Service Operations Management in Hospitality and Tourism Industry

Description

Many countries have developed tourism as a major source of national income. Countries like Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines depend largely on income from tourism. Within the operations of the tourism sector, the front office acts as the nerve centre of a hotel property. Tourism involves communications and accounting, which are two of the most important functions of a front desk operation. Effective communications with guests, employees, and other departments of the hotel are vital in projecting a hospitable image.

Hospitality may be defined as the practice of being warm and friendly; the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, with kindness and goodwill. Hospitality frequently refers to the hospitality industry jobs for hotels, restaurants, casinos, catering, resorts, clubs and any other service positions, that directly deal with tourists. With continued technological advancement, political upheaval, increased global competition, changing demographics, and pressure from stockholders, maintaining one’s ethical integrity is becoming more complex, yet crucial.

Along with the growth in services, an appreciation for the ways in which services are different from products has developed. The traditional ways of marketing tangible products are not equally effective in services marketing. Service industries focus on intangible products such as travel and foodservice. We need to examine the ways services differ from products, in order to explore how services get successfully marketed. This material aims to help students at various levels of their studies, by a well-respected author, who is a subject specialist.