A THIRD WORLD PERSPECTIVE ON WORK IN HOSPITALITY

Abstract

The recent pandemic raised awareness of the importance of the Hospitality Industry. In 2018 with  spending at US $1.6 trillion per year, it  contributed 10.3% to global GDP, employed more than 330 million people [one in every 10 jobs]. The sector also plays a pivotal role in poverty and inequality reduction. More than half  its workforce are women and 30% are  young people. This sector fulfills all the preferences of the UAPs of the Society of Jesus. Despite the impact of technology, hospitality will remain labor intensive. It is “high touch” requiring physical and emotional contact between consumer and producer. “Soft skills” [empathy, emotional, social and spiritual intelligence] rather than technical skills are the keys to success. Hospitality enterprises cannot merely hire hands or brains. The whole person comes to work with body, mind, heart and spirit. Hospitality workers are more Emotional Workers than Knowledge Workers. The four dimensions of work [formation, product, process and remuneration] explained in the Papal Encyclical Laborem Exexcens can be applied to hospitality work. This paper will focus on the multi-dimensional aspects of hospitality work.