How to Prepare for your Future Career in Global Hospitality

This article is sponsored by EMLYON Business School.

According to the WTTC Economic Impact Report 2014, the travel and tourism sector is the world’s largest employer, making up 8.9% of total global employment in 2013 – 1 in 11 of all jobs worldwide. By 2024, it is predicted that an additional 81 million jobs will be created (10.2% of total employment), thanks to the tourist population expected to double in the next 20 years, reflecting the increase in the middle class population and boosted particularly by growth in South East Asia.

So which skills will the next generation of hospitality leaders need to navigate the global hospitality industry of the future? What career opportunities exist in this dynamic, expansive international sector? And how could the MSc in International Hospitality Management from EMLYON and Institut Paul Bocuse prepare you for your dream career in hospitality?

Understand the millennial consumer

Millennials will become the core customer in the travel and hospitality sector, a generation which will be within its peak earnings within the next 10 years. These savvy consumers who have grown up with connected devices and social media expect a fast booking process and an even faster response to their needs. With access to more information online, customers are able to ‘unbundle’ the travel experience, with their decision-making process often based directly on online reputation and social media.

This represents key opportunities as well as challenges for hospitality organizations. Future managers of the hospitality industry will need a strong understanding of changing consumer needs and the ability to adapt their business in order to constantly delight the new millennial generation, keeping them visiting, staying longer and spending more in the hospitality sector. The MSc in International Hospitality Management equips you with a broad, strategic view of hospitality management, teaching you how to create, manage and maintain the customer experience that is key to success in this industry.  A focus on innovation throughout the program will also provide you with the skills to identify new opportunities for diverse consumer groups and how to create tangible value.

Master the booming Asian hospitality industry

In South East Asia, Travel & Tourism economic growth increased by 7.9% and employment grew by 4.1% in 2013, with China expected to grow the most of any G20 country in 2014 at 8.3%. According to Deloitte’s Hospitality 2015 report, it is predicted that by 2019, China will have exceeded the US in absolute industry growth. Penetration of the domestic travel markets in China and India will yield the greatest long-term returns for international brands.

It is important for future managers of this industry to understand Asian consumer’s needs, as well as how to take advantage of this huge growth opportunity. This is why students of the MSc in International Hospitality Management spend a semester in Shanghai studying the Asian business environment, Asian etiquette and hospitality in the New Asia. Students of the program also work as a consultant to a hospitality business as part of the In-company project in Asia in order to apply the knowledge they gained throughout the program and benefit from hands-on experience in an international environment.

Learn how to innovate in hospitality

Innovative hospitality leaders of the future need to constantly bring new ideas to this complex, dynamic industry, with an understanding of the diverse expectations of their customers across global markets. Innovative hands-on projects throughout the MSc in International Hospitality Management require students to take an active role in their own learning and develop the capabilities to deliver new concepts and offerings.

For example the New Venture Creations Project allows students to work in small teams to create a virtual hospitality company and understand the implications of marketing, sales, finance and management. The Concept Design and Development Project enables students to develop their creativity by launching a completely new restaurant or hotel concept around a specific theme.

“Innovation is not just a formula. It is a mind-set which needs to be cultured and guided into a way of thinking by being exposed to many different types of cultures” – Charlotte Pedersen, Institut Paul Bocuse alumnus

Network with leading brands to launch your career in hospitality

The hospitality sector spans a huge range of industries, from hotels and resorts, to restaurants, events and cruise ships, to travel, tourism and airlines, to name a few. And the range of careers awaiting graduates is just as varied and far-reaching. Hospitality management graduates are equipped for management positions within hospitality operations, such as a hotel manager or catering manager, or as specialists or managers in specific industry functions within the hospitality industry, such as sales, marketing, operations or finance.

Positions could also include consultancy, research and advisory or even design, as well as cross over into other industries. According to Jeffrey Catrett, Dean of Institut Paul Bocuse, by studying hospitality management, master’s students will get a heavy customer focus that they would not get from a straight management program – something that today’s employers truly appreciate.

The opportunity to network with leading hospitality brands from day one and access to the careers services of both EMLYON Business School and Institut Paul Bocuse is another advantage. Companies such as Accor, InterContinental Hotels Group, Hilton Worldwide and GL Events regularly participate in careers events, recruitment forums, conferences and expert panels, giving students the chance to gain insight into the global hospitality industry, build their professional network and search for career opportunities.

Join the next generation of global hospitality leaders

The MSc in International Hospitality Management is a 16-month full-time program delivered exclusively in English in partnership between Institut Paul Bocuse, a world-renowned school of hospitality management and gastronomy, and EMLYON Business School, one of Europe’s top business schools devoted to lifelong learning for entrepreneurial and international management. The program balances theory, analysis, creativity and practical projects, offering you a comprehensive learning experience to fully prepare you for your dream career in hospitality management.

Taking place in France and China, you spend a semester at the EMLYON and Institut Paul Bocuse Asian campuses in Shanghai. You are also required to complete a 4-9 month internship with a hospitality organization anywhere in the world, supported by privileged access to a network of major brands in the global hospitality sector.

Program Director Jeffrey Catrett answers your questions in Q&A videos

Main image: Institut Paul Bocuse, copyright Pascal Muradian