Introduction to Hospitality, Tourism and Events

What do we mean by Hospitality? Hotels Restaurants Pubs Bars & nightclubs Contract food service providers Hospitality services Membership clubs Events Gambling Travel services Tourist services Visitor attractions Hostels Holiday centres & self catering accommodation

Two main types of provision Commercial Provides services in exchange for £ e.g. Hotels Restaurants Take-aways Clubs Holiday parks/caravan sites Pubs Catering services sector Services tend to be secondary or indirect e.g. Hospitals Prisons Schools Armed forces Residential homes Leisure & tourism outlets Employee canteens

The industry is noted for its high level of labour turnover, and this currently stands at 23% (People 1st, 2011).  Although 58% of the workforce is female, only 44% of women work in senior management positions in the hospitality industry (People 1st, 2011). Salaries vary and depend on the size of the company, the amount of responsibility involved and the type of organisation. Sometimes packages can include profit-related pay, subsidised accommodation or meals, pension schemes and health insurance.

What’s it like working in this industry? Hospitality is a busy, fast-paced sector where employees have to adjust to new challenges in order to address the needs of customers Working in contract catering, providing meals in schools, hospitals and staff restaurants can be a nine-to-five job, whereas working in restaurants and pubs can mean longer but more flexible hours. Working in hotels usually means longer hours but promises a wide variety of jobs and opportunities for early responsibility. .

How big is this industry? The hospitality sector employs over two million people in 206,000 outlets across the UK and accounts for 4.9% of the UK’s total economic output, more than agriculture, forestry, fishing, energy, and water supply combined. 31% of the workforce works in restaurants, 16% in bars/nightclubs and 12% in hotels (People 1st, 2011).

What do we mean by Travel & Tourism? … the activities of persons traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business, and other purposes. (WTO 1993, UNSTAT 1994)

Types of tourism Domestic tourism: Residents of a country traveling within their own country Inbound tourism: Non-residents traveling in the given country Outbound tourism: Residents traveling in another country

Purpose of Travel Leisure tourism Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) Holidays Health and fitness Sport Religion Education Cultural Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) Business tourism Conferences and training events Business meetings Exhibitions Trade fairs

What is an Event? “ a special event is a one-off happening designed to meet specific needs at any given time” (Wilkinson) “ a special event recognises an unique moment in time with ceremony and ritual to satisfy specific needs” (Goldblatt)

What are Events? Event organisers are responsible for the production of events from conception through to completion. Events can include: exhibitions and fairs; festivals; carnivals; concerts conferences; promotions and product launches; fundraising and social events. Weddings; christenings