HRM for tourism and hospitality
industry- an introduction
Week 8
,Introduction
The importance of tourism and hospitality
employment in both developed and developing
countries is attested to by the World Travel and
Tourism Council (WTTC), who suggest that travel- and
tourism-related activities account for over 230 million
jobs, or 8.7 per cent of jobs worldwide (WTTC, 2006)
However, whilst the quantity of jobs is
unquestionable, the quality of many of these jobs is of
great concern to academics and policy-makers alike.
challenges of living and working in a service society
which, is characterized by two kinds of service jobs:
large numbers of low-skill, low-pay jobs and a smaller
number of high-skill, high-income jobs, with few jobs
being in the middle of these two extremes.
2
, Baum (1995: 151) reflecting the diversity of employment within the sector notes that:
“In some geographical and sub-sector areas,
tourism and hospitality provides an
attractive, high-status working environment
with competitive pay and conditions, which is
in high demand in the labour force and
benefits from low staff turnover ... The other
side of the coin is one of poor conditions, low
pay, high staff turnover, problems in
recruiting skills in a number of key areas, a
high level of labour drawn from socially
disadvantaged groups, poor status and the
virtual absence of professionalism”
3
industry- an introduction
Week 8
,Introduction
The importance of tourism and hospitality
employment in both developed and developing
countries is attested to by the World Travel and
Tourism Council (WTTC), who suggest that travel- and
tourism-related activities account for over 230 million
jobs, or 8.7 per cent of jobs worldwide (WTTC, 2006)
However, whilst the quantity of jobs is
unquestionable, the quality of many of these jobs is of
great concern to academics and policy-makers alike.
challenges of living and working in a service society
which, is characterized by two kinds of service jobs:
large numbers of low-skill, low-pay jobs and a smaller
number of high-skill, high-income jobs, with few jobs
being in the middle of these two extremes.
2
, Baum (1995: 151) reflecting the diversity of employment within the sector notes that:
“In some geographical and sub-sector areas,
tourism and hospitality provides an
attractive, high-status working environment
with competitive pay and conditions, which is
in high demand in the labour force and
benefits from low staff turnover ... The other
side of the coin is one of poor conditions, low
pay, high staff turnover, problems in
recruiting skills in a number of key areas, a
high level of labour drawn from socially
disadvantaged groups, poor status and the
virtual absence of professionalism”
3
