Hospitality, Hotel, Catering, Tourism & Travel Jobs In South Africa

Hospitality, Hotel, Catering, Tourism & Travel Jobs in South Africa

Hospitality, Hotel, Catering, Tourism & Travel Jobs overview

You went to a hotel got the customer service worthy a king, you enjoyed the views, loved talking to the staff and you want to stay there forever. I get it, I have been there too, it’s the result of someone doing their job well to the smallest of details. Maybe a career in hospitality and tourism is for you, with our job platform, you have an interesting selection of jobs to choose from. Contrary to what people believe, working in the tourism industry is not an everyday vacation. It’s a serious job, that requires a high level of professionalism and competence. A good grasp of the business, the ins and outs of the business will be great for you and you are at the right place.

The hospitality and tourism trade comprises many areas that are open to hospitality management graduates. The following list shows the closely related hospitality and tourism industry sectors.
• Accommodation: hotels, resorts, vacation rentals, camping, etc.
• Food & beverage: restaurants, night clubs,
• Travel: airlines, cruise ships,
• Tourism: tour packages,
• Events: festivals, concerts,
• Sports & recreation: international competitions, private clubs,

Let’s look at a few of the jobs in detail

Accommodation
Hotel manager
Hotel managers are like any other managers they are the head of the operations that happen at hotels. They are responsible for the smooth running of the hotel in all aspects, from finance, customer service, management, and catering. Hotel managers have many day-to-day duties, including overseeing employees, maintaining guest accounts, coordinating hotel sales, and more. You might think hotel managers spend most of their time in their offices' planning and assigning work however, hotel managers spend most of their time with customers and staff making sure that there are no problems and everything is running smoothly. Hotel management requires total dedication and commitment, due to its demanding nature and pressures. There are erratic working hours where you can be called to work after midnight.

To be a hotel manager the most looked at requirement is experience. Hotel managers are expected to have had some experience in the industry of tourism and hospitality, so basically, you work yourself up the ladder. A degree in commerce particularly in management is also required but mostly preferred is a degree in tourism and hospitality.

Travel Agent
A travel agent researches and plans trips for individuals. This process includes finding hotels, booking excursions, and also finding transports. Travel agent`s main duty is to find the best deal for the travel of their client. A travel agent basically helps people to plan, choose and organize their holidays or vacations. Agents tell people which place to go and which place offers the best value for the client1s money.

Typical travel agent duties
• promoting travel business
• customer service
• providing advice about travelling requirements
• recruiting
• managing budgets
• maintaining statistical and financial records
• planning
• selling holidays

To be a travel agent does not necessarily require a degree but it can be an advantage. It requires good communication skills and financial skills to be successful.
Caterer

A catering assistant may work directly for a catering firm or be in-house employed at a hotel or restaurant. As a caterer manager, you are responsible for planning, organizing food delivery services to clients. Caterers are expected to provide food to their clients that meet the required standard, in terms of overall packaging and quality. The role played by a catering manager depends on the size and what kind of business it is.

Responsibilities

As a catering manager, you're likely to:
• recruit and train permanent and casual staff
• organize, lead and motivate the catering team
• adhere to health and safety regulations
• budget and establish financial targets and forecasts
• oversee food and beverage delivery for functions and events
• supervise catering staff
• plan menus
• quality checking
• the service delivered (in contract catering)
• ensure compliance with relevant authorities

Event planner

Event planning is another crucial part of tourism and hospitality. Event planners or managers plan, organize events for hotels or any other client. The market events and make sure that the goal of the event is reached and the appropriate target audience has been engaged. Qualities of successful professionals with careers in event planning include being flexible, working within a budget, and having a propensity for multitasking. Event planners travel a lot to meet clients partners and sponsors of various activities.