Hospitality is one of the world’s fastest-growing sectors and one of the key contributors of employment generation and growth in many countries, including India. The current shift in dynamics owing to the global health crisis has brought significant changes, including opening new possibilities and avenues for the sector. In many ways, the situation has acted as a catalyst, fuelling innovation and propelling the use of technology to explore new means of enhancing customer experience.
Adapting to new evolving trends has led to the sector to reinvent itself and create newer opportunities for growth. To build resilience, agility, flexibility and trust, the industry requires a talented pool of human resources in line with new requirements. This has led to corresponding transformations in hospitality education, which would not only complement but also lead the industry’s future with a workforce that is equipped with a relevant skill set.
Given the current business landscape, it can be said that now is a great time for aspiring students to explore exciting career opportunities in the hospitality and allied services sector. For current hospitality professionals, the timing couldn’t be more right to upskill and reskill themselves and give a new direction to their career. A closer look at the industry will reveal evolving opportunities within many areas in the sector ranging from hospitality to culinary entrepreneurship, revenue management, media, e-commerce, client servicing, lifestyle consulting and health & wellness.
The hospitality sector is no longer limited to hotels. Brands now focus on creating unprecedented wholesome experience for their clients. Luxurious staycations, glamping, chauffeured sightseeing, high-end cruise sailing and five-star river vessel travel are newer options that guests are now choosing. The idea of bespoke hospitality mainly centres around providing a sumptuous experience in terms of authenticity, establishing genuine one-on-one relationships with clients, the quality of service and personalisation, as well as the value and uniqueness offered through artistic design and craftsmanship, the use of celebrated art forms and artists; and quality in all things.
In addition, brands have started incorporating more technology into bespoke experiences in order to enhance customer experience, for instance, introducing virtual travel to provide a glimpse to guests of what lies ahead. With a big market worldwide for bespoke hospitality, students can start their career by working with high-end luxury brands or even starting their own boutique ventures. They can provide their clients with experiences wished or perceived special, like staying in a beach house or a cottage or experience living in woods or among the mighty mountains or choosing a workcation in the most attractive parts of the city. With work-from-home emerging as an accepted new norm, the industry has witnessed diversification in services, providing tremendous growth to lifestyle businesses.
Another emerging area gaining traction is culinary entrepreneurship, which represents the most creative and artistic aspect of the food industry. The field embraces innovation and experimentation and thrives on providing a unique experience to customers, ranging from menu design to interior design to creative artistry in the form of ‘farm to table’ for a hearty dining experience. From an entrepreneurial standpoint, this space has massive growth potential as its versatility impacts all five senses (hearing, seeing, touching, tasting and smelling), creating a significant impact on customers. Besides, it blends not only the art and science of food but also the cultural and socio-economic elements of a region and country. Today, with the advancement of technology, the stream of culinary entrepreneurship has further evolved to include bespoke catering, food technology, advanced gastronomy, and cloud kitchens.
Health and wellness is one of the fastest-growing segments of the industry, which saw an exponential growth and big market share over the last decade. It focuses on ways of improving physical and mental health and wellbeing of customers. Fitness and hospitality blends really well because it enables customers to improve on their health along with enjoying great experiences, leading to an overall improvement in quality of life. This segment opens many doors of opportunities for nutritionists, wellness and personal well-being experts, and lifestyle consultants.
Media and media related careers have always had a fair share within the hospitality industry. The expansion of visual and social media services, in the form of photography, videos, blogs, vlogs, websites and virtual tours has brought with it a boom to business. Providing quality service is no longer the only criteria to attract customers. Maintaining a personalised touch with them is imperative in building long-term relationships. Besides connection, brands need to communicate with their target audience not only in terms of facilities and offers but also their story, values and vision, which make them stand apart and help create a niche. Social media provides a big platform for hospitality organisations to engage with a larger audience and establish a consistent relationship with customers.
Besides social and visual media, e-commerce and various other internet-based platforms have emerged as major tools for promoting brands and improving sales in hospitality. The industry has always been among the first to capitalise on new technologies, be it automation, robotisation, virtual or augmented reality, chatbots, voice recognition or artificial intelligence. With the rapidly expanding power of the internet coupled with fast-changing trends in the hospitality sector, new opportunities are now available for its growth. Online marketplaces and e-businesses have expanded dynamically and added value to the industry in terms of easy access to information, accommodation, transportation, reservation, and payments. It has also affected the sector’s callabilities in terms of operational management.
Customer service is one aspect that can make or break a business. It is vital in the hospitality industry to obtain customers’ loyalty, and only an excellent service experience can ensure long-term association with a brand. Businesses are investing in experience curators – professionals who help their clients in creating moments of delight by thoughtfully and responsibly leveraging opportunities for deeper engagement.
Apart from top-notch service and great experiences, revenue management also makes for a lucrative career option within hospitality. Having strong knowledge of revenue and financial management helps hospitality professionals in gaining understanding about profitability. Brands always need managers with financial analysis skills to evaluate performance, forecast changes and gauge which areas require development, research and investment.
As the career landscape for professionals broadens to cover diverse areas, the demand for candidates equipped with the right set of skills is increasing. The industry welcomes professionals who are able to understand evolving customer requirements and deliver personalised experiences. Businesses prefer individuals who are proficient in ‘human’ skills, including critical thinking, adaptability, communication, emotional intelligence, relationship management, and creative problem-solving.
In order to lead the industry, businesses require an agile workforce which can adapt to the new normal and make the most of emerging possibilities. Brands today want innovative minds capable of identifying such opportunities and turning them into reality. Hospitality graduates are valued in essentially all industries which keep service and user experience at the centre. Current changes will make hospitality a highly appealing and widely applicable career choice. Offering versatile career choices for young graduates and professionals, the industry demands an aptitude for innovation and independent thinking, which will lead to the creation of more personalised experiences for its customers.
