There isn’t a part of the world that doesn’t rely on hospitality. In fact, we experience different forms of it every day, from dining in a restaurant to utilising the public transport system.
The hospitality industry’s contribution to global GDP has been between 9.3% and 10.9% for almost two consecutive decades. So, let’s look at what hospitality management is all about and if it’s the right course for you.
The relationship between a host and a guest is known as hospitality. Beyond that, hospitality management on a commercial scale also oversees the administration, operation, and promotional activities of businesses that fall under this area.
The hospitality industry is fascinating as it is a customer satisfaction-oriented trade focused on relaxation and recreation instead of basic needs.
There are four primary areas in the hospitality industry:
In any case, hospitality management is a field that requires both service and technical expertise to operate.
Hotels provide temporary lodging to guests, and such a service is considered a form of hospitality. As such, hotel management is essentially a subset of hospitality management. Job positions available for hotel management graduates cover those within the hotel sector, like managerial positions in rooms, housekeeping, and operations.
On the other hand, hospitality management is a genre of businesses including restaurants, travel agencies, lodging establishments, and event planning firms. Other than offering skills and knowledge in the operation and management of a service establishment, a hospitality management course teaches you business ethics, finance and revenue, and laws and regulations relating to this field.
The core components of a hospitality management degree provide students with upper-level management skills and technical knowledge to excel in this area. Through real-life scenarios and industrial placements, this course also equips students with top-class leadership abilities and relevant work experience by the time they graduate.
Aside from the practical side of things, here are several skills you will learn through a hospitality management course:
You’d expect hospitality management to be a niche course to major in, but that’s not the case. No matter which industry you choose to start your career in, a degree in hospitality management will be a professional asset.
Here are a few reasons why you should study hospitality management.
Hospitality isn’t only about service. It is also about forming an emotional connection and understanding with clients. Such interpersonal skills cannot be taught in classrooms. Students can only absorb and grow as individuals through real-life scenarios during placements or internships in the appropriate setting.
If you enjoy a fast-paced working life with new challenges each day, there’s no other place to be than the hospitality field.
As a progressing industry that heavily relies on tourism trends, the hospitality industry is rarely stagnant, especially in this digital age. People working in hospitality management are constantly met with new challenges to overcome regardless of the area and job position they’re in.
Graduating with a degree in hospitality doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll work in this sector. You’d be surprised to hear that many businesses outside of the hospitality industry are more than keen to hire hospitality majors. This is because hospitality management graduates are trained to be compassionate and perceptive at a professional level, which has numerous benefits to almost all businesses.
Hospitality management courses with globally trusted and recognized educational partners give students a diverse learning experience. They broaden academic horizons with collaborative curriculum programs such as international study trips.
For instance, UOW Malaysia KDU’s partner, IMI International Management Institute Switzerland, offers an optional 10-day study trip for degree students that will grant them a dual certification from both institutions upon graduation.
The program structure of a hospitality management course covers a broad spectrum of subjects. This strong advantage gives graduates a wide variety of choices when deciding on a job, so they can freely select one based on their passion.
We’ve listed a few industries you can enter after graduating from a hospitality management course.
This area of business is concerned with services for people who need accommodation for a relatively short period. The lodging industry goes hand in hand with other markets like travel and food & beverage industry, as they often share a similar customer base in a particular location.
Hospitality management graduates will have no problem taking up roles in hotel operation or hospitality consultation as they are equipped with operations management knowledge and soft skills including people skills and customer service.
The skills needed in event management coincide with those taught in hospitality management. The training that hospitality management students undergo enables them to be fast learners and quick thinkers. They are also adept at working under pressure while keeping a clear and organised mind.
Interesting jobs within this sector include event planning, human resources, and food & beverage management.
Students who specialise in tourism management will have extensive practical and theoretical knowledge of the activities which go into the travel & tourism business from environmental, cultural, and international perspectives.
In other words, graduates can effectively collaborate and communicate with travel suppliers, accommodate clients’ needs, and oversee operational procedures.
If your interest lies in tourism management, you can consider being a travel agency manager, tourism officer, or travel sales executive.
Hospitality marketing is crucial for a business to sustain its branding and attract new customers while keeping existing ones happy. A proper marketing and branding strategy is needed for hospitality business development, as client loyalty is sustained through their perception of a brand’s values and how they present themselves.
Hospitality management graduates who understand the nuts and bolts of hospitality businesses are great candidates to devise effective strategies in the marketing and branding sector.
Hospitality management pays an average of RM178,536 per annum, with an average bonus of RM17,497. There is also an estimated 21% salary growth in the next five years, bringing the average salary of hotel managers up to RM215,136 by 2027.
An entry-level business management graduate with one to three years of experience earns an average salary of RM123,414 per annum.
After graduating high school, the first step you should take is to enrol yourself in a pre-university or diploma program. UOW Malaysia KDU’s Foundation in Arts is a year, and our Diploma in International Hotel Management is two years.
You can then pursue a degree in hospitality management, which is typically three years. However, our Diploma in International Hotel Management puts you at an advanced standing when you proceed to our degree program, granting you an opportunity to graduate ahead.
The entry criteria to enrol in a Hospitality Management degree are:
Note that this is just a general guideline as different institutions will have different entry requirements.
The service industry is one of the leading industries in Malaysia that has been providing significant economic growth to the country ever since the 2000s.
Malaysia has received several awards from 2005 through 2009 for its reputation as a popular travel destination in Asia and its accommodating hotels with world-class standards. Moreover, Malaysia recorded a total of RM86.1 billion in tourist expenditure in 2019 despite the rise of the COVID-19 crisis towards the year’s end.
Besides that, the rate of Malaysian Diploma and Degree graduates in the hospitality field has increased from 13% in 2009 to 50% in 2020, indicating a promised demand for job opportunities in this area.
At UOW Malaysia KDU, our Bachelor of Hospitality Management (Hons) offers a comprehensive program structure that gives students realistic participation and knowledge relevant to the hospitality industry.
With the combination of academic excellence and hands-on guidance, we ensure that our graduates can compete in the ever-evolving world of hospitality on a global level.
If you love a good challenge while being rewarded by contented smiles on the people who have benefited from your exceptional hospitality, hospitality management may be the path for you.
Want to know more about our hospitality management program? Feel free to drop your queries anytime, and we’ll get in touch with you soon!
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