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NEWS FEATURES INTERVIEWS ROUNDTABLES ANALYSIS EVENTS
19 May 2015
By Staff Writer
In Features
In the work place, what we know today may not
always be applicable tomorrow. And, as in any
Modernisingmeasures
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2. industry it remains vital for one to stay on top of
their game to remain in the job. With the Middle
East’s expanding hospitality sector welcoming
evermore fresh-out-of-university graduates into
employment, seasoned hoteliers must now keep up
– Sophie McCarrick finds out exactly how they’re
doing so.
Amongst the fastest growing in the world, the
Middle Eastern hospitality industry is expected to
grow at an annual rate of 9.5% to US$35.9b by 2018, compared to US$22.8b in
2013. Parallel to this surge, is an increasing demand for not only talented
individuals, but professionals adequately equipped to deal with the ever-
changing service model of today.
By 2025, the tourism and hospitality industry is forecasted to swell 10% to add
nearly 72m additional hospitality jobs worldwide, the World Travel and
Tourism Council predicts. And with events such as Dubai Expo 2020 and
Qatar 2022 World Cup on the horizon, the region’s need for suitable
employees is soon to be further accelerated, simultaneously putting pressure
on existing hoteliers to update their skills and be on-track to compete with
incoming candidates.
Over the past decade hotel schools across the globe have seen tremendous
amounts of hoteliers in the Middle East returning to school, even with 15+
years’ experience. Clementine Rouan,
head of industry relations global, Les
Roches International School of Hotel
Management, says: “Demand from the
region is definitely on the rise, which
is creating pressure on hotels to not
just recruit fresh talent but also to
place the correct talent in leadership
positions to successfully manage and direct this growth.”
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3. Catering to this, hospitality higher education has shifted from offering general
undergraduate programmes in hospitality management, to delivering
specialised education. In the hospitality industry where 21% of companies
report skills gaps – compared to an overall business average of 13% – there is
a clear need for continued education. “We have noticed increased interest in
our programmes amongst professionals looking to update their skill set. Our
online programmes especially are very popular with professionals in the
region,” comments Anouk Tenten, senior manager global admissions and
market development, Glion Institute of Higher Education.
At the Swiss-based Glion Institute, 11% of students enrolled on the Online
MBA are based in the Middle East. In addition to 10% of its overall students
coming from the Middle East. According to Tenten, hospitality professionals
are looking for programmes that allow them to expand on their skills without
interrupting their careers. “We find that most hospitality professionals
enrolling do so towards the middle of their careers,” she explains.
“Professionals with 10 to 15 years of experience that are progressing through
management level that need to update their skills.”
Careers in hospitality are not always linear, however, and many non-degree
professionals rise through the ranks by experience and hard work. More
often, many reach a point in middle management where career advancement
is slow for non-degree holders, and decide to enrol. More commonly,
hoteliers are now also interested in the areas of Internet and social networks,
for jobs such as hotel social media specialist or community manager, as well
as professions in productivity and financial competitiveness, reveals Rouan.
The rapid evolution of the Internet and the expansion of social media has
significantly changed the relationship between the industry and the customer.
“This is creating new demands for particular skills and knowledge that
perhaps weren’t seen as necessary in the industry before,” adds Tenten.
For example, the e-reputation of a hotel is now essential and is determined by
customers through various social media platforms, including online travel
forums and customer-led ranking sites. In the United States alone in just one
day, hotel brands are mentioned 3.3b times in 2.4m online conversations. In
line with the increasing online input, the flexibility of online programmes are
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4. allowing hospitality professionals today to remain employed, yet complete
courses in their own time. Or alternatively take individual modules to earn an
executive certificate and revive their career prospects. At Glion alone, almost
400 students are learning online, with an average age of 37 and over 15 years’
work experience. “Current online students include professionals from Accor,
Hyatt, Rotana, Taj Hotels, Marriott, Starwood, Banyan Tree and the IHG
group, to name but a few,” reveals Tenten.
As an alternate to online, Rouan adds that Les Roches has witnessed an
increased interest in shorter courses that professionals can take to further
their skill set without interrupting their careers. In terms of interest, both
hotel schools agree that there has been a big rise in hoteliers looking to
develop an in-depth understanding for the wellness and spa industry. “There
has also been very promising growth in the region with regards to the spa and
wellness industry,” comments Rouan.
According to the Global Wellness Tourism Economy 2013 report, during the
next five years the spa sector is predicted to grow at almost double the rate of
global tourism, totalling $678.5b in 2017. To put it into perspective, in 2012,
wellness tourism accounted for 1.8% of the world’s GDP, creating 11.7m jobs
accounting for $1.3t global economic impact. “As a result of this rapid growth,
the spa industry is facing major challenges in recruiting enough talent to meet
the increasing demand for qualified spa managers,” Rouan confirms.
In a nutshell, while global hotel brands are majorly focused on seeking new
ways of improving employee loyalty, retention rates and boosting staff
performance, middle-management professionals are looking for flexible
programmes that will allow them to improve their skills and career prospects,
without leaving their jobs. It’s safe to say that with a continued push from
existing hoteliers and those now entering the industry, the world of
hospitality will continue to be one of the most dynamic, career-rich and
expanding sectors in the world.
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