Chapter 7 Careers in Hospitality
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They have overall responsibility for the operation
of the hotel. This includes setting standards for
guest services, housekeeping, interior decor, and
food service. It also includes setting room rates,
managing room availability, and reviewing and
approving expenditures. Most hotels are a part
of large corporate operations, and guidelines are
established by the owners or executives of the
chain. However, when it comes to everyday oper-
ations, it is the general manager who sets the tone
for the lodging experience of the guests.
Some general managers live on-site and are
available 24 hours a day. Most hotels, however,
employ general managers along with night or
assistant managers who cover the hours that the
general manager is not working. Larger hotels
employ front office managers who oversee the
operations of the front desk and all interactions
with guests from the time they make reserva-
tions until the time they check out of the hotel.
They meet and greet customers when they
arrive, assign rooms, deal with complaints, meet
special needs or requests, and make adjust-
ments to bills. Since front office managers can-
not always be present, they are responsible for
training assistant managers and/or staff.
The responsibilities of a hotel manager are
great and varied. The larger the hotel is, the more
activities included as management responsi-
bilities. For example, personnel management or
human resources, accounting, recreational facil-
ities, spas and swimming pools, maintenance,
eliminating future tourism.
Ecotourism is the term used to
describe sustainable tourism
when the focus is on learning
about and preserving the
natural environment.
The move toward a global
economy also influences more
international travel. When both
strong and weak economies
co-exist throughout the world,
economic variability will
promote travel to some areas
and discourage travel to other
areas. Depending on their
home economy, the number
of travelers from a geographic
location will also vary. For
example, if the economy in Asia
is weak, fewer tourists from
these countries may participate
in international travel. On the
other hand, a strong European
market may send many tourists
increasing awareness about
the world and its many cultures.
Potential tourists can read about
international travel destinations,
view photographs, search for
up-to-date information on the
Internet, and view video or
television stories. With this
increase in information, there
is an increasing awareness of
issues. Tourists can now travel
armed with information about
everything from the current local
weather to aerial view maps.
For many reasons,
tourists today are interested
in life-enriching experiences.
International travel provides
an opportunity for these
experiences. Because the target
market provides a lucrative
future for the hospitality
industry, international travel will
continue to grow.
to Asian destinations. Also, as
currencies become more easily
interchangeable, tourists are
more likely to travel between
countries. Many European
countries use the euro as their
currency. Tourists traveling
between these countries don’t
need to exchange one currency
for another.
Variation in the price
of medical care around the
world has created a demand
for medical tourism. Surgical
procedures can be obtained in
India, Thailand, or South Africa
at 10 percent or less of the price
in the United States or Europe.
Consumers can even combine
a face-lift with recovery at an
international resort (Cetron,
DeMicco, & Davies, 2010).
Last, advances in global
communications have brought