Chapter One

1 Introduction to the Hospitality Industry

1.1 Introduction
There is no one single and simple definition to explain the term of hospitality in this stage.
Many people have tried to describe the hospitality industry in different ways. Some tried to
summarize the scope of the industry and its characteristics of involving both tangible and
intangible features in the service delivery process. Others attempted to describe the industry
by exploring the stakeholders involved, mutual benefits generated and the industry’s impacts
to the society and economy.

The term hospitality is derived from French word ‘’hospice “which means ‘taking care of
those traveling’ ’Broadly speaking, Hospitality is the act of kindness in welcoming and
looking after the basic needs of customers or strangers, mainly in relation to food, drink and
accommodation. A contemporary explanation of Hospitality refers to the relationship process
between a customer and a host.

When we talk about the “Hospitality Industry”, we are referring to the companies or
organizations which provide food and/or drink and/or accommodation to people who are
“away from home”. The Hospitality industry is part of a larger enterprise known as the travel
and tourism industry. It is one of oldest industries in the world. In early days, traders,
explorer, missionaries and pilgrims needed a break in their journey requiring food, shelter
and rest. People opened their homes and kitchens to these weary travelers, and an industry
was born. Although accommodation today is varied and their service have changed and
expanded over the ages, one thing about hospitality industry has remained the same, guests
are always welcome.

The main components of this industry are hotels, motels, inns, resorts and restaurants. In a
broad sense, the hospitality industry might refer to any group engaged in tourism,
entertainment, transportation or lodging including cruise lines, airlines, railways, car rental
companies and tour operators.
However the two main segments of the hospitality industry are the lodging industry (also
called hotel industry), and the food and beverage industry (also called restaurant industry).

1
 1) Lodging, is a place to sleep for one or more nights. A business in the lodgingindustry
provides a place for people to sleep overnight. It can be one of many sleeping
placessuch as a fancy hotel, a youth hostel, an elder hostel, a campground, or highway
side motel.
2) The food and beverage industry, also known as the foodservice industry, consists of
businesses that preparefood for customers.

1.2 Historical Background of Lodging/Hotel Industry

The past, present and perhaps the future of the hotel industry are closely linked. Today’s
industry is the result of social and cultural evolution. Comfortable, sanitary lodging was once
considered only the privilege of the wealthy, but with the industrial revolution and spread of
democracy, hospitality is not luxury anymore and now has become available to the common
man. Advances transportation, enable people to travel greater distance faster and at less cost.
A world without accommodation is indispensable in modern day life. Today lodging industry
is complex and diverse. To understand this we will trace the history of hotels, from the inns
of ancient times to modern luxury hotels, whose evolution has influenced as well as been
influenced by social, economic and cultural changes in society.

Taverns or Inns

The earliest hotels were called taverns or inns. They go back to thousands of years, for as
long as people have started traveling.

Caravanserais

When large camel caravan would cross the desert in Asia, there were hotels called
Caravanserais at which travelers rested and slept. Caravanserais were established along the
more traveled routes as travel spread throughout the East.

Inns in middle Ages

During the middle ages, there were few inns or hotels except in the cities. The church or the
Lord of the Manor often established special guest offices for pilgrims and other travelers. As
road were built and horse drawn stagecoaches began to carry passengers between towns and
cities, inns were built at a point where the coach stopped. The inns in the village or at
crossroads had limited and rough accommodations, seldom more than a common dormitory.

2
Inns in the Fifteenth century

In 15th century brought about fresh importance for the inn. A new merchant class began to
emerge due to an increase in trade. This meant more traveling was necessary: therefore a
demand for more and better inns was created.

Inns in Sixteenth century

The inns of the 16th century changed little from earlier times, although they were large and
somewhat spacious. Accommodation has improved greatly, for now guest could often have
private bedroom furnished with heavily carved oak furniture.

Inns in the Eighteenth century

With more regular business, the innkeepers realized the importance of their inns and tried to
offer more comforts to the weary travelers, they had better furnished rooms, a generous
supply of food and drink, waiters and serving maids eager to please the guests, and large
stable for the horses. As travelers from Europe ventured across the Atlantic to America, inns
were built in towns and villages and along the roadside. They become gathering places for
not only for travelers but also the local inhabitants. The inns was a place where people could
refresh themselves after work or hold evening meetings and share the events of the day.

Emergence of Hotels

The past on hundred years have brought about dramatic changes in the modes of
transportation as well as lodging accommodation. People from all walks of life started to
travel. As travel increased, the train service were launched and become more comfortable and
faster. This was the time when roadside inns started losing business as more people started to
travel by train rather than coach.

Traveling by train brought the travelers into the heart of town or city. Many hotels were built
near railroad stations for the convenience of passengers. This was the beginning of hotels as
we know of them. Many hotels that opened in the mid to late 1800s are still as popular as
they were when they first opened.

1.3 Hotels as service provider in the modern day

Gone are the day when people looked upon the hotel for a bed and food. Now it provides
almost everything that guest needs. Hotels have become service providers for the guests in

3
the all possible ways. Different service rendered by hotel: banquet, convention centers,
exhibition centers, restaurants, catering service, secretarial service, banking, travel desk,
swimming pool, laundry etc.

These services are either wholly owned or run by the hotel or owned by hotel run on
franchise by experts in the field, or complement each other and also help in improving the
occupancy of the hotel.

1.4 Definition of Hotel

Hotels are defined in numerous ways from early times to today. A hotel is an establishment
providing lodging, meals and other guests’ services. It provides paid lodging, usually on a
short-term basis.

A building that provide lodging, meals and other services to the traveling public on a
commercial basis.

1.5 Importance of hotel

a) Hotels play an important role in most countries by providing facilities for the
transaction of business, for meeting and conferences, for recreation and entertainment.
b) In many areas hotels are important attraction for visitors who come with their sending
power and spend at a higher rate than they do when they are at home. Through
spending by visitors hotels thus often contribute significantly to local economies both
directly and indirectly.
c) Proving a lot employment opportunities for local people.
d) Earning foreign currency through the goods and services provide to foreign visitors
thus improving balance of payments.

1.6 The Relationship between Hotel and Tourism

The hospitality industry is a part of a wider group of economic activities called travel and
tourism industry. Tourism refers to a collection of industries providing necessary and
essential service to the traveling public. These services may include:

Transportation (e.g. car rental and travel agents)

Specialist shops (e.g. gift shops, souvenir shops,

In the presence of tourism, always there is a hotel to provide accommodation and food and
beverage service for tourist’s .So hotel and tourism are sides of a coin which are inseparable.