HOSPITALITY & TOURISM An Introduction

What is Tourism? Although many of us have been "tourists" at some point in our lives, defining what tourism actually is can be difficult. Tourism is the activities of persons traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business or other purposes.

The Importance of Tourism one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the world provides many career opportunities (1 in 14 people) generates revenue and stimulates local development (alleviate poverty) encourages cross-cultural awareness encourages awareness of history, culture and conservation can be a renewable resource instills pride in community and country

There are countless types of businesses that make up the tourism industry, but they all have one thing in common – they cater to the needs of travelers either directly or indirectly. Jobs directly within tourism include: flight attendants, tour guides, chefs, casino or hotel management, bartender, waiter, pilot, outdoor adventure guide, tour bus driver, etc… Jobs indirectly related to tourism: Accountants in hotels, etc., computer technicians who maintain networks for an airline, delivery drivers for food companies supplying restaurants, workers in laundry services for hotels, etc.

What is the Hospitality Industry? Hospitality is the reception and entertainment of guests with generosity and good will. The “hospitality industry” involves the two largest sectors of tourism: Accommodations (providing travelers with a place to stay) Food & Beverage (providing travelers with food and refreshments)

Tourism Jobs in Canada Tourism employs over 1.7 million (2014 Stats Canada) Canadians - this represents 13% of total Canadian employment, or one out of every eight jobs. There are over 400 different occupations in tourism, the largest being: food counter attendants and kitchen helpers food and beverage servers cooks food service managers

Job Levels in the Tourism Industry

Front Line/Entry Level where most people start has most contact with customers very specific tasks no experience needed lots of room for advancement

Supervisory Level oversees front line employees hiring and scheduling gives direction and observes performance may discipline employees

Management Level requires more complex skill and training analysis and planning budgeting interacts with other sectors and community

Executive Level usually found in corporate head offices may be responsible for many businesses analyze and solve complex problems responsible for strategic planning

Advantages of a Career in Tourism: Learn about new cultures/traditions Meet lots of people Might get to travel Lots of room for advancement Not boring Flexible Hours A Lot of perks with tips and bonuses

Disadvantages of a Career in Tourism: May be only a seasonal worker Job may be affected by the economy Could work only on commission Deal with many angry or unsatisfied customers Many times may have to start with low paying entry positions

Top 10 things tourism employees like about their jobs Variety Meeting people from across Canada and the world Working as a team member Job opportunities anywhere Advancement potential Developing global skills Easy to get started Training opportunities Tips Creativity

Qualities of a Successful Hospitality & Tourism Employee Interested in people Outgoing/extroverted Good communication skills Creative problem solver Fast learner Can work under pressure Able to multi-task Eager to learn Non-judgemental Comfortable with basic math skills

Some Other Important Terms Outbound Tourism: people traveling from our region to other places in Canada or the world Inbound Tourism: tourists coming to our region from other places in Canada or the world Itinerary: the planned route and schedule for a journey

MNEs - motivations, needs and expectations (of the tourism customer) Domestic tourist - a person travelling within their own country Foreign tourist - a person visiting a country other than their own