How hospitality and tourism are related
The hospitality and tourism industries are inextricably linked, but what exactly is their relationship and just how does one impact the other?
When we refer to tourism, we are of course referring to tourists; people who visit a place for their own pleasure and interest, rather than, say, for business.
However, ‘hospitality’ is a slightly harder term to define. When we think of hospitality, it’s easy to just think of hotels, restaurants and bars, but the industry encompasses a very broad range of fields within the leisure sector, including theme parks, event planning, cruise liners and any form of transport that caters to the aforementioned tourists.
So how are they linked? When tourists plan to go to a place or country, it is usually to visit something – i.e. a landmark or an attraction – or someone, meaning they’ll generally need somewhere to sleep, eat and ‘play’ during their stay. Step up, hospitality.
The many sectors included within the hospitality industry therefore provide a service to tourists, giving them access to all these things. It’s no surprise then that the hospitality industry in the UK plays a huge role in the success of its economy – and its tourist trade – contributing billions of pounds each year.
Last year alone, 34m people visited the UK, generating an astonishing £125bn for the economy in the process. According to research by the British Hospitality Association (BHA) – now UK Hospitality – in 2016, total overseas visitor spend in the UK was estimated at £22bn. Spending on the hospitality industry therefore accounted for almost 70 per cent of total in-bound spend.
Statistics show then that the hospitality offering in a place or country can have a huge impact on its tourist trade. Britain, for example, has a wide and diverse range of ‘attractions’ that attract visitors, such as the ongoing influence of the Royal family and their associations (i.e. Buckingham Palace, Hampton Court Palace etc.), its countless historic and cultural destinations, stunning locations such as the Lake District, and metropolitan cities like London and Manchester, which offer culture as well as a thriving nightlife.
But while the natural, cultural and historical attractions of a place speak for themselves, how places utilise these ‘facilities’ to their advantage still has a huge effect on the number of tourists that wish to visit that specific area.
Poor hospitality facilities – or the poor marketing of them – in a town or city, for example, means that people choosing to visit a certain attraction or landmark may choose to stay elsewhere, where there are better facilities, and travel in for the day or part of it before leaving again.
This means that the hotels, restaurants, bars and other hospitality facilities in that area miss out on the benefit of the passing tourism trade and custom on which they rely.
Clearly then the link between hospitality and tourism is important, but why the need for clarification? Well, in order to maximise the benefit of that passing trade, as in any industry, businesses and organisations need to be aware of their audience.
For any PR and marketing activity, brand awareness is always a main driver and this applies to hospitality venues and organisations as much as anything else. On the other hand, one of the main drivers of tourism is local interest.
Whether it be culture, food or even the weather, what a place has to offer has a direct impact on the number of people looking, and planning, to visit it, so by identifying tourists as the relevant audience, the hospitality industry is able to target its collateral according to what will attract people in.
With most hospitality venues now understanding the importance of marketing and PR, most now have their own strategies aimed at raising awareness of that they have to offer; from dedicated events, special offers, press reviews and activity to active social media channels where they can share relevant and up-to-date information.
In addition, many tourism organisations, such as Visit England host Awards for Excellence, aimed at recognising the best hospitality and tourism companies in the country, such as Boutique Guest Accommodation, Hotel of the Year, Inclusive Tourism Awards and Large Visitor Attraction of the Year.
For both the winners and finalists of these awards, the title gives them an opportunity to promote themselves amongst tourists looking to visit their local area. For the tourists, it gives them an opportunity to find the best of the best ahead of any visit they have planned.
The relationship between hospitality and tourism, when broken down, is simply that of a service provider and a customer, much like the retail sector and consumers (shops and shoppers). One relies on the other, and without it, could not thrive.
Like most consumers, tourists are looking for a good quality product, facilities and service, which hospitality venues and organisations throughout the industry are all aiming to provide. It’s important therefore that they promote these attributes to ensure they convert those opportunities into revenue.
