Hospitality Hospitality is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable.

Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other services for travelers and tourists. In the contemporary world, hospitality is rarely a matter of protection and survival, and is more associated with etiquette and entertainment. However, it still involves showing respect for one's guests, providing for their needs, and treating them as equals. Cultures and subcultures vary in the extent to which one is expected to show hospitality to strangers, as opposed to personal friends or members of one's in-group. The hospitality service industry includes hotels, casinos, and resorts, which offer comfort and guidance to strangers, but only as part of a business relationship. The terms hospital, hospice, and hostel also derive from "hospitality," and these institutions preserve more of the connotation of personal care. Hospitality Industry/Management The hospitality industry consists of broad category of fields within the service industry that includes lodging, restaurants, event planning, theme parks, transportation, cruise line, and additional fields within the tourism industry. The hospitality industry is a several billion dollar industry that mostly depends on the availability of leisure time and disposable income. A hospitality unit such as a restaurant, hotel, or even an amusement park consists of multiple groups such as facility maintenance, direct operations (servers, housekeepers, porters, kitchen workers, bartenders, etc.), management, marketing, and human resources. Thus, hospitality management provides a focus on management of hospitality operations including hotels, restaurants, cruise ships, amusement parks, destination marketing organizations, convention centers, country clubs, and related industries. Nature The hospitality industry covers a wide range of organizations offering food service and accommodation. The hospitality industry is divided into sectors according to the skill-sets required for the work involved. Sectors include accommodation, food and beverage, meetings and events, gaming, entertainment and recreation, tourism services, and visitor information. The hospitality industry can be broadly divided into three primary subindustries: 1) Hotels and Resorts 2) Casinos 3) Cruise lines

Hotels and resorts span the range of classes from basic to luxury, and can include both single-facility hotels as well as major destination resorts. Additionally, many of the casinos in North America, especially those in Las Vegas, can be classified as resorts as well, since they are integrated into large hotels and other facilities. Many casinos in parts of Asia Pacific are beginning to adopt this model as well, seeking to become major destinations in themselves. Cruise lines make up perhaps the smallest industry segment but are a growing category of the hospitality industry, particularly in the United States and Europe. The hospitality industry is strongly influenced by events and trends outside the industry itself. Political and cultural disputes, major weather events, general worldwide economic health and other external influences can all have significant impact on the hospitality industry as a whole. The recent problems the industry suffered as a result of the SARS scare, the Asian Tsunami, and the September 11-triggered recession in North America, all serve as a case in point. Fortunately, after several recent years of downturn, the industry has largely recovered from these events. World economies are recovering, and the global hospitality industry has a healthy outlook with growth in both the commercial and leisure segments. In some regions, leisure is the key driver, while in others such as Asia Pacific, both business and leisure travel are strong. Origin & Evolution A 'hotel' or 'inn' is defined as 'the place where a bonafide traveller can receive food and shelter provided he is in a position to pay for it and is in a fit condition to be received'. Hence a hotel must provide food and lodging to a traveller on payment and has, in turn, the right to refuse if the traveller is drunk, disorderly, unkempt or is not in a position to pay for the services. Early travellers were either warriors, traders or people in search of knowledge. This was before the advent of hotels. Thus, warriors and conquerors pitched their tents for accommodation, while traders and people travelling for knowledge placed a high value on hospitality and sometimes traded their merchandise for lodging. Inn-keeping can be said to be the first commercial enterprise, and hospitality one of the first services for which money was exchanged. Inns of biblical times offered only a cot or a bench in a corner. Guests stayed in large communal rooms with no sanitation and privacy. The rates were, of course, reasonable. The company was rough. Travellers shared the same quarters with their horses and animals. Till the industrial revolution of the 1700s, no significant improvement was made in the inns and taverns, and they were not very suitable for aristocrats. To accommodate wealthy travellers, luxurious structures were constructed with private rooms, individual sanitation and the comforts of a European castle. These elegant new establishments adopted the French word for mansion - 'Hotel'. Not surprisingly, their rates, too, were beyond the reach of an ordinary

person. In America early inns were modelled after European taverns, with sleeping quarters shared by two or more guests. Early history of accommodation for travellers can be traced back to the Greek word 'xenia' which not only meant hospitality, but also the protection given to a traveller from discomforts. The city was bound to traditions of hospitality. In this period travellers were mainly diplomats, philosophers, intellectuals and researchers. Guests were invited to stay with the nobleman. The concept of hospitality can also be traced back to many centuries and its evolution through the ages has been brought about by Britain's economical and industrial changes and developments. The next stage in the cycle of evolution of the hotel industry was the coming of the motor car. It enabled people to visit those parts of the country which could not be reached by railways. This gave birth to inland resorts and the hotel industry began to flourish. International air travel has helped create the modern stop-over hotel. With the increase in this form of travel, the number of hotels built close to airports has multiplied. Another trend in hotel keeping is the Motel, which is the twentieth century version of the old Coach Inn. People travelling the country by car, stopping overnight here and there; require not only refreshment for themselves, but also safe parking for their cars. Post houses, developed by the Trust houses Forte Group, are in fact the modern version of the old coaching inns. This is probably why Great Britain is considered as the 'motherland of hotel industry'. Growth Hospitality Industry has witnessed tremendous boom in recent years. Hospitality Industry is inextricably linked to the tourism industry and the growth in the tourism industry has fuelled the growth of hotel industry. The thriving economy and increased business opportunities in India have acted as a boon for Indian hotel industry as well. The arrival of low cost airlines and the associated price wars have given domestic tourists a host of options. The 'Incredible India' destination campaign and the recently launched 'Atithi Devo Bhavah' (ADB) campaign have also helped in the growth of domestic and international tourism and consequently the hotel industry. In recent years government has taken several steps to boost travel & tourism which have benefited this industry in India. These include the abolishment of the inland air travel tax; reduction in excise duty on aviation turbine fuel; and removal of a number of restrictions on outbound chartered flights, including those relating to frequency and size of aircraft. The government's recent decision to treat convention centres as part of core infrastructure, allowing the government to provide critical funding for the large capital investment that may be required has also fuelled the demand for hotel rooms. The opening up of the aviation industry in India has exciting opportunities. The government's decision to substantially upgrade 28 regional airports in smaller towns and privatization & expansion of Delhi and Mumbai airport will improve the business prospects further. Substantial investments in tourism infrastructure are essential for Indian hotel industry to achieve its

potential. The upgrading of national highways connecting various parts of India has opened new avenues for the development of budget hotels in India. Taking advantage of this opportunity Tata group and another hotel chain called 'Homotel' have entered this business segment. This will affect the competitiveness of India as a cost-effective tourist destination. The future scenario of Indian Hospitality Industry looks extremely rosy. It is expected that the budget and mid-market hotel segment will witness huge growth and expansion while the luxury segment will continue to perform extremely well over the next few years. Todays Scenario Hotels today are much more than just a place to sleep - many travellers view them as an integral part of a getaway experience. With the recent boom of boutique hotels, spiffed-up budget properties, and novelty accommodations, travellers can choose a hotel that is as much a selling point as the destination itself. Hospitality segment, just like many other segments in India is booming at an unprecedented pace. India faces a huge challenge of being "under roomed" while the economy is growing rapidly. This provides for a huge opportunity for hospitality industry. A lot of large real estate developers are also investing into this business to bridge the demand-supply gap and leverage the opportunity. A number of cities have blossomed with suburban "Silicon Valley" type Special Economic Zones (SEZs). This is mostly driven due to strong growth in IT, BPO segments, increase in foreign travelers, emphasized focus on tourism by government, affordable airlines fares, etc. Several other factors such as Commonwealth Games in Delhi keep fueling the need further. The middle class is becoming more prosperous and native Indian tourist travel is growing rapidly, particularly in places such as Goa, Kerala and Rajasthan. Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Gurgaon, Pune and the suburbs of Mumbai are the areas attracting international investment and as expected, are the cities with the largest development pipelines. Indian tourism and hospitality sector has reached new heights today. Travelers are taking new interests in the country which leads to the upgrading of the hospitality sector. Even an increase in business travel has driven the hospitality sector to serve their guests better. Visiting foreigners has reached a record 3.92 million and consequently International tourism receipts have also reached a height of US$ 5.7 billion. Hospitality Industry is closely linked with travel and tourism industries. India is experiencing huge footfalls as a favorite vacation destination of foreigners and natives and the hospitality industry is going into a tizzy working towards improving itself. Fierce competition and fight to rank on the number one position is leading the leaders of this industry to contemplate on ideas and innovate successful hospitality products and services every day. Importance of Hospitality Management

The hospitality industry other than being a growing industry is a labour intensive one. India has a large concentration of educated English speaking people which provide a tremendous potential for the hospitality industry. Hospitality is all about offering warmth to someone who looks for help at a strange or unfriendly place. It refers to the process of receiving and entertaining a guest with goodwill. Hospitality in the commercial context refers to the activity of hotels, restaurants, catering, inn, resorts or clubs who make a vocation of treating tourists. Helped with unique efforts by government and all other stakeholders, including hotel owners, resort managers, tour and travel operators and employees who work in the sector, Indian hospitality industry has gained a level of acceptance world over. It has yet to go miles for recognition as a world leader of hospitality. Many take Indian hospitality service not for its quality of service but India being a cheap destination for leisure tourism. With unlimited tourism and untapped business prospects, in the coming years Indian hospitality is seeing green pastures of growth. Availability of qualified human resources and untapped geographical resources give great prospects to the hospitality industry. The number of tourists coming to India is growing year after year. Likewise, internal tourism is another area with great potentials.

Hospitality Management Training The Hospitality Industry is fast becoming the largest employer in the world. It offers possibilities that bring you to places you have only dreamt about and job choices that will drag out your full creative potential. They are endless and the talents required are so varied that almost anyone can find a place. With a degree, the places and choices become even more attractive and the salaries and perks more enticing. You can build on your present skills, too. What is attractive about this industry is that it offers you a place, no matter where you are at now, on your career ladder. And there are so many ways of adding a degree that there is no excuse if your eyes go wide at the prospects. Individuals with hospitality management training are at an advantage over other prospective job-seekers because of their unique education and skills. Because competition for management positions in the hospitality industry is fierce, employers are increasingly requiring potential employees to have a degree or certification in some aspect of hospitality, as well as previous experience. Hospitality management training at a university or college will include courses in business, personnel management and hospitality fundamentals. Many hospitality management training programs also include internships and practicum where students can gain real world skills. Students may spend a semester working at a hotel as an event planner, in the housekeeping division, assisting the administrative staff, working with human resources, or in guest services.

Hospitality Training forms the cornerstone of success in hospitality industry. If one of the following three areas is overlooked or not given equal attention as the other two then the business will start to decline. They are PRODUCT, SERVICE and ENVIROMENTALS. All three must be equal. 1. Product. This may sound obvious, but how often do you dine out and criticise the meal, wine and cocktails. How often do they get the quality wrong or the flavour combination or the cooking temperatures? How often do YOU get it wrong and turn a blind eye; "Just get the food out, the customer has been waiting long enough!" You and your team must be 100% committed to product quality. If you are not happy with the raw ingredient from your supplier, DO NOT accept it. Only a manager or Chef competent in checking food quality should accept the delivery. If you receive substandard vegetables send everything back and demand a fresh delivery of everything. Next time they deliver they will make sure they check you are getting the good stuff. If not CHANGE suppliers. The manager must, at least once a day, carry out a "Taste Test". This is simply a check list of all your dishes that you should cook off and sample, include dressings, soups, desserts. This may be your last chance to take a dish of your menu and save a substandard dish going out to your customer. 2. Service. This is where Hospitality Training can really make a difference to the business. This is where a team can really engage with the guests and take them through the "Customer Journey". With the right hospitality training the staff will follow the following routine; Welcome Salesmanship Confidence Presentation Product Knowledge Customer Awareness Follow Up Farewell Following these eight steps ensures that the customers get the best service at all times.

3. Environmentals. This is where the customers' conscious and subconscious mind can be engaged. How many times have you stood at a bar and put your elbow in a wet patch? How often do you sit in a restaurant and feel too hot or too cold or the music is too loud or you are sat next to a Hen party on your romantic evening. Maybe the lighting was too bright or too dark and you couldn't read the menu. By actually focusing on the aspects of the business that can be controlled such as music, lighting and heating will create and enticing and warm atmosphere where the guests are comfortable at all times. So, how to deliver and focus on these areas of business equally? Simple TRAINING, TRAINING and TRAINING! Every day the team should be engaged in delivering 100% satisfaction when it comes to Service, Product and Environmentals through carefully choosing your Hospitality Training program.

Points to be noted: Economic liberalisation has given a new impetus to the hospitality industry. It costs an average of US$50-80 million to set up a five-star hotels with 300 rentable rooms in India. The gestation period is usually between three and four years. Movements in real estate prices have to be watched, though they have stabilised in the past three years or so. Non-five-star hotels are obviously cheaper and have have smaller gestation periods, but international chains are expected to go into the five-star category. The Indian hospitality industry is growing at a rate of 15 percent annually. The current gap between supply (61,000 rooms) and demand (90,000 rooms) is expected to widen further as the economy opens and grows. The government forecasts an additional requirement of 200,000 rooms by the turn of the century. A rapidly growing middle class, the advent of corporate incentive travel and the multinational companies into India has boosted prospects for tourism. India's easy visa rules, public freedoms and its many attractions as an ancient civilisation makes tourism development easier than in many other countries. Many foreign companies have already tied up with prominent Indian companies for setting up new hotels, motels and holiday resorts. The entry of McDonald's, Pepsico's Kentucky Fried Chicken, Domino's and Pizza Hut have given an international glitz to the hospitality sector. Several international chains including Sheraton, Holiday Inn, Intercontinental, Hyatt, Radisson, BestWestern, Days Inn, Hilton, Quality Inn, Ramada Inn, Meridien, Kempenski,

Four Seasons Regent, Accor, and Marriott International are entering or expanding their hotel network in India.