How do ideas of home influence where and how, and to where, tourists travel? How might the tourist’s search for ‘authenticity’ or safety influence accommodation choice? How and why might contemporary forms of commercial accommodation (for example those in the sharing economy) provide opportunites for tourists searching for so called ‘meaningful’ experiences? How might traditional accommodation providers be re-imaging their products and experiences to compete with ‘new’ forms of commercial accommodation?
Hospitality is a term, which reflects the approach of the people towards others. Here the tag “people” refers to the personnel of hotels, inns and resorts towards the customers. The critics are divided regarding the actual definition of hospitality (Walker 2016). Some of the critics perceive hospitality to be a social activity. This is in terms of achieving large-scale customer satisfaction through the adoption of liberal approach towards the specific needs, demands and requirements of the people. Yet some other critics are of the opinion that hospitality is an economic activity. Herein lays the appropriateness of the perspective regarding the achievement of success by providing quality products to the customers. This essay attempts to speculate the perspectives and dimensions of hospitality.
An insight into hospitality
Hospitality is itself a vast concept, which includes various concepts, thoughts and ideas. First reading of the term relates with the act of adopting polite attitude with the people in terms of creating a positive image in the minds of the people. Herein lays the social perspective of the term. Countering this, is the word is separately seen, the word “hospital” is formed (Schuckert, Liu and Law 2015). Along with this, a suffix, “ity” is also left. The suffix adds to the treatment provided to the patients for ensuring their recovery. The same is applicable for the hospitality industry personnel, who, through the provision of quality accommodation, fooding and lodging facilities, ensure that the customers enjoy their vacation in comfort and luxury.
Social perspective of hospitality
Many critics feel that hospitality is a social activity. Herein lays the social media, which has modernized the life of the people. Typical examples in this direction are the website access to the customers for hotel booking, food selection among others. Along with this, the mobile apps have enabled the customers to book the hotel of their choice, irrespective of their location (Page 2014). Interrupted internet connections have made these things possible. This is because of the tie-ups with software companies, which have expanded the business of the hospitality industry as a whole. Countering this, these processes can be considered as the commercialization of the customers’ needs, demands and expectations.
The aspect of “expectations” relates with the wishes and desires of the customers regarding getting homely comfort in the hotel rooms and homely feeling in the delicacies served by the hotel personnel. However, adulterations and mixtures in the provision of rooms and foods is a violation towards the needs, demands and requirements of the customers (Buhalis and Crotts 2013). This violation is also the commercialization of the hospitality business. Herein, along with the social parameter, economic or commercial parameters are added. Viewing it from the other perspective, this commercialization acts as interplay with the specific needs, demands and requirements of the customers.
The word “hospitality” bears direct relationship with the social parameter. This is in terms of the aspect of customer satisfaction. The hospitality industry personnel, envision the provision of quality and luxurious rooms to the customers. Countering this, the cozy environment of home cannot be replaced. Herein lays the appropriateness of the word “extension” as mentioned in the interrogative subject matter of the essay. Delving deep into the matter, experimentation with the tastes and preferences of the customers nullifies the homely feeling (Riley 2014). Herein extension achieves a negative connotation in terms of making the tenure of the customers’ vacation comfortable like the home. On the other hand, if the experimentation in providing innovative fooding and lodging facilities to the customers, it would increase the intensity of the term “extension”. Herein the negativity of the term “extension” turns into a positive one.
According to Mok, Sparks and Kadampully (2013), the modern perspective of business is commercialization. In order to maintain the pace with the competitive ambience, the businesspersons need to adopt strategic vision towards the means adopted by the contemporary brands towards the execution of the business activities. However, in terms of the recent interplay with the needs, demands and requirements of the customers, this commercialization id against the business ethics and most importantly the well-being of the customers. In terms of hospitality, commercialization reflects the experimentation with the needs of the tourists in terms of their tenure of the vacation. The personnel need to understand that most of the people prefer luxurious rooms and lip smacking delicacies for forgetting the drab monotony of their busy schedule (Altinay, Paraskevas and Jang 2015). On the other hand, if the personnel experiment with the room facilities and the foods, it adversely affects the relaxation and recreation of the customers.
Some of the customers adopt tourism facilities due to the fulfillment of the business purposes. Herein commercialization is obviously not an extension to the hospitality, which they get in the homes. Countering this, if the bed sheets in the hotel rooms are comfortable, the tourists can concentrate on their conference or meeting for which they have come. The comfortable bedsheets and mattresses would provide the opportunity to the customers to have adequate sleep, energizing them for the meetings or conferences. Along with this, if healthy foods are provided to the customers in a lucrative and presentable manner, it would help the personnel to ensure the health of the customers (Harrington et al. 2014). If the personnel introduce the concept of packed lunch for the tourists attending meetings and conferences, it would be an innovative concept for the hotels, inns and resorts. Consciousness and rationality in these services would result in the achievement of positive outcomes for the personnel of the hospitality industry.
As per the arguments of Waligo, Clarke and Hawkins (2013), commercial perspective can also be correlated with the social perspective. Herein lays the appropriateness of the social media. Uploading the images of the rooms, banquets, restaurants and the outer appearance of the hotels, inns and resorts helps the personnel to increase the trafficking of the audience towards the brand image. In order to systematize the business, the personnel need to select the target audience. Otherwise, it would be difficult for the personnel in terms of tackling with the customers efficiently and effectively. For this, the businesspersons need to execute target segmentation for improving the focus on the business activities. Herein lays the appropriateness of the experimentation, however, rational and conscious approach needs to be exposed by the personnel. This rationality relates to execution of activities, which helps the personnel to gain trust, dependence and loyalty from the customers. Experimentation with the services does not mean violating the originality and traditionalism of the industry (Nieves and Segarra 2015). Innovation is important in all of the business aspects including hospitality. Consciousness in this direction would reduce the instances of customer turnover and employee switchover.
Schuckert, Liu and Law (2015) is of the opinion that adoption of latest and modern software is crucial for the hospitality industry personnel in terms of aligning with the altering needs, demands and requirements of the customers. Within this, security software is more relevant in terms of maintaining the privacy, safety and security of the contents generated by the customers in response to the services offered by the customers. Application of rationality in adopting the software attaches a positive response to the interrogation proposed by the assignment. Typical example in this direction is Quick Heal, which possess flexibility to scan the virus and secure the confidential data and information of the companies and organization. Along with this, software like MySmartMoney would help the industry personnel to create the budgets automatically (FitzPatrick et al. 2013). However, rationality and consciousness are crucial elements for providing quality services to the customers. Moreover, effective and judicious utilization of this software would improve the stability between the industry personnel and the customers.
Meetings and conferences with stakeholders and shareholders is one of the other ways in which the hospitality industry personnel can align with the true essence of the word “hospitality”. Herein lays the appropriateness of trainings, which possess flexibility to enhance the skills, expertise and knowledge of the personnel. Post training tests would help the managers to ensure the capability of the personnel to make practical application of the learnt skills in the execution of the workplace activities. Development of frameworks, goals and standards would help the hospitality industry personnel to upgrade the standards and quality of the hospitality and tourism services (Brotherton 2015).
Conclusion
This assignment emerges successful in providing a deeper insight into the real essence of the term “hospitality”. Consideration of the business critics enriches the knowledge of the hospitality and tourism industry personnel in terms of upgrading their business for the achievement of large-scale customer satisfaction. The previous sentence aligns with the characteristics of “commercialization”. Hospitality in this sense is the adoption of polite and courteous approach towards the customers. This is in terms of gaining their trust, loyalty and dependence. The recommendation of developing frameworks and evaluation are crucial for this purpose. Innovating the services of the hotels, inns and resorts by maintaining the core values, would help the personnel to maintain their relationship with the clients and the customers. Therefore, it can be said that systematic and rational approach of the hospitality industry personnel would affirm the aspect of commercial hospitality being an extension of the hospitality in home. Systematic and rational approach relates with the true essence of the managerial functions and responsibilities
References
Altinay, L., Paraskevas, A. and Jang, S.S., 2015. Planning research in hospitality and tourism. Routledge.
Brotherton, B., 2015. Researching hospitality and tourism. Sage.
Buhalis, D. and Crotts, J., 2013. Global alliances in tourism and hospitality management. Routledge.
FitzPatrick, M., Davey, J., Muller, L. and Davey, H., 2013. Value-creating assets in tourism management: Applying marketing’s service-dominant logic in the hotel industry. Tourism Management, 36, pp.86-98.
Mok, C., Sparks, B. and Kadampully, J., 2013. Service quality management in hospitality, tourism, and leisure. Routledge.
Nieves, J. and Segarra-Ciprés, M., 2015. Management innovation in the hotel industry. Tourism Management, 46, pp.51-58.
Page, S.J., 2014. Tourism management. Routledge.
Riley, M., 2014. Human resource management in the hospitality and tourism industry. Routledge.
Schuckert, M., Liu, X. and Law, R., 2015. Hospitality and tourism online reviews: Recent trends and future directions. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 32(5), pp.608-621.
Waligo, V.M., Clarke, J. and Hawkins, R., 2013. Implementing sustainable tourism: A multi-stakeholder involvement management framework. Tourism management, 36, pp.342-353.
Walker, J.R., 2016. Introduction to hospitality. Pearson Higher Ed.
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