Hospitality: A Lifestyle More Than A Career

Step into the dynamic world of hospitality and explore a variety of careers beyond the industry. Learn the skills needed to succeed in retail, real estate, business, finance or any other profession with a consumer-face.

Hospitality is one of the most exciting, adaptable, and resilient industries in the world and is estimated to grow at an annual rate of 10.2 per cent and reach over $6,000 billion by 2026. Together with travel and tourism, the hospitality sector accounts for every tenth occupation in international markets. Whether someone’s keen to be a luxury travel designer, hotel manager or operations director or realise their entrepreneurial ambitions and run a business — hospitality opens doors to several careers. Yet, regardless of the role they choose, they need a shared skill set, including high emotional intelligence, refined soft skills and the ability to communicate with empathy.

Master the art of hospitality with these essential skills

While basic knowledge of accounting, finance and marketing is vital for any hospitality manager, soft skills like decision-making and critical thinking will help them succeed in the industry. The ability to lead people, work in teams and efficiently solve problems are skills that allow them to climb the corporate ladder. Communicating effectively and correctly interpreting non-verbal cues are equally critical to thriving in this field. At the same time, high levels of cultural awareness, attention to detail and operational and organisational skills remain central to hospitality.  

Working with the latest technology

With technology advancements, many hotels are constantly adopting new technology, making it necessary for those in the industry to know how to use them. Subjects like data analysis are now considered indispensable to understanding consumer behaviour and accurately predicting a guest’s tastes and preferences.

Discover diverse careers

Since these skills are highly transferable, they offer individuals the agility to move from one industry to another. They can be easily applied to various roles, including those in aviation, banking, consulting, and travel and tourism. Such skills allow individuals to explore opportunities as customer relationship managers, event managers, or restaurant managers and even exciting avenues in sales, media and marketing. 

Besides such careers, the hospitality industry offers some valuable benefits for the health and well-being of its employees. It allows them to travel the world, interact with strangers and quench their cultural curiosity. Moreover, it helps them develop resilience, a strong work ethic and an appreciation for a varied professional life since no two days are the same. 

Hospitality: more than a career, it’s a way of life

To many in the industry, hospitality is more than a mere job or a career. It’s a way of life that transcends boundaries and allows them to cultivate trust, compassion and community. Hospitality is a practice that nurtures a genuine warmth and a sense of humanity that runs through all segments of the industry. 

Smeetha Guha

Guest Author The author is Dean, Hospitality Studies, Indian School of Hospitality