The possibilities of the future are always an interesting thought, such as imagining where you will be in the next five years – or, in this article’s case, pondering what jobs in the hospitality industry will look like in the future.
Given the circumstances of today’s hospitality industry, numerous possibilities can affect job roles within it. An example of this is the integration of technology, such as the increasing use of advancements like artificial intelligence (AI) and mobile apps across all segments of the hospitality business.
While such developments may initially be viewed positively, it’s crucial to know that they have the potential to affect the existence of various roles within the hospitality sector. Thus, understanding the challenges and learning how to overcome them becomes important. Today, our article will cover the future of hospitality jobs; starting from the challenges, the required soft skills for tomorrow’s hospitality careers, and even a list of promising future jobs in the industry!
Intro to Hospitality Jobs
Intro to Hospitality Jobs.
When it comes to varied career options, the hospitality industry is your best bet! Jobs in this industry are not exclusively limited to working in hotels or resorts; the truth is, careers within the hospitality industry cover vast areas, ranging from bars, restaurants, events, cruise lines, to even theme parks.
The hospitality industry’s diverse fields and services thus result in a broad range of career options, making the industry one of the popular choices for job seekers to pursue jobs there. However, it is also a fact that the hospitality industry is a dynamic one – and this also applies to jobs within the industry.
Amidst the modern era of the hospitality industry, lots of its jobs and workers are currently facing challenges that test their relevance. So, what are those challenges? Read more in the next section below!
Current (and Future) Challenges for Hospitality Jobs
Personalized technologies, one of the current and future challenges for hospitality jobs.
The more the hospitality industry transforms, the more challenges its jobs have to face! However, as one challenge ends, it also marks the start of other trials that should be adapted to or overcome, as they could shape the direction of future hospitality jobs. Up next, we have listed a few challenges that should be kept an eye on:
- Qualified staff shortages
- Skills gap
- Personalized technologies
- Attrition and retaining employees
- Overlapping job descriptions
Apart from raising awareness to face these challenges of job roles in the hospitality industry, hospitality workers should always remember to enhance their skills to keep up with this changing industry. You might want to know what kind of skills one should be equipped with for the future of the hospitality industry. Fear not, as we have prepared them for you!
Top In-Demand Hospitality Soft Skills in the Future
We know that, aside from the significance of specific skills like finance and marketing, soft skills are also key to successful careers in the hospitality industry. What do you think are the essential soft skills that one should master to thrive in future jobs in this industry? Find the answers in the list below!
1. Customer Service
Customer service skills.
The nature of hospitality businesses focuses on providing services for customers, making customer service one of the highly valued skills required for any job role within the industry ever since a long time ago, and, of course, for the future! Having exceptional customer skills means that you understand the customers’ needs and deliver a positive experience for them.
2. Networking
An illustration of networking skills.
For hospitality workers, networking skills are essential to cultivate strong, loyal customer relationships. Building a loyal customer relationship with effective networking not only leads to the said customer repurchasing the business’s service but also enhances the employee’s career in the long run!
3. Communication
Communication skills.
Working in the hospitality industry means one will get involved with people of a variety of backgrounds, whether they are co-workers or customers. This is why excellent communication skills will always be needed! Speaking of which, the higher someone’s position in a hospitality business, the more important communication skills become!
4. Foreign Languages
An illustration of foreign language skills.
Remember, the hospitality industry is vast, dynamic, and diverse, which means its customers come from different backgrounds, cultures, and languages too! Mastering one or more foreign languages would obviously be a useful asset to add to a hospitality worker’s arsenal and prepare them for the future challenges of the hospitality industry.
5. Multitasking
Multitasking skills.
Multitasking skills always come in handy for hospitality employees. As a bustling industry, it’s important for workers to handle different tasks simultaneously while completing each assigned task. Surely, having this skill is also a way for employees to showcase their qualities to employers!
6. Organizational
An illustration of organizational skills.
Alongside multitasking skills, organizational skills are necessary to maintain an employee’s workflow and accomplish their daily tasks efficiently. Additionally, this particular skill set will help you effectively manage your time as well.
7. Cultural Awareness
An illustration of cultural awareness.
Then again, hospitality is a diverse industry that is comprised of people from diverse backgrounds, which is why cultural awareness ability is crucial to building a successful career and strong relationships with customers in this sector. By cultivating cultural awareness skills in hospitality workers, customers will feel comfortable and at home with the hospitality services, resulting in positive customer experiences!
Most Sought-After Hospitality Jobs of Today and Tomorrow
As the hospitality industry continues to evolve, its job roles are following right behind. While many of them are extensions or transformations of existing hospitality jobs, there are also some that are relatively new in the industry. Here, you will get to see the in-demand hospitality jobs as of current, and possibly in the future – each based on a specific hospitality area!
Digitalization
An illustration of digitalization.
It’s obvious just how much digitalization affects the growth of today’s hospitality industry. The significance of digitalization has led to the birth of various jobs; some of them are currently in demand and expected to gain more popularity in the future, such as:
- Digital Marketing
- Website & App Development
- Social Media Management
- Data Analytics
Health & Wellness
Health & wellness activities.
Health and wellness activities in the hospitality industry are gaining more recognition after the pandemic. As such, many hospitality businesses are offering job opportunities related to this area. Some of the trending health and wellness jobs with bright prospects in the future include:
- Recreation & Activities
- Spa Manager
- Wellness Tourism Marketing
- Organic Food and Beverage Management
Food and Beverage
Food and beverage employees in a hotel.
The food and beverage field has always been an essential part of the hospitality industry, and it might be the biggest contributor to career options in the industry as well! Recently, these hospitality food and beverage jobs are on the rise and are predicted to see even more future demand:
- Pastry & Bakery
- Culinary Arts Chef
- Bar Managers
- Restaurant Managers
Artificial Intelligence
An illustration of artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence (AI) automation in various aspects of the hospitality industry is increasing lately. While the use of AI is said to replace many hospitality jobs in the future, it also opens up new opportunities for job seekers. Here are some of the recent in-demand ones with bigger potential in the future:
- Automation Programmers
- Technology Integration Specialists
- Process Optimization Managers
- Customer Experience Designers
Wrapping Up
The future is a mystery, but one thing is for sure: making the most of what we have today to prepare for tomorrow! The same principle applies to hospitality jobs and employees. By learning about potential challenges in the future, many hospitality job roles have transformed to adapt to and overcome those challenges — thus, opening doors to new opportunities!
With numerous jobs in the current hospitality industry offering promising prospects for the future, hospitality workers should take note of continuously enhancing their capabilities with a variety of skill sets, especially soft skills, which will always play a crucial role in shaping the future of the hospitality industry.
One of the easiest ways to acquire and refine soft skills for hospitality jobs is through practical work experiences, such as internships and management training. These programs are well-suited for young talents taking their first steps in the hospitality industry, and you can find both at RMC Asia!
Our hospitality internship and management training programs take place in prestigious hotels and resorts across Asia’s captivating destinations. They are designed to provide participants with real work simulations, educational cultural exchanges, and, of course, the skill sets and knowledge necessary for our participants to become valuable assets in the hospitality industry.
Ready to embrace the challenges of working in the future hospitality industry? Prove it by joining our talented participants and embarking on your own successful hospitality career now!
