Top training for hospitality sector
Hong Kong holds a dazzling allure for international visitors, but few Asian destinations rely as little on natural beauty and heavily on the quality of its people as it does, according to the head of a hotel and tourism management course.
'Scenery is not the main draw for tourists to Hong Kong but, rather, the visitor experiences the 'buzz' of our cosmopolitan scene,' said Tony Tse Sze-ming, programme director (industry partnerships) at Polytechnic University's School of Hotel and Tourism Management. 'In my opinion, Hong Kong should compete with other nearby destinations in terms of service quality and sophistication,' Mr Tse said. 'Compared to the competition, Hong Kong does not have as many natural resources as attractions, or as much space to create attractions.
'But Hong Kong can beat other destinations in terms of its high service quality coupled with a variety of shopping and dining experiences. It is the sophistication, the trendiness, the unique mix of eastern and western culture, and the quality of service which differentiate Hong Kong from its competitors.'
A sophisticated market demands sophisticated training, so it should be no surprise that the Polytechnic University's School of Hotel and Tourism Management was ranked fourth in the world, based on research and scholarship in a 2005 study by the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research.
Here, hotel managers of the future learn skills through such subjects as lodging management, hotel operations, food service operations, hospitality facilities, accounting practice in hospitality and tourism, and human resources management. But not all students find they are suited to the demands of the career.
'All our students in hotel management are required to undertake placement in a hotel for 10 to 48 weeks, depending on the programme,' Mr Tse said. 'Students get hands-on experience during their placement, and the experience helps shape their character.
'They get to know the real work environment, and [experience] the demands on hotel staff. Frankly, not all students find themselves suitable for the hotel business, and this is something we have to accept.'
In a rapidly expanding tourism market, with an anticipated 30million visitors this year, the opportunities for those who make the grade are considerable, according to Mr Tse. But standards are high and competition is intense.
He said the demand for hotel management graduates was strong and career opportunities were good.
To continue preparing students for the workplace, the Polytechnic University will open a teaching and research hotel in 2010. It will be an ideal training ground for the next generation of hotel managers who, according to Mr Tse, should graduate into an exciting, challenging and rapidly evolving sector.
