The global hospitality industry is in transition and was already being overhauled due to various causes like technological disruptions, new players and changing leisure patterns when COVID-19 struck. While nobody could anticipated the pandemic and the challenges it brought in its wake, hospitality education had already foreseen the changes caused by digitisation and had begun revamping the model for more individualisation, flexibility and global reach. Those who managed the quick shift to online and distance learning were the ones who had been researching and setting up a system for the same.
Way forward
However, investment in hospitality education, research and learning and development is needed. Digitisation of operations is the future of work and there is a need for the industry and education to align and create systematically designed internships and more efficient integration of the student-industry ecosystem. It is also critically important for young people to learn and build future-proof skill sets and for working professionals to upgrade their portfolio of skills.
Hospitality has become an integral part of many businesses and permeated almost every customer-facing and service-oriented industry. It has now moved beyond the limited space of the hotel industry. It is, therefore, necessary that the education imparted to hospitality students also expands its horizon to include a more holistic pedagogy that equips students with transferable skillsets that help them understand and assimilate changes happening in real time.
Educational reform in India in the COVID-19 era seems to be the best example of how “need” truly drives innovation or reinvention. It has allowed hospitality professionals to reflect, research and invest in making education more accessible, digital and future-ready. While there have been swift technical changes, the focus will be to anticipate these changes well in advance and prepare students for a smoother transition into the future.
The writer is the Founder and CEO, Indian School of Hospitality
