Hospitality, at its heart, is all about the human connect. In fact, the word hospitality evolved from the Latin hospitalitis, which signifies the relationship between guest and host, and as an industry and education, its relevance has only increased.
While the past year was tough for all industries alike, the way hospitality industry operates, and education is imparted, has been reshaped. New opportunities have emerged, and there could not be a better time to adapt and be part of an industry that is ready to move on to the next defining phase.
Hospitality is an industry which is intrinsically connected to all other industries. Before I answer why students should pursue hospitality education, it is important to understand what this kind of education equips students with.
Hospitality management, as I often stress, is a humanitarian approach to the traditional business education. A BBA in hospitality management is business education with the ethos of hospitality. And this is exactly what makes this course and the opportunities it presents, different from others. It is a common myth that hospitality industry is mostly about hotels and restaurants when in reality, the education opens doors for a career in almost all industries, like banking & finance, real estate, consulting, luxury lifestyle & retail, event management and so many more. In fact, a lot of our students go on to become successful entrepreneurs in their chosen field of interest.
What makes hospitality education different is that it keeps the human capital at the core. While the curriculum covers modules like finance, marketing, economics, human resource management, strategy, law & ethics, entrepreneurship, and other business fundamentals, it is the “transferrable skills” that students learn that makes this course special. These are skills and traits that stay with students throughout their professional and personal lives, and across industries, no matter what career path they opt for.
In fact, most business publications and think tanks have predicted that it is these soft skills, like creative thinking, problem solving and critical thinking that will set candidates apart. Given a choice between two equally eligible candidates, recruiters are always going to choose an employee which ranks higher on soft skills and emotional intelligence. These transferrable skills compliment the existing skills that a person possess, and go a long way in determining the professional journey of a person.
A major benefits of hospitality education is the real world learning. There is as much stress on the theoretical aspect of learning as on the practical. Students learn from past and current organisational models, case studies and industry stories, and this kind of industry immersion enables them to put the theory to practical use. In short, the course prepares students for the industry even before they enter it. They are learning from the history to make room for a better, sustainable and more efficient tomorrow. While the education offers a plethora of opportunity, it is also crucial that students come prepared with the right mindset. People who are creative, have the capability to think and act outside the box, or are passionate about becoming the leaders of tomorrow are the perfect fit for this education.
As the consumer-industry ecosystem evolves, I would say that it is as much about the service now as it is much about the product. Wherever there is experience, there are people, and the world is seeing a radical shift from product to experience. And education is a lifetime value – transferrable skills get carried on as accumulated knowledge – where others are struggling, hospitality moves ahead.
