Hospitality Degree Programs Preferred Over General Business for Hotel and Restaurant Management
The events of 9/11 put a damper on the travel industry and the number of businesses that took an unfortunate hit caused several to lose their longstanding jobs as a result. Many once employed in the industry have since moved on to other fields, creating a vacuum for qualified travel and tourism professionals now that per 9/11 industry profits have been eclipsed. Every type of business remotely related to the industry has felt the effects of the personnel shortages, from restaurants and hotels to cruise ships and airfare discounters.
For those who are interested in taking advantage of the ample opportunities, choosing an educational path may seem like an easy task. After all, travel industry businesses are exactly that: businesses, and many make the association between a business education and success in any field where products and services are bought and sold.
In truth, hotels, restaurants and travel and tourism related companies face challenges unique to the industry that a general business degree may not sufficiently prepare graduates for. For starters, a typical business management degree program is heavy on analytical processes and light on personnel management. While that may be suitable for selling sprockets, it's less than ideal when customer interaction is the underlying focus of the company.
Restaurants are a perfect example. While in theory, the economics of buying low and selling high are more crucial to a small eatery than almost any other type of business, there's more to running a successful business than keeping an eye on the bottom line. Restaurants do sell food, but they market ambiance, and the meal is only as memorable as the service which imparts it. Hotels face the same challenges, as a properly motivated and managed staff can make a mediocre property lucrative while an unfriendly staff can could spoil a weekend at the Carillon.
Aside from extensive curriculum on people management skills, however, there are other areas where a hospitality degree program can provide more industry relevancy than a general business program. Most travel and tourism businesses are heavily involved in reselling, split point income (from deposit receivables) and property management. From an accounting standpoint alone, the differences between hospitality and traditional model businesses are abundant.
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