Hello Everyone! Today, I would like to write about hospitality. When you hear the word hospitality, you probably think of hotels, restaurants and tourism. Hospitality has been everywhere. In fact, the travel and tourism industry’s total GDP accounted for 5.5 percent of the global GDP in 2020.
What is Hospitality?
- “Generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests or hospitable treatment.” (Merriam Webster’s Dictionary)
- “the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.”(Dictionary.com)
What is the differencee between hospitality and service?
While service is defined as handling tasks for someone else from physical labor to providing information, Hospitality is defined as an interaction. It’s the friendly and generous reception of guests, visitors, or strangers. As people spend more money on their experience they expect more. Guests are not only expecting better tangible accommodations, they are expecting the intangible experience to be unforgettable—service taken to the next level. This is hospitality.
History of Hospitality
The history of hospitality is long. The ancient history of the hospitality industry began in 15,000 BCE with the Lascaux caves in France which were developed to accommodate members of other tribes. As an industry, the hospitality industry was born out of casual arrangements between locals and weary travelers looking for a safe place to rest their horses and lay their heads. Back then, the definition of hospitality usually meant a basic meal and some ale. These casual stays then evolved to become more than just a place to stay. Serving an increasingly-mobile class of merchants, nobles, scholars, and priests, the hospitality industry was born. In the early 700s, the first two hotels in history were registered in Japan which was called Ryokans. By the 1600s more than 600 inns were registered in England and in the early 1800s, the first modern hotel was built in England.
Hospitality Revolution
The First Revolution (Golden Age): In 1963-1983, the wealth rose among people because of the impact of post-World War 2. People spent a lot of money on Luxury and services. Enter Isadore Sharp, founder of Four Seasons Hotels in 1961 with the vision to found a company on his Golden Rule: “Treat guests the way you wish to be treated.” While Four Seasons didn’t start as a luxury product, Sharpe quickly pivoted upscale to chase the opportunity. Then, in 1983, Ritz Carlton was founded and carved out its own niche in the segment. The leaders of this era were experts in customer service.
The Second Revolution (Market Segmentation): In 1981-2000, hotels started to segment the market and target very specific customers with a unique and differentiated offering – the design-led boutique hotel was born.
The Third Revolution (Technology): Today, because of technological advancement, there are many OTAs. Today, Expedia and Priceline have approximately 76% market share. By 2020 experts predict that market share will be up to 94% What Expedia and Priceline realized is that you don’t need to own hotels or even brands to sell hotel rooms. Airbnb took this one step further and commercialized the less spoken of couch surfing movement.
Hospitality in the World
India: Offering hospitality is fundamental to Hindu culture and providing food and shelter to a needy stranger was a traditional duty of the householder. The unexpected guest is called the Atithi, literally meaning “without a set time.” Scripture enjoins that the Atithi be treated as God. Tradition teaches that, no matter how poor one is, one should always offer three items: sweet words, a sitting place, and refreshments.
Japan: In Japan, there is a deep-rooted culture called omotenashi, meaning to wholeheartedly look after guests. The term is a microcosm of the country itself, representing the Japanese mindset of hospitality centering around care rather than expectation.
Switzerland: it is the origin of hospitality. Economically, Switzerland is not rich in natural resources, which is why service-oriented industries such as hospitality took hold and continue to prosper today.
Hospitality Quotes
The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. (By Mahatma Gandhi)
The customer is never wrong. (By César Ritz)
People will forget what you said. They will forget what you did. But they will never forget how you made them feel. (By Maya Angelou)