The Business of Hospitality

In the Philippines, the term hospitality courses has not really gained wide acceptance as compared to the term hotel and restaurant management courses. Many of us still wonder why in the world are people now start using hospitality as a term closely related to tourism.

For one whose main business is focused in the delivery of many levels of hospitality education; there are times that I laugh because people would always relate the term to hospitality girls (a word which has a rather not-so-good connotation in Filipino culture since it means women whose occupation is to entertain the opposite sex) or even at times to the hospital /health business.

I take time to tell people; most especially our students and their parents to use hospitality course instead of the usual Hotel and Restaurant Management / terminology since this is a more acceptable term in the international and global arena .
Hospitality management studies provides focus on management and operations of hotels, restaurants, food establishments and service institutions, cruise ships, resorts, amusement parks, conventions and events , country clubs and may also include travel and tourism. The now growing Culinary Course or Chefs’ education is also part of the Hospitality program.

There are hotels and restaurants of all classes and standards all over the world and so you can just imagine the need for highly skilled hospitality managers and workers. In fact in the Philippines alone; you can see many hospitality schools and training centers sprouting left and right all over the metropolis.

A career in hospitality is very promising all over the global market. People think that graduates of this course can only work in hotels and restaurants. Industries such as casinos, theme parks, airlines, entertainment businesses, travel and tour agencies. Airlines, canteens, institutional food service centers may also be a good source of employment. This course is also ideal for those who wants to put up their own hotel. restaurant and catering businesses.

All these and more are included in the category of hospitality. As you can see, most of these are what you may call the “essentials” in the realm of tourism. And for sure, you know how important tourism is in whatever place or country you may be. Thus, you can expect that an industry like this could definitely bloom even in the coming years.

However, it is not only tourists that these jobs serve. Even locals alike are served too. For sure locals also dine in restaurants and go to casinos and even stay in hotel during the holidays and the week ends. This factor makes the whole industry more stable. Even if it’s not the peak season of tourists, locals are still there to keep the industry alive and kicking!

I am now writing this article sipping cappuccino and enjoying the view of Lake Geneva here in Montreux Switzerland which is the home of the two best hospitality schools in the world – Glion and Hotel Institute de Montreux (HIM) which is a subsidiary of the Swiss International Hotel School of Management .My youngest daughter Nicole will be starting her Post Graduate Course in Hospitality Management in HIM and will stay here for the next six(6) months. I took time out from my busy business schedule to bring my daughter here and help her get settled in her new school. I feel as if I am again brining my daughter to her first pre school where just like any mother – you take the time to check the school; talk to the teachers; get a look at the classrooms and the facilities making sure that you made the right choice.

I also took it as an opportunity to network and forge possible linkages with HIM and work for a cross accreditation of my schools; the Joji Ilagan College of Business and Tourism (JIB) and the Institute of International Culinary and Entrepreneurship (ICHEF) in Davao City and the International School of Hotel and Tourism Mgt (IS-HTM) which will soon open in the bustling city of Gen Santos next year. Today, students in all of my school are given the opportunity to gain Australian qualifications, credentials and diploma through our partnership with TAFE New Southwales Southwestern Sydney Institute (TAFE NSW SWSI) and the Australian Trade College North Brisbane in Australia. The Australia qualification is recognized all over the world and so our students have better access to international careers and employment. It would be great to bring the Swiss qualifications to the students of Davao City, This may seemed to be an ambitious endeavor; but I am crossing my fingers that it can be done. It took me two(2) years and four (4) visits to the TAFE Australia before the educational agreement between our schools was signed. Nothing is impossible with perseverance and patience.

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I am saddened by the sudden death of Mindanao Times Foodie Columnist, Noel Castro whom I had the pleasure of meeting a month ago. He interviewed me for a feature of ICHEF and we immediately found a common ground which is food. I personally took him for a tour around ICHEF where he met our students and Chef Mike Oberle in one of our kitchens. We even tasted the wonderful pasta that they made with the different sauces and he was all praises for our students. I invited Noel again to visit our Chefs’ Kitchen Student Training Restaurant where I ask his comments/recommendations about the menu that our students prepared. In an email from him that I received here in Switzerland, he shared with me so many ideas and I emailed him back that I am so excited to be back in Davao already and have coffee with him. I opened my email last night when I came back in my hotel room and there I got the message from my office that Noel had passed away. My prayers and condolences to his family. I thank God for the joy of knowing Noel even for just a brief moment!

(Joji Ilagan Bian is a strong and respected advocate for the development of the region. She is Chair of Joji Ilagan Foundation ( www.jojiilagancareercenter.com) ; President , Phil. Call Centers Alliance and Mindanao Tech Voc Schools Association; Mindanao Rep, Export Development Council. Email comments jojibian2@yahoo.com)