The Hospitality Industry and Careers
What the hospitality industry is and who works in it: the two main sectors, the range of outlets, the departments that run them, the star-rating system, and the jobs, training and skills a career needs.
Justify the choices, the way you are assessed
Free interactive practice on the decisions the assessment actually asks you to justify.
Start revising freeWhat you'll cover
Inside the hospitality industry
Hospitality is the industry that provides people with food, drink and a place to stay, whether they are travelling, at work, in hospital or out for the evening. It splits into two sectors. The commercial sector is made up of businesses whose main aim is to make a profit, such as hotels, restaurants and cafes. The catering-services sector provides hospitality as a service alongside another main purpose, often not for profit, such as meals in hospitals, schools and residential homes. The industry supports travel, tourism, health, education and leisure, and it runs on teamwork between departments, from the kitchen to the front office. It offers a wide range of careers and different ways to train for them. This module covers the sectors, the outlets, the departments, the star-rating system, and the jobs, training and skills that a career in hospitality needs.
Hospitality words
Learn what each of these means before you use it.
Commercial against catering services
The industry has two sectors, and the difference is the main aim.
How to classify a hospitality business
To place any hospitality business, work through three questions in order. First, what is its main aim: if it exists mainly to make a profit it belongs to the commercial sector, while if hospitality is provided as a service alongside another purpose, such as a hospital or a school, it belongs to the catering-services sector. Second, what does it provide: accommodation, food and drink, or both. Third, which jobs does it need to run, from the kitchen to the front office to management. Ask those three questions of a hotel and of a hospital canteen, and you will see how the same industry serves very different needs.
Match the job role to its work
- a chef
- a waiter
- a receptionist
- a housekeeper
- preparing and cooking the food
- serving food and drink to customers
- greeting guests and handling bookings
- cleaning and preparing the guest rooms
Which sector?
A hospital provides meals to its patients as part of their care, not to make a profit. Which sector of hospitality is this?
- the catering-services sector, because hospitality supports another main purpose
- the commercial sector, because every kitchen makes a profit
- neither sector, because hospitals are not part of hospitality
- both sectors at the same time
Spot the commercial outlets
Select the TWO outlets that belong to the commercial sector.
- A hotel that charges guests to stay
- A restaurant that sells meals to the public
- A school canteen serving pupils as part of the school
- A hospital kitchen feeding patients as part of their care
Reach the top rating
An accommodation star rating runs from 1 star up to a top rating of 5 stars. A hotel currently holds 3 stars. Subtract to find how many more stars it would need to reach the top rating.
Order the career path
Put these stages of a hospitality career in order, from the start.
- Start as a trainee learning the basics
- Work as a team member in a department
- Become a supervisor leading a small team
- Move into management running the outlet
Complete the hospitality facts
A hotel or restaurant that trades in order to earn money sits in the _____ sector. A hospital or school kitchen that feeds people as part of its care or teaching sits in the _____ sector. Reception, where guests check in and rooms are booked, is called the _____ office. Hotels are graded by a _____ rating that runs from one to five.
Match the outlet to what it provides
- a hotel
- a restaurant
- a school canteen
- a bed and breakfast
- overnight accommodation for travellers
- meals eaten out by paying customers
- meals for pupils during the school day
- a room and a morning meal in a small home
Spot the true hospitality facts
Tap the TWO statements that are true.
- A hotel belongs to the commercial sector
- On-the-job training takes place at the workplace while working
- A five-star rating is lower than a two-star rating
- The front office is where the food is cooked
Advise on hospitality
Read each case and choose the best response, with a reason.
- A new cafe wants to know which sector it belongs to. Its main aim is to make a profit. Which sector?
- A trainee wants training that lets them keep earning while they learn. Which type of training fits?
- A guest praises how warmly they were welcomed at reception. Which quality does this show?
Explain the industry and its careers
A friend is thinking about a career in hospitality and asks what the industry is like and what jobs it offers. Explain the hospitality industry and its careers.
- Explain the difference between the commercial and catering-services sectors
- Give two examples of hospitality outlets and what each provides
- Describe two job roles in hospitality and what each one involves
- Explain the difference between on-the-job and off-the-job training
- Finish by explaining why interpersonal skills matter in hospitality