What Is Hospitality Management? Areas, Career Options, and How to Get Started

Key takeaways

Hospitality management includes jobs across the hospitality industry that involve providing services and experiences for guests. 

• The hospitality industry is vast, with job opportunities at hotels and resorts, cruise ships, bars and nightclubs, event venues, amusement parks, museums, stadiums, campgrounds, and more.

• As a hospitality management professional, you can find a job in entertainment and recreation, such as an event coordinator or security guard; food and beverage, such as a bartender or chef; or travel and tourism, such as a fitness instructor or cruise ship director.

• You can develop strong workplace skills, such as problem-solving, flexibility, patience, and teamwork, to prepare for a career in hospitality management.

Learn more about hospitality management, including different careers to explore. Afterward, consider enrolling in the University of Michigan’s Leading People and Teams Specialization to develop your leadership skills. In as little as four weeks, you’ll have the opportunity to build your vision as a leader, use the Michigan Model of Leadership to define organizational goals, and manage talent to boost employee performance.

What is hospitality management?

Hospitality management is a field of careers that spans experience levels and involves working at businesses within the hospitality industry. These businesses focus on providing services and experiences for guests, such as accommodations, food and beverage, travel, tourism, and entertainment.

Although the technical skills you'll need will depend on your exact career within hospitality management, this career path generally requires strong customer service skills.

Hospitality management areas

Hospitality is a broad industry that refers to any business offering a service or experience to customers. If you're interested in working in hospitality management, you can explore opportunities in the following settings:

• Hotels and resorts

• Restaurants

• Bars and nightclubs

• Cruise ships

• Airlines and airports

• Convention centers

• Event venues (wedding venues, concert halls)

• Casinos

• Amusement parks

• Museums and cultural Institutions

• Stadiums and sports Arenas

• Spas and wellness centers

• Country clubs

• Campgrounds and RV parks

• Travel agencies

• Catering companies

Hospitality management jobs by focus

Hospitality management is not a specific level of career, but rather a field that encompasses various levels of positions, from entry-level to executive roles. The term "hospitality management" can apply to different career stages, depending on the job title and responsibilities. Let’s review the different job titles available to explore, depending on the hospitality focus. 

Entertainment and recreation

Entertainment and recreation facilities, such as sports stadiums, spas, conference centers, theme parks, concert venues, casinos, and theaters, all hire hospitality-related employees. 

• Entry-level jobs can include: Server, concession stand worker, ticket taker, security guard

• Advanced jobs can include: Operations manager, event coordinator, director of sales

Food and beverage 

The food and beverage industry involves preparing and serving food and drinks to customers. It can involve work in restaurants, cafes, bakeries, food trucks, bars, breweries, wineries, or nightclubs. 

• Entry-level jobs can include: Host, server, bartender

• Advanced jobs can include: Head chef, pastry chef, sommelier

Lodging and hotel services

Hotels, resorts, and other lodging facilities are major employers in the hospitality industry. You ensure the comfort and safety of people who need a place to stay while they're away from home. 

• Entry-level jobs can include: Housekeeper, front desk receptionist, reservation assistant

• Advanced jobs can include: Sales manager, marketing specialist, hotel manager 

Travel and tourism

If you want a hospitality job in the travel and tourism sector, you might work at a resort, on a cruise ship, or even on an airplane as a flight attendant. 

• Entry-level jobs can include: Server, fitness instructor, yacht deckhand

• Advanced jobs can include: Operations manager, entertainment director, cruise ship director

Read more: 21 Hospitality Jobs: Entry-Level to Advanced + High-Paying Roles 

Is hospitality management a good field?

Hospitality management can be a good field for you, based on your interests and career goals, as it spans many sectors with faster-than-average job growth. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), food service manager jobs will grow 6 percent between 2024 and 2034, and meeting, convention, and event planners and cooks will experience 5 percent growth during that same period [1, 2, 3]. These job growth rates are faster than the national average for all jobs, which is 3 percent [1, 2, 3].

What skills do you need to work in hospitality management?

While your exact skill set will depend on the career you embark on in hospitality management, strong customer service skills, good communication, problem-solving, and organization are useful in general.

Workplace skills

Because jobs in the hospitality industry focus on giving customers enjoyable experiences, certain people skills are valuable. These often include:

• Communication

• Time management

• Patience

• Teamwork

• Ability to multitask

• Attention to detail

• A positive attitude

• Problem-solving

• Flexibility

Technical skills

The types of technical skills you'll need for a job in the hospitality industry depend on the particular job. For instance, if you have a position as a front office manager, you may need to be good with numbers and have familiarity with accounting software. For an event planning position, you may want to know about design, and as a hotel marketing manager, you will likely benefit from having a strong grasp of social media.

How to get started in hospitality management

There's no one way into a hospitality management career. Review the steps below and identify what seems feasible for the roles you want to pursue. Make sure to look at job postings to get a sense of what the requirements are, because that information can help you focus your efforts.

1. Consider a degree.

Getting started in hospitality management often requires a high school diploma at minimum, but a college degree, especially in hospitality management or a related field, may help you advance. Finish your bachelor's degree and specialize in hospitality with the University of North Texas' Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences, which features nine in-demand specializations.

2. Look for entry-level roles.

Start with entry-level positions in hotels, restaurants, or other hospitality businesses, where you can gain important experience and take on more responsibility. Work with your manager to identify ways you can grow or new skills you can develop so you can continue advancing.

3. Strengthen key skills.

Focus on enhancing communication and interpersonal skills. Where possible, develop your leadership and team management abilities, as those will become increasingly important as you advance. Cultivate cultural awareness and language skills for international hospitality, and stay updated with technology and tools used in the industry.

4. Explore certifications.

While certifications aren't necessary to work in hospitality management, they can be beneficial, showing potential or current employers the extra steps you've taken to gain or formalize your knowledge. Consider obtaining relevant certifications such as Certified Hospitality Supervisor (CHS) for entry-level supervisory positions, Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) for hotel management professionals, Certified Restaurant Professional (CRP) for restaurant management, or Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) for event planners.

5. Network and make connections.

Hospitality management is a career where getting to know other professionals in different settings can be beneficial. Join professional associations like the American Hotel & Lodging Association or the National Restaurant Association. Attend industry conferences, trade shows, and networking events to learn about trends, or engage in online forums and social media groups related to hospitality management.

Find free career-planning resources to guide your professional journey

Check out our Career Resource Hub, where you can assess your skills and explore career paths. Then, explore the following resources for even more career-planning tips as you consider hospitality jobs:

• Read our Career Chat issue: Job Interviews: How to Confidently Prepare 

• Watch on YouTube: Career Spotlight: Customer Service Representative

• Gain insights: How to Use GenAI to Advance Your Career: Insight from Coursera's Former CEO

Whether you want to develop a new skill, get comfortable with an in-demand technology, or advance your abilities, keep growing with a Coursera Plus subscription. You’ll get access to over 10,000 flexible courses from over 350 top universities and companies.

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