With reference to relevant literature, discuss the notion that a career in the hospitality and tourism industry is not a good idea. Essay

The worldwide hospitality and tourism industry is dynamic, with a lot of activity taking place in the recent years. It is currently one of the fastest growing and steadily gaining industries in terms of demography, employment and revenue in the global economy with significant presence in virtually every country in the world. The growth of tourism after the Second World War has been a major social and economic revolution which has had a great impact on all countries and regions. The World Tourism Organization reports that global tourism visitation has increased from 550 million in 1995 to 770 million in 2005 and is expected to continue to increase reaching an astonishing figure of 1,561 million by 2020. Such rapid increase in tourism indicates that careers in this industry will be in great demand in the near future. In comparison to industries such as building, manufacturing and teaching, the hospitality business is enjoying a period of health and even growth.
Hospitality requires a certain kind of people which is unique to the profession. The industry believes in recruiting people with passion for good food, good wine, fine service and quality lifestyle along with a knack of pleasing customers and maximising profits by being effective salesmen. According to Mr. Steve Mullings, training and development manager at Bourne Leisure, UK, “Personality is first. We're looking for outgoing, highly motivated people who are very much focused on business results - the sort of people who would one day want to run their own businesses".
The industry is diversifying at a tremendous pace – from offering luxury and budget hotels, hospitality now comprises of fast food chains, theme parks, fine dining restaurants, casinos, catering companies, cruise ships, health resorts, leisure clubs, service apartments and many more upcoming ventures.
The hospitality industry is best described as versatile. Its versatility commences with the types of jobs available to the kinds of places that...