Hospitality Management: Industry prospect in the United Kingdom.

Introduction: This Easy is set out to discuss and define Hospitality Management [study & industry] and the Hospitality Management Industry Prospect in UK. Hospitality: There are many definitions of hospitality. Among them I found the best, as hospitality is the provision of accommodation, food and drink, entertainment and other services for guests, visitors, travellers and tourists. Management: Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of coordinating the efforts of people to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling an organization (a group of one or more people or entities) or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal. Resourcing encompasses the deployment and manipulation of human resources, financial resources, technological resources, and natural resources. Since organizations can be viewed as systems, management can also be defined as human action, including design, to facilitate the production of useful outcomes from a system. This view opens the opportunity to 'manage' oneself, a prerequisite to attempting to manage others. Hospitality Management: Hospitality Management is the study of the hospitality industry. A degree in the subject may be awarded either by a university college dedicated to the studies of hospitality management or a business school with a relevant department. Degrees in hospitality management may also be referred to as hotel management, hotel and tourism management, or hotel administration. Hospitality management covers hotels, restaurants, cruise ships, amusement parks, destination marketing organizations, convention centers, and country clubs. Why study Hospitality & Tourism Management? The hospitality industry is one of the worlds most dynamic industries and continues to grow year after year. The World Travel Organization predicts that it will triple in size by the year 2020, becoming one of the largest industries in the world. This growth will provide many employment opportunities for people with the right qualifications and skill set.

A career in the hospitality industry includes opportunities in many different areas including, events (sporting, cultural, concerts, exhibitions, etc.) conferences, banqueting, theme parks and attractions, restaurants, catering, resorts (golf, ski, beach, spa, etc.) airlines and cruise lines and many more service-related industries. The global hospitality and tourism industry and its broader economic impacts currently represent approximately US$6 trillion or 9% of the global economy, employing well over a quarter of a billion people. The hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industry employs 2.1 million people across the UK accounting for 7.2% of the working population. It is an exciting industry to work in and the career opportunities are extensive and vary across industry sectors. Myriad issues and challenges surround this dynamic industry where service provision and innovation sit at the heart of success. Even more challenging is administering competitive value propositions with global scope whilst engaging with countless complementary and supplementary markets such as technology and manufacturing. Future leaders with vision and the right skills are needed if the industry is to respond to opportunity and continue to grow. Studying Hospitality Management at a reputed institution will equip me with the skills necessary to manage such diverse operations as hotels, resorts, cruise ships, airlines, tour operators, destination management, exhibition and conference operations, outdoor centres, schools, and hospitals. Gaining both the theoretical background and a wealth of practical opportunities to investigate the sector, I will have a strong stand in the Industry for sure. Within each of these sectors graduates can work in the traditional and exciting operational departments of accommodation and food and beverage or move into supporting departments such as marketing, human resources and finance. The international recognition of a quality standard in respect of hospitality, leisure and tourism management education programmes that are relevant to the needs of industry and which meet accepted Institute of Hospitality international benchmark criteria always elaborate the chances to strike the desired career. Overview of the hospitality, tourism and sport sector in the UK The hospitality, tourism and sport sector employs over two million people in the UK, across more than 220,000 different sized organisations. Employment opportunities in the hospitality, tourism and sport sector can be categorised into: Accommodation - 16% of those in the sector work in hotels, hostels, bread and breakfasts (B&Bs) and self-contained apartments; Betting and gambling - 4% work in casinos or betting shops; Food and beverage services - The majority of people in the sector work in bars, pubs, inns, cafs and restaurants; Sports and active leisure - 20% of employees work in the likes of gyms, golf courses, football clubs and theme parks;

Travel and tourism - 6% of the sector's workforce are in the travel agent or tour operator industries. This sector is expected to grow significantly over the next couple of years, with a rise in demand predicted particularly for high level, skilled positions.

Main graduate employers in UK: The vast majority of organisations in hospitality, tourism and sport employ fewer than 50 people, meaning there aren't many large employers in the industry. Where there are large organisations operating in this sector, they are mainly in the accommodation and sport and active leisure areas. Examples of big companies operating in the industry include: Accommodation: Marriott, Travelodge, Premier Inn, Best Western Sport and active leisure: Parkwood Leisure, Bannatyne, UK Sport Food and Beverage: JD Wetherspoon, Nando's, Mitchells & Butlers Travel and tourism: Thomson, Expedia UK, Thomas Cook Current Picture of the Industry in UK: Graduates entering the hospitality, tourism and sport sector can expect: a relatively low salary - the sector has the lowest mean hourly earnings of all the sectors. However, this is largely a result of the low average hourly pay in the food and beverage area bringing down the figures. Other areas pay considerably better. In travel and tourism and sport and active leisure, for example, employees earn an average of 13 and 14 an hour respectively; a customer-facing working environment - many roles are busy and fast-paced, particularly at peak times, and require a lot of interaction with consumers; to start on part-time hours - 44% of the workforce is employed on a parttime basis, although there is scope for full-time hours in a range of positions. Current key issues in the hospitality sector in UK: Because of its reliance on consumer spending, this sector was affected by the closure of organisations during the recession. Pubs, bars and nightclubs have been impacted the most during the economic downturn, but the majority of the issues actually arose before the recession, including the smoking ban, increases in 'beer tax' and competition from supermarkets. The number of restaurants in the UK has fallen too, however the number of staff employed in this area has increased. This suggests the organisations that went out of business were small, while the larger chains have been expanding.

Opportunities available within the UK's fifth-largest industry: The second largest employer after government, the hospitality industry continues to grow at a rapid rate despite the tough economic climate. In terms of expected growth, the UK is in fact leading the way for Western Europe. In 2012, 8,000 new hotel rooms opened in London alone and a further 5,000 are forecast to open in 2013. As one of the most important financial and business centres in the world, London is a hospitality hub, offering some of the very best examples in terms of service and luxury accommodation. There are 54 Michelin-starred restaurants in the capital and 1,600 hotels in central London alone. According to the World Trade and Tourism Council, over the next ten years the industrys total contribution to global UK GDP is expected to rise by 4% per year, which translates to approximately 69 million new jobs over the same period. This continued growth in the market has naturally increased demand from recruiters for the relevant skill set. From areas such as general management and event management to specific roles such as industry analysts, the hospitality industry has something to suit all skills. Growth areas In the hospitality industry, more specialised knowledge is needed on topics such as technology, financial management, social media, health and safety requirements and sustainability. Technology is an important area within the industry. Online booking and the growth of social media have changed the relationship between the customer and the provider. Today, people are better informed and have real customer awareness. Customers are technology experts - they want easy access to information about hotels, destinations, and airlines through a range of digital platforms. Hospitality companies have to invest in technology in order to stay competitive and to control their business and their brand, and students need to know the market and the importance of staying ahead of the trends. Skills The hospitality industry attracts ambitious, career-minded people with a passion for the hospitality and service industry. Our students love to travel and thrive living and working in a multicultural and international environment. They enjoy working with others, being part of a fastpaced team environment, have already developed a mature and professional attitude towards work and want to succeed. They are hard workers, flexible and business-minded.