of the tourism – restaurant – hotel and hospitality industries is very diverse, so the knowledge and skills learned will help graduates find jobs regardless of their personality or studied disciplines.

 

Let’s take a look at some of the career opportunities!

• Tour guide
• Hotel or motel management
• Organizers of events or conferences, meetings
• Food service manager
• Coach or consultant in the field of service management
• Management specializing in the entertainment industry
• Management of travel and tour companies

About SIMI’s Dual Degree Master of Arts in Hospitality and Tourism Management

Switzerland is consistently rated as a country with an excellent education, and Hospitality and Banking industries are always ranked as the world’s leading industries in this nation.

The Dual Degree Master of Arts in Hospitality and Tourism Management programme, a collaboration between the national UK level training OTHM and the Swiss Institute of Management and Innovation (SIMI). The programme focuses on the hospitality, tourism, and service industries’ specialised management for learners to immediately apply their learned knowledge into the working environment or develop to become a lecturer.

Upon graduation, fellows will contemporaneously receive 2 Master degrees:

• The Master Degree belongs to the UK National Regulated Qualification Framework (RQF): OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Tourism and Hospitality Management
• Master of Arts in Hospitality and Tourism Management from SIMI Switzerland.

Source: The Swiss Institute of Management and Innovation