Hospitality has primarily been referred to as the kind treatment of guests and strangers mainly in the hotel industry. This is often not the case since hospitality cuts across almost every service rendering industry ranging from the hotel industry, the transportation industry to even the catering industry. Hospitality can, therefore, be regarded as the relationship stemmed from timely and honorable management of the client’s demands or expectations from the host (Lashley, Paul and Alison 8). These demands hence bring about various classes in the service industry forcing the hospitality industry to even expand further. For instance, an airline will charge more money for a first-class ticket compared to an economy ticket on the same flight because the first-class client expects prompt services such as full access to a steward on the go. Hospitality, therefore, places too much emphasis on the host rather than on the guest hence hospitality assesses how guests or strangers are treated.

The diversity of the hospitality field led to it being harmonized into four segments which include:

1. Food and Beverage

This segment takes the lion’s share of the hospitality industry since the demand for food and beverages increases day by day as the population burgeons each day. Food and beverage segments task itself with preparing food ranging from snacks, meals, and beverages to be consumed either on their premises or on the go. The food and beverage segment is so wide that a recent study conducted in the United States found out that it accounts for half of the meals eaten there daily.

 

 

2. Travel and Tourism

This sector deals with the comfort, safety and time efficacy in both business and leisure travel. Business travel is associated with the movement for income generation activities such as work which results in demand for lodging and food (Novak). Leisure travel involves travel for recreation that is too dependent on both food and lodging services. Leisure travel is commonly associated with vacations.

3. Lodging

This sector focuses on the provision of a safe and secure environment to sleep ranging from a single night to weeks or even months. This has led to mushrooming of various clusters of lodging providing facilities such as five-star hotels, camping sites, and elderly homes. Accessibility, comfort, security, and space are the most relevant aspects that clients put into consideration when seeking lodging facilities.

4. Recreation

This is another sector that is often disregarding when discussing hospitality but is a key segment of the hospitality industry. This sector deals with the refreshment of the mind and the body through rest, relaxation or distraction from normal strenuous activities. The sports and entertainment businesses such as movie theaters and amusement parks make up this sector of hospitality.

From the above context, it’s quite evident that hospitality is a field that cuts across many service rendering businesses based on the four sectors of hospitality. Exceptional customer service is hence critical in this sector since competition is at its premium in this industry. The failure to satisfy a client expectation or demand within a given time might mean a loss of reputation which leads to loss of business and eventual losses overtime (Lashley, Paul and Alison). Hospitality can, therefore, be defined as the art of meeting dynamic client demands to ensure a positive and long-lasting partnership for both the host and the guest. These demands may arise from one sector of hospitality or fall all sectors combined.

References

Lashley, Conrad, Lynch Paul and Morrison J Alison. Hospitality: A Social Lens. London: Elsevier, 2007.

Novak, Peter. “What Are The 4 Segments Of The Hospitality Industry.” 24 April 2017. Hospitality.net. 10 October 2019 <https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4082318.html>.