CGC-ebook Sample Edition 4.0

Hotels

Sector Outlook A career in hotels could see you working in some of the world’s most prestigious establishments, visit exotic locations and offers rewarding challenges to entrants. From boutique proper ties to country spa hotels the industry has a plethora of choice and locations to suit tastes. Over 500,000 people work in hotels and related services in the UK and the sector continues to grow at 6% a year despite concerns over Brexit. London has the highest occupancy rates in the UK at 82%. The capital has a bucket list of attractions for tourists and its pull sees 30 million people stay in the city each year. With 50% of hotels rated 4 or 5 star the city has continued expansion plans with another 7000 rooms expected to open in 2017. The forecast remains positive for the sector as the weak pound brings more inbound tourists. Other cities such as Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Glasgow have strong growth forecasts. The low budget sector has its own expansion plans as the likes of Premier Inn and Travel Lodge look to open new hotels. The market isn’t without its problems as growth has seen competition from peer to peer accommodation (Air BnB). In one month their listing for London rooms was up 54% as city dwellers try to cash in. The sector offers a range of careers from entry level jobs to graduate oppor tunities. You could get experience through a work taster, internship, picking up a par t time role, enter an apprenticeship or star t on a graduate programme. The industry needs driven individuals, outgoing personalities, communicators and those who can adapt to the day to day challenges of the work. Getting qualified in hospitality management, accounting, marketing, catering, business management, customer service or in administration will ensure you have the relevant technical knowledge needed for the variety of depar tments. Job oppor tunities exist on specialist career sites such as www. jobsinhotels.co.uk, with recruitment agencies and directly with hotel chains such as Marriott, Hilton, MacDonald, Ramada, Premier Inn and others.