MULTICULTURAL DIVERSITY AMONG TOURISM-RELATED PROFESSIONS

As mentioned in the previous chapters, the tourism industry has many sectors and cuts across
various disciplines. The tourism professional is very prone to experience multicultural diversity
in the workplace due to interactions with colleagues and customers who come from different
places. Teamwork in this field is very important as many processes in the customer cycle needs
interaction with other team members.
CASE 1: THE TOURISM CUSTOMER TRAVEL CYCLE
Let me take you on a journey and meet tourism professionals along the way. Traveling, after
all, is what defines tourism.
When I plan to go on an overseas trip, for business or leisure, the first tourism professional I
come across might not even be a human being but instead, an interactive web portal that can
give me all the information I need to make an informed decision about the where, when, what,
and how of all my travel plans and requirements.
A very good example is the portal TripAdvisor. Interacting with TripAdvisor is a totally
electronic process where all information pertaining to the cities and countries, airlines, cruise
liners, hotels, resorts, restaurants, transportation services, travel and tour offerings, as well as
country-specific documentation requirements, are all available to o its users. TripAdvisor has
over 400 million
monthly travel-eager users who do not only use it to get all this information but also to post
reviews of their travel experiences, good or bad. Users can post as many as 10 photos per
review. The idea is to help other users make informed decisions and avoid tourism
establishments who render poor service. TripAdvisor is a 24/7 travel service portal that is always
available anytime and anywhere, without cost.
Once I have all the travel information and options I need, I can now continue with my travel
cycle.
Do I buy my airline tickets or do I book my hotel rooms first? Room availability is usually a
lesser challenge than airline seat availability. With my itinerary in mind, I can do two things:
book my tickets directly with the airline companies or online travel agents or choose to
personally discuss my itinerary with a travel professional. I decide to meet my travel agent and,
therefore, making them the first tourism professional I come face to face within this travel cycle.
A travel agent, more popularly called a TA in our industry, will be able to answer all my itinerary
questions and provide me with several airline options. The TA will also advise me about all the
required documents, visas, and travel fees per country of entry. A TA is someone you must
nurture a good relationship with because you will be calling on them every time you have to go
on a trip. Although airline booking has been made easier by improved technology. TAs are still
very much in demand, especially for group and corporate travel requirements which are more
complicated and tedious. A TA can also ensure after-sales service once you start your actual
travel, being available for help in case problems arise.
There was one time I was traveling with a group of 20 other companions on a 30-day Filipino
Concert Tour to Rome, Milan, Geneva, Amsterdam, Vienna, London, Dubai, Muscat, Bahrain,
Kuwait, and Singapore. When we were on our way to Singapore from our last stop in Europe
and the Middle East, our flight was diverted to Cairo, Egypt due to bad weather conditions. We
had to weather out the storm so to speak in the Cairo airport for about eight hours. Instead of
stressing myself with the itinerary challenges ahead, I chose to call our travel agent in Manila
and requested that he be on top
of the changes because we had to arrive in Singapore no later than the next day for our
scheduled concert at 7 PM. Any further delays could have spelled a huge disaster for the
concert tour series.
Our TA immediately planned a new itinerary that would take us to Singapore in time for the
concert. Our TA delivered and we continued our stress-free travel to Singapore just in the nick of
time, arriving at 4 PM for the 7 PM concert! Consulting my TA was one of the solutions
available for an unexpected problem like this. The other option was for the airline company itself
to help us get to our destination on time, flying with them or through another airline. When in a
foreign land, however, the challenges will be much greater because of the necessity of dealing
with an airline staff with diverse identities to ours starting with language.
Once I have my airline tickets and complete itinerary, I go online once again; this time, to choose
my preferred accommodations in each city I am visiting. There are two ways to do this. The first
is by booking directly with the hotels I have chosen. All I have to do is go to their websites
which all are equipped with online booking engines. The second option is by going to Online
Travel Agents or OTAs. There are numerous OTAs out there and among the most prominent
operators are the likes of Expedia, Agoda, Traveloka, and Booking.com". The hotel industry
tries its best to impose price parity among all its vendors including their own direct vending, but
experience has shown us that this is a major challenge to achieve. The best commentary on the
matter is the popular travel site Trivago¹ which promises its users that they can compare hotel
rates of the exact same room in the exact same hotel and choose the cheapest offering. The
bigger and more established hotel chains have attempted to depend less on OTAs by trying their
best to reach out to travelers directly and offering the same booking facility as the OTAs. These
chains have a distinct advantage, starting with their very own loyal base of customers of which
they are already in direct communications with.
On with my travel cycle. It is now time to take my flight and start the journey! Airports are
among the most challenging tourist-oriented venues to manage. Airports are rated by their
efficiency in moving in and moving out passengers, many of them tourists, at the scheduled
times of their airplane arrivals and departures. Try to imagine a scenario where the airport
experiences multiple delays in a day; or worse, it has to temporarily close due to weather or
emergency conditions. Cases like this cause a lot of disturbances; many travelers stress out and
some even experience trauma. Airport and airline staff are very well-trained to thrive in
difficult situations like these to become positive enablers and lessen the negative effects on
passengers by these unwanted disruptions.
Among the tourism professionals you will encounter in airports are the airport ground staff. They
check you and your baggage in and issue your boarding pass. These staff members are exposed
to all sorts of passengers, including angry and obnoxious ones. Airline delays and long
passenger cues, let alone the very stringent airport security measures in place, contribute much
to this passenger angst. The airport ground staff members have very short golden opportunities
to become either assets or liabilities to their airline companies depending on how they present
themselves and handle passengers in every situation. The general idea is to ensure that the staff
members do not add to the passenger's stress but rather help diminish it.
If this is a job you are considering, a word of caution: in this industry, the adage "the customer is
always right" happens to be worn on our sleeves. The challenge with airline counter professionals
is that they only have a short time to interact with their passengers, and in this short time, they
should endeavor to give their best in each interaction to "make it" and not "break it" for their
company. Isadore Sharp", the founder of Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, one the most luxurious
hotel companies in the world, very aptly wrote in his book Four Seasons, The Story of a
Business
Philosophy "The frontline staff, who have the most direct contact with our guests can make or
break our 5-star reputation and since quality is our edge, we cannot compromise it." Passengers
are only interested in a fast, courteous, and efficient check-in at all times.
The majority of airports around the world employ multilingual staff precisely to address
the multilingual passengers traveling all over the world.
You will often hear multilingual passenger announcements in airports.
Within the airport, besides the airline counter staff, there are several other tourism professionals
you will meet along the way-airport information counter staff, duty-free and other
merchandising shop personnel, restaurant and coffee shop crew, as well as airport hotel staff.
All these staff members are tourism professionals who interact with numerous people from all
parts of the world. Their multicultural diversity training is taken very seriously. There are many
other airport personnel that we do not directly interact with but are involved in ensuring our stay
in their airports is short but memorable. For example, there are the maintenance staff that ensure
that the airport is spic and span, with sufficient air-conditioning, clean toilets and shower rooms,
and enough seating areas that could accommodate thousands of passengers at any given time.
They are also tourism professionals.
Before I board the airplane for my flight, there are a few other matters tourism professionals
should understand about the way airports are now being built all over the world.
Since tourism and travel contribute a big percentage of the world GDP, more and more countries,
led by those who experience high tourist volumes, are now re-designing, if not completely
building, new airports in their cities. The competition for having the best facilities and services is
getting stiffer by the day, but no one is complaining because it redounds to enormous benefits for
all travelers.
Among the airports recognized by several prestigious travel organizations¹³ as being on top of
their game are:
1. Singapore Changi Airport
2. Tokyo International Airport Haneda
3. Incheon International Airport Seoul
4. Hamad International Airport Doha
5. Hong Kong International Airport
6. Centrair International Airport Nagoya
7. Munich Airport
8. London Heathrow Airport
9. Tokyo Narita Airport
10. Zurich Airport
Some of the common best practices of these top airports are:
1. They always plan ahead to stay ahead of the game.
2. They provide basics of service right like spotless cleanliness, comfortable gate areas, warm
and friendly staff, and simple wayfinding.
3. They excel in every aspect of the airport journey experience by ensuring all their staff are
focused on providing efficient, friendly, and courteous service every step of the way.
4. They create an atmosphere that makes you want to stay in the airport
longer. 5. They implement internal processes that keep stress levels low.
6. They balance the implementation of these processes with the passenger
experience. 7. They have airport staff that are proud of their airport and their high
standards.
8. They involve all stakeholders in the quality improvement process.
9. They always put themselves in the shoes of the passengers and are trained to have
sincere empathy.
10. They focus on what is important to the passenger, not the airport.
All these top airports ensure that their airport staff, who are all tourism professionals, are
highly trained in all the intricacies and challenges of multicultural diversities; because it is in
airports where you will see these diversities merge and sometimes collide every minute of
the day.
My travel cycle now brings me inside the airplane cabin and I now get to meet my cabin crew
who will keep me company anywhere from a quick one-hour flight to a grueling 10- to
15-hour flight.
The way cabin crews are organized for flights, whether for short or long-haul, is that they are led
by a flight purser (FP). An FP is a senior cabin crew member with many years of flying
experience. Depending on the airline, it takes about 10 years or more before a cabin crew
member is promoted to FP, and that only happens when there is a position available. FP
positions become available when the current FPs retire, resign, or are separated from the
company.
The FP manages a crew of flight attendants (FA) and flight stewards (FS). The number of FAs
and FSs depends on the aircraft they are flying. The bigger aircrafts or jumbo jets can have as
many as 15-20 crew members and the smaller aircrafts from 2-10 crew members. Each of
these crew members is given a specific assignment for each flight leg. These assignments
carry specific passenger and emergency duties for the duration of the flight.
Many airlines employ flight interpreters, like Chinese, Japanese, and Russian who deliver
in-flight announcements in these languages. They are also tasked to interpret any language
requirements of their compatriot passengers. Their presence is very important, especially during
emergencies. Flight interpreters are usually given additional cabin crew duties, especially when
flights are full.
The cabin crew are among my favorite bunch of tourism professionals because they are highly
customer-driven individuals. Aside from undergoing long and intensive training, cabin crew
members must possess values that translate to service excellence. Cabin crew members have all
the time in the world to extend good service to passengers. From short one-hour flights to
long-haul flights of 10 to 15 hours, passengers can be pampered and cared for by the crew in
ways that will endure in passengers' minds and hearts. Passengers do not have any other place to
go during a flight; therefore, the cabin crew members have the longest exposure with them.
Trans-pacific, Middle Eastern, and European flights take 10-15 hours. During this time,
passengers enjoy at least two meals such as dinner and breakfast. Cocktails are usually available
throughout the flight. In flight movies and music are available on demand. Cabin crew members
take turns in remaining awake during the entire flight to ensure that passengers receive service
all the time.
What is unique about the job of a cabin crew is that they are trained in both in-flight service as
well as emergency procedures. Cabin crew members will know what to do in case of an
unplanned emergency, which can mean the plane landing on water or land.
Cabin crew members are highly exposed to multicultural diversities in flight among the
passengers as well as during their rest overnight (RON) stays in different cities around the
world. In a matter of an hour's flight, the cultural differences, for instance, of the Philippines
and Hong Kong are already
extreme. There are times the crew stays in cities for two to three days or more. This means
they have more time to be exposed to the local culture and traditions.
There was one time when I was a FS with Philippine Airlines (PAL), A where I was able to
experience for myself how challenging it is to believe and carry through that adage "the
customer is always right."
An intoxicated Caucasian passenger was starting to annoy many passengers. It was an evening
flight, so it made it more difficult because passengers wanted to sleep in peace. As the CA14
(cabin attendant 14) of the DC-10 aircraft, I was the steward in charge of the specific section the
intoxicated passenger was seated in. I had to manage the situation, and this is where our cabin
crew training truly made a difference; because depending on the way I choose to handle him, I
could make it or break it for my company. In order not to become confrontational with the
passenger, which would trigger an angry reaction especially from someone intoxicated, I
decided to simply have a quiet conversation with him as if nothing was the matter. During that
conversation, I was able to ask him to lower the tone of his voice because other passengers were
asleep. When he asked me for another beer, I instead invited him to the galley where I told him
we should continue our talk so he can tell me more about his beautiful country, Australia. He
obliged.
After a couple more beers, some quiet laughter and banter, he volunteered to leave me in peace
and return to his seat without another bottle of beer. I also wished him a good night's rest
because we had about another four hours before the next meal service, which was breakfast.
Before I approached this passenger to handle the situation, two options were running in my
mind. The more dominant option was to talk to him firmly and directly and be ready for an
altercation. The second option just happened once I was right in front of him. I was guided by
my instinct to not react to his sort of childlike manner. I decided to treat him like a friend. It
worked.
"Philippine Airlines is the Philippine flag carrier founded in 1946.
"TripAdvisor (www.tripadvisor.com.ph)
Case 1: The Tourism Customer Travel Cycle
A. Identify the cultural elements that were impacted in the case.
B. Create scenarios of what other options could have been undertaken by the tourism
professional if he did not do as indicated in the case and the consequences that could have
happened for the individual and the tourism enterprise.
C. Consider the reflections. Choose one and expound how this can be applied in your life as a
student.
CASE 2: THE TOURISM PROFESSIONAL AND BALIKBAYANS
There was another flight that I was in that required extra patience on my part because I was
again faced not by one but by a group of about 10 senior balikbayans flying from Honolulu to
Manila after many years of being away from the Philippines. About an hour before landing at
the Manila International Airport (now the Ninoy Aquino International Airport), some American
passengers seated close to this group called my attention to complain about the noisy
balikbayans. The truth is, they were indeed quite noisy if not rowdy. Deep inside, I knew these
10 Filipino-Americans were just very excited to be back home and to experience and re-live
once again their memories of this land they once called their home.
At this moment, I was dealing with a set of very different people-once Filipinos in their past,
now Americans by choice after migrating to America. With the exemption of two, everyone was
speaking English with a "twang," never answering me in Filipino, so conversing with them was
a little amusing.
My mission was to ask my kababayans" to tone it down a bit because other passengers were
complaining. I initially thought it was going to be as easy as just requesting them to tone dowri
and they would. Unfortunately, for some strange reason, the leader of the group stood up and put
his face too close to mine and bluntly told me that they were not going to tone down their voices
and no Filipino steward could command them to do so. I was aghast, to say the least. Since this
leader was behaving more like a spoiled brat than an adult, I decided to react to his childish
demeanor by also acting like a child too but a smart one.
Since I heard them also speak Ilocano interspersed with their English, I decided to use the very
little Ilocano I know and surprise them with my first question which was, ""anyat ti nagan
mo?"19 The leader of the pack, who still had his face close to mine, suddenly retreated and
asked "Ilocano ka?"20 I laughed and said that that was the only Ilocano I know. For some
reason, he relaxed his stance and continued to ask me questions. I spent some time with them
because now all of a sudden it went from "we will not follow any orders from anyone, much less
a Filipino steward," to "can you tell us something more about yourself?" and "would you like to
learn a few more Ilocano words?"
Now that I was able to break the ice, I continued and told them that if they all toned down
their voices, I will give them each a nice toy souvenir from the PAL.
They became louder because they started cheering and thanking me already for the toys. I
reminded all of them, the toys will only come if there will be peace and quiet among them. They
all obliged. I went back to the galley and prepared 10 PAL airplane giveaways. I showed them
the toys and told them I will personally and happily hand this over to each one of them before
deplaning. Fortunately for everyone, there was peace and quiet until we landed in Manila.
"Ilocano refers to both the natives and the dialect of the llocos Region in the Philippines.
“Anyat ti nagan mo?" in llocano meaning "What is your name?
“Ilocano ka?" in Ilocano meaning "Are you an Ilocano?"
“Balikbayans are Filipinos who reside outside the Philippines and return to their native
land occasionally for a visit. “Kababayans refer to fellow Filipinos or, to be more
specific, fellow town or province mates.
Case 2: The Tourism Professional and Balikbayans
A. Identify all the dialects spoken by your classmates.
B. Compute the percentage share of each dialect spoken in the class.
C. Compare the top 10 dialect spoken in class with the top 10 dialects spoken in the entire
Philippines.
D. Translate the following in various dialects:
I. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening
Ii hello
Iii may i help you?
Iv. Enjoy your stay
D. Think of a greeting that may be of interest to your potential colleagues and customers.
 CASE 3: TOURISM PROFESSIONALS IN THE HOTEL
Upon arriving at my destination, I usually take the hotel limousine for convenience and safety.
Since I made prior arrangements, an airport representative of the hotel I am booked in meets me
by the airport exit, assists me with my luggage, and leads me to my waiting limousine. Not all
hotels employ airport representatives. In cases like this, you have to deal directly with the land
transport companies in the airports. In this day and age of Uber and Grab, transportation is made
easier anywhere you are in the world. "Airport reps," as they are referred to for short, are on the
frontline of the hotel staff I will be encountering. They are, therefore, the hotel's first
impression, and hotel companies are aware of this and ensure that they are properly recruited
and trained. Another adage states that "first impressions last." Airport representatives are,
therefore, uniformed properly, if not attractively, and given all the tools to deliver fast, efficient,
and courteous service all the time. Their interaction with hotel guests can be as quick as one to
two minutes only.
The hotel industry, like many other industries, has a special list of what they refer to as VVIPs or
very very important persons. Do not get me wrong everyone in the hospitality industry is a VIP
or a very important person. However, some customers are very fussy and particular to specific
service provisions that require special attention to detail and a precise delivery of service, and
they pay a premium for such service. It is the reason why there are hotel limousines versus
sedans, executive floors versus standard floors and butlers versus waiters.
I am now on my way to the hotel and the hotel chauffeur will have to continue with the
established first impression I received from the airport rep. Once in the car, this chauffeur once
again can either make it or break it for the hotel he represents. A hotel chauffeur can act as a
conduit to some of your local travel plans, so do engage him in conversation. He also can serve
as an impromptu tour guide while driving you to the hotel unless you opt for some peace and
quiet. In many cities, hotel chauffeurs are required to undergo and become certified tour guides.
One of the important qualifications for this interesting job is that the chauffeur's top of mind
instinct is safety. He should have excellent driving skills, must be in very good physical
condition, and must be a great representation of not only his hotel but his country. He must be
able to answer questions from passengers that can include anything about places to go to in the
city or the country, the political system and current government, and sometimes private
questions about himself or his family, among other things.
The transportation service from the airport to the hotel becomes part of any hotel's extended
service; therefore, many try out-do each other in impressing their incoming guests with extra
service even while on the way. Among these services are bottled cold water or sodas, candies,
hot or cold towels, magazines and newspapers, or extra car pillows. Whatever will make the
guest happy and comfortable.
Arriving at the hotel is one of the best parts of this travel cycle. There are hotel companies that
give a very specific focus on guest arrivals, ensuring all our five senses are captured at this
magical moment. Accor Hotels", among the biggest hotel chains in the world, manages the
Sofitel Philippine Plaza which is at the forefront of this philosophy. If you wish to experience a
grand welcome, try entering this hotel and you will experience this special moment. It is also
important to note that the Sofitel Philippine Plaza is the only 5-star hotel where their lobby
ambassadors greet you in French and Filipino with "Bonjour. Mabuhay!" or "Good morning.
Mabuhay!" The Sofitel is a wonderful representation where multicultural diversity is very
pleasantly rolled out and accepted by both guests and staff. Accor is a French hotel company
that owns some of the most iconic hotel brands in the world like Raffles, Fairmont, Banyan
Tree, Novotel, and Mercure",
When we were opening the first Shangri-La hotel in the Philippines, the EDSA Shangri-La
Manila, there was a lobby lounge service practice in the other Shangri-La hotels like Indonesia
and Malaysia that we were preparing to transport to the Philippines. The practice was for the
lobby lounge attendants serving guests in their low tables to be in a kneeling position while
laying down whatever food and beverage was ordered by guests. During the planning stage of
our service procedures for the lobby lounge, this was discussed and debated; but as good
soldiers, everyone was willing to give it a serious try. We did. Until our guests were the ones
who told us not to kneel before them. After about a month of this kneeling procedure, we
accepted the fact that it certainly is not Filipino to kneel for service. This is a very good example
of a tradition that might be totally normal and acceptable in other cultures but not in ours.
The lobby ambassadors, or in many cases the doormen or bellmen, are the third line of staff you
will encounter. Despite the very limited time they have to impress their arriving guests, their
most important task is to look the guest in the eye, warmly welcome them as they step into the
hotel, quickly offer assistance with their luggage, and lead them straight to the front desk for
immediate check-in. This very short time they spend with guests must be enduring. Just like all
other hotel staffers, they are expected to deliver nothing but excellent service during the entire
interaction.
At the front desk, I am met by a front desk receptionist. Some hotels refer to them as front desk
associates or front desk clerks. Here lies the heart of the hotel. The desk associates are expected
to expeditiously check in guests without any bureaucracy or unnecessary delays. If my hotel
reservation was handled adequately, the check-in process should not take longer than two
minutes.
Most hotels are equipped with the latest property management systems or PMS28 as they are
referred to that allow for efficient guest management, and the checking-in process is just one part
of the entire system. A good PMS can create higher percentages of guests' loyalty if utilized
properly by hotel staff. Hotels always endeavor to increase their percentage share of returning
guests because it makes good business sense.
The front desk receptionist is fully aware of all nationalities in the house. The challenge is that
many nationalities rarely speak English as a second language. Correctly interpreting what guests
are telling you is of utmost importance. Watch out for the French, Portuguese, Germans,
Chinese, and Japanese among many others.
While in the hotel, I will be interacting with many other tourism professionals. This includes the
room attendant, laundry valet, room service order taker, room service waiter, bartender,
restaurant receptionist, restaurant waiter, maitre 'd hotel, health club staff, and recreational staff.
Depending on the hotel's other services, I could meet other hotel professionals such as a
lifeguard, a business center associate, an events planner, or a specialty chef like a sushi or a dim
sum chef.
Among the hotel staff that can be helpful to any guest at any time is the concierge. The concierge
staff are stationed at the front office and encompass many responsibilities from valet parking,
door opening, mail and message delivery, luggage handling, transportation services, and tour
and travel services. A concierge should be able to assist a guest even if it will require leaving
their post to accomplish the guest request. A good concierge is like the hotel's compendium of
services, a repository of information about anything and everything a hotel guest might require
during his stay. There is a worldwide concierge association called Les Clefs d'Or which means
"the keys of gold," signifying the golden standards in hotel services. In the Philippines, Les
Clefs d'Or Philippines" is one of the better organized and recognized hotel associations. The
beauty of Le Clefs d'Or is. by its
very nature, meant to give only superior service and be able to easily overcome
multicultural diversities that permeate among global travelers, be it language, race,
tradition, or religion.
There are many other associations for the different functions in the hotel industry. Among these
are marketing and sales", human resources", housekeeping", and security. Associations are there
to further the development of their members and to provide them an industry social
environment.
When I was a Director for Human Resources of the Hyatt Regency Manila, we implemented a
very interesting program where all hotel executives and managers would be assigned to do rank
and file work for two weeks. The basic idea was to immerse ourselves with the tasks that the
majority of the hotel workforce deliver daily. This meant serving our guests as bellmen, front
desk agents, telephone operators, waiters, bartenders, room attendants, and butlers. The kitchen
was off-limits to us because we would only pose as a hindrance to operations since cooking is a
different skill altogether.
I was assigned to be a butler at The Regency Club, Hyatt's exclusive executive floor for
premium guests and VVIPs. After two weeks of being a butler, I jokingly asked my general
manager then, Perfecto Quicho, if I could permanently become a butler because it was such an
enjoyable experience. I had the wonderful opportunity to meet and personally serve the hotel's
VVIPs. It was that two-week experience that made me understand why hotel staff truly enjoy
what they do. The real reason I asked jokingly to become a butler permanently is because guests
were very generous with their tips. It made me happy knowing that our rank and file were
earning well, a monthly basic pay, a monthly service charge, plus all the tips.
Many other tourism professionals work in establishments other than airlines and hotels.
Among these establishments are cruise liners, entertainment centers, casinos, theaters, theme
parks, and transportation companies.
The tourism industry is regulated and monitored by the UNWTO, headquartered in Madrid,
Spain. Its mandate is the promotion of responsible, sustainable, and universally accessible
tourism. It promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development, and
environmental sustainability. One of the UNWTO's priorities is most relevant to developing
countries like the Philippines: "Advancing tourism's contribution to poverty reduction and
development." In the Philippines, the tourism industry is doing its share to promote tourism for
more Filipinos to find gainful employment. Whether you end up working in the country or
overseas, working in the tourism industry is highly rewarding in many ways-finances, career
progression, exposure to many cultures, and world travel.
It is estimated that 25% of the world's seafarers, many of them working in cruise liners, are
Filipinos. If there is one working environment where multicultural diversity is experienced
every minute of the day, it is in cruise ships. Your passengers come from all over the world.
The ship crew is a big mix of cruise line staff coming from both developed and developing
countries. Your roommates are not necessarily your kababayan. You may very well be sharing
your accommodations with any of the over 50 nationalities usually represented onboard.
Cruise liners are floating hotels. The staff working on these ships are all hotel experienced. Staff
attrition in Philippine hotels is quite high because of these cruise line opportunities. Filipino
hotel staff also happen to be one of the most requested in these ships. There is, therefore, a
never-ending recruitment of hotel staff in the country. Overall, it is good for everyone. The
hotels have the opportunity to add fresh and new staff to their organization regularly, the cruise
liners are very
pleased with well-trained and highly service-oriented hotel staff in their ships, and our Filipino
crew members are all doing our country a great service by enhancing our country's image
among passengers. Filipino staff members can experience the unique opportunity to be able to
work while traveling all around the world at a time when they are still young, capable, and
healthy.
Tourism professionals in general are preferred workers for the delivery of excellent service
to customers even outside this industry.
“Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) statistics as of 2017
(www.poea.gov.ph) "Perfecto F. Quicho, the very first Filipino to be appointed general manager
of a 5-star international chain in the country. He was the general manager of the Hyatt
Regency Manila from 1984 until 1992.
“Le Clefs d'Or is a French term that literally means "keys of gold." This is a worldwide
association of hotel concierges. "Le Clefs d'Or Philippines is the association of hotel
concierges in the Philippines.
“HSMA-Hotel Sales and Marketing Association of the Philippines
"AHRM- Association of Human Resources Managers in the Hospitality Industry
"EHAP-Executive Housekeepers Association of the Philippines
"AHSOP-Association of Hotel Security Officers of the Philippines
"Maitre 'd hotel is a French term for a restaurant manager or supervisor who is usually in
charge of table reservations and the service staff.
“Property Management System (PMS) is a computerized system that facilitates in the
management of the hotel, resort, or property.
"Accor Hotels is a French multinational company which is the single largest hospitality
company in Europe and the sixth largest in the world.
“Sofitel Philippine Plaza is a 655-room luxury hotel within the Cultural Center of the
Philippines complex that initially opened as the Westin Philippine Plaza in 1976 until it was
re-branded as Sofitel in 2006.
"Raffles Hotels & Resorts is a chain of luxury hotels that traces its roots to the 1887 opening of
The Raffles Hotel in Singapore. "Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a Canadian chain of luxury
hotels which operates 75 hotels in 24 countries. Banyan Tree is an international hospitality
brand established in 1994 in Singapore.
Novotel is a mid-scale hotel brand owned by Accor Hotels.
"Mercure is a mid-scale hotel brand owned by Accor Hotels.

Case 3: Tourism Professionals in the Hotel

A. Group work: Aside from the hotel enterprise, identify tourism professionals in other
sectors in a guest's service cycle.
B. Identify at least three filipino service procedures, either unique to a region or acceptable
filipino services. Explain the historical source of the service procedures.
C. Demonstrate the service procedure.
D. Identify at least three international procedures and their origins. Demonstrate it to the
class.
E. Identify various tourism-related professional organizations (philippine-based) and at least
five international professional organizations, the specific sector they serve, its current president,
its membership fee, and its website.
F. Why do you need to know both local and international service procedures?

CASE 4: CROSSING INDUSTRIES FOR TOURISM PROFESSIONALS

There was one time a giant telecommunications company that was growing very fast requested
that I provide them with 25 of the very best hotel guest services managers to lead their premium
branches all over the Philippines. The idea was to transfer the technology of the provision of
excellent customer service in hotels to their telecom staff in these branches, The telecom giant
had to offer my candidates premium salaries, cars, and guaranteed bonuses for these hoteliers to
make an industry shift in their careers. It was a gamble both for the telecom giant as well as the
hoteliers. The good news is that more than 10 years later, the majority of these batch of 25 have
moved up the ladder in the organization to executive-level positions with added responsibilities.
In this age of open borders, real-time communications, and more and more digital natives
joining the workforce, multicultural diversity becomes easier to understand and accept as a
mutual reality and a responsibility.
Case 4: Crossing Industries for Tourism Professionals
A. Aside from the tourism sector, what other industries can a tourism professional work in? B.
What cultural elements will help a tourism professional succeed in this field? C. Is culture
uniquely a tourism concern? Why or why not?
D. What is a "Digital native" And a "Digital immigrant"? What are the applications you have
in your phone? Why did you install them?