Executives working for hospitality businesses make an impression. The visual representation of brands sets the tone for a guest’s experience. A business formal suit or jacket, skirt suit, button-down shirt, tie, and leather dress shoes create an effect. This is not just true for guests, but also for potential students and enthusiastic young people planning their future and seeking careers. The hotel management environment is certainly attractive, and many consider hospitality as a desired career direction.
However in the last decade doubts have arisen as the dominance of technology jeopardizes that dream. Automation has become a key trend in the hospitality industry. Before long, several of today’s emerging technologies will likely become mainstream too. As Artificial intelligence (AI) advances and becomes more sophisticated, it is likely that some hospitality jobs will be replaced by automation. Furthermore, a demand for short-term vacation rentals promoted by Airbnb, as an alternative to hotels, is growing tremendously too, providing a safer and cheaper way to travel.
With this reality in mind, wars become another major challenge in the way of many young peoples’ dreams to pursue a glamorous career in the hotel industry.
The recent conflicts in Ukraine and Israel have significantly disrupted travel in Europe and the Middle East, creating a hurdle for the industry in its quest to make a complete post-pandemic recovery. Tour operators are avoiding Israel for the time being, with some already canceling all visits to Israel through the end of 2023 and beyond.
How wars affect up and coming hospitality careers
How do these wars affect up and coming hospitality careers? Do they influence the industry strategies in these two countries currently undergoing the tragedy of war?
“For the last 35 years Israeli hotels have had a number of ups and downs, reflecting security and war operations. When the pandemic started in 2020, 37,000 out of 42,000 hotels workers were furloughed. Followed by the current war in Gaza, the industry has reached the deepest crisis ever,” says Yoav Behar, vice president of HR at the Israel Hotel Association. “In the last year, governmental funds were also cut tremendously. Israelis were not encouraged to pursue a career in hotels and the war was another major blow... [However,] I believe a hotel career for youngsters is still attractive with its international environment and the relatively fast promotion for management levels. Which other industries offer similar opportunities for growth, creativity, travel, excitement, and fulfillment? All that are needed in Israel, following the war, are significant governmental funds for the professional development for young people,” he says.
“The hospitality industry has a serious image problem. There is no incentive to consider working in an industry that is fundamentally based on seasonality,” says Yossi Fatael, general manager of the Israel Incoming Tour Operators Association.
“I am not aware of objective professional arguments for why to work for the industry. The government completely neglects education and training in the field... Even a hotel manager is not required to acquire education and [academic] licensing,” Fatael explains.
“There is no strategic vision and in practice there is no master plan for development. With the frequent crises in the country and the current war, together with the not rewarding salaries, no responsible parent here would advise his child to seek a career in tourism and hospitality,” Fatael says.
Ukraine is facing totally different circumstances. The official website ‘Visit Ukraine’ reports that according to the State Tourism Development Agency, only 20% of hotels are operating now in the country, mostly in the west of the country. “Education here is not required for most hotel positions. Currently we rather choose people with relevant soft skills and good values, and prefer to teach them the business on the spot the way we need it to be,” says Kateryna Matiushchenko, general manager of the Leopolis Hotel in Lviv, west Ukraine. “Our professional education has been in crisis here since the pandemic and intensified with the war. All students have no proper ways to study due to massive missile attacks and blackouts. Many teachers and students just left the country. The current demand for staff is high, but hotels prefer now to hire young people with basic hard skills and teach them on the spot rather than count on experienced managers. The most passionate students who really want to grow and develop just go abroad to get the education, do an internship, and work in European countries or the United States because of the war,” she says.
Antonina Forostiana, head of HR at the iconic Hilton Kyiv, agrees that this is indeed the current trend. “Our hotel continues a cooperation with universities in terms of internship and potential future employment,” she explains.
“Many students left the country and studied online with Ukrainian universities. Some moved to Europe and studied there. That is why this year it was a real challenge for universities to have students, especially for hospitality education. The war showed one more time that the hospitality industry is unfortunately affected,” Forostiana explains.
Regardless the ongoing wars in both countries, optimism in the hospitality industry is alive and kicking. Eran Ketter (PhD), head of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Kinneret College in north Israel, where the academic year just started, remains upbeat. “Although right now during the war we are seeing the negative, in a broader perspective we will find that Israel is going to end the year with about 85% of the number of tourists there were in 2019. I hope that at the beginning of 2024 tourism growth will recover. The world of hospitality... is still the best profession in the world. An amazing career with lots of opportunities. I believe that as soon as flights to Israel resume, tourism will return in full force”.
Is there hope for youngsters above 18 to pursue a career in hotels in Ukraine? Kateryna Matiushchenko responds with a definite ‘yes.’
“Even now, during the war, a significant number of hotels in the western parts are either fully booked or close to it. We host more foreign guests, mainly diplomatic corps, journalists, volunteers, and military instructors. If the war ends soon with a Ukrainian victory, we all believe hospitality in our country will flourish. The door for career opportunities for many young Ukrainians will open.”
The World Travel & Tourism Council’s 2022 Economic Impact Report revealed that the travel and tourism sector is expected to create nearly 126 million new jobs within the next decade. Certainly positive insights. Will Ukraine and Israel join the encouraging growth predictions? That remains to be seen.
The writer is the Travel Flash Tips publisher