Demographic
issues in the hospitality industry
There are
many issues in the hospitality industry such as long working hours, and health
and safety. Demographics is a broad segment in the industry that also has
issues which are causing an impact in the industry. Demographics means ' the
structure and profile of the population along with the concept of disposable
income' (Jones, 2002:32). Powers and Barrows (2006: 34) further define
demographics as 'measurable characteristics of the population in terms of age'.
One
protruding issue that is impacting the industry involves the younger and older
population in the work force. The older population is retiring earlier and the
younger population has become more successful at early ages.
The aging generation
are more active and have more disposable income. This is leading the generation
in to retirement leaving a void in the workforce. The aging population is also
causing a challenge in the accommodation sector as they have a demand for more
comfortable and full- serviced rooms (Jones, 2002:34). This population tends
not to be as responsive to price and monetary appeals as compared to the
younger population. The younger population puts a strain on the industry as
they have a higher demand for greater service quality and are brand and price
conscious ( Jones, 2002:33).
Jones
(2002:33) has realized the changing trend of the older generation moving into
early retirement and the younger generation are becoming more successful at
early ages. Fewer graduates want to work for organizations in the industry due
to reasons such as low wages and long hours. This increases the void the older
generation has created and leads to fewer young and fresh qualified possible employees
(Classof1, 2002). As many graduate students prefer to work in other industries
or become entrepreneurs this has lead employers to settle for cheaper unskilled
labour.
Conclusion
Demographics
is of paramount importance as it deals with people and that is what the
hospitality industry is about. Without the people there is no service to offer
and there is no recipients of the service. That is why it is important for
organizations to make their employees feel secure with their jobs, keep track
of trends and be flexible enough to accommodate the trends. Marketers are also
advised to find other value- added goods and services that target the older
retired generation.
Reference
Classof1. (2002) Issues
and problems concerning hospitality industry. [Online]. Available at: http://www.classof1.com (Accessed: 9 March
2014).
Jones, P. (2002) Introduction to hospitality operations. 2nd
edn. Hampshire: South- Western Cengage Learning.
Powers, T. & Barrows, C.W. (2006) Introduction
to management in the hospitality industry. 8th edn.
Canada: John Wiley &Sons Inc.
