Chapter 4 : Tourism and Hospitality Related Services.

Learning Objectives:

This chapter provides an overview of tourism. After reading this chapter the students should be
able to :

• Learn the various aspects of tourism and hospitality services

• Understand the types of hotel accommodation
• Discover various activities of the hotel departments
• Learn the types of adventure tourism and recreation

Tourism & Hospitality Industry

Tourism is the largest export services for many of countries of the world. In international trade,
position of tourism is after chemicals and fuel. Tourism is a broader concept which encompasses
many different types of services. Of which, hotel and transport are the most important sectors.
Other services or activities are also important as the tourists expect different types of services as
per their interest and motivation. As we have already mentioned that tourism has a broad
categories of different activities from hotels, restaurants, tour operators, guiding, and
transportation to cultural, health, education and entertainment services consumed by tourists.
Broadly, tourism industry has been divided into seven different service sectors or areas. The
following sectors are given below:
 Accommodation

Adventure
Transportation Tourism and
Service Recreation
Sectors in
Tourism and
Hospitality
Industry

Food and
Attractions
Beverage

Accommodation

To most people, the hospitality industry consists only of hotels and restaurants. However, the
Oxford English Dictionary defines hospitality as the 'reception and entertainment of guests,
visitors or strangers with liberality and goodwill'. Therefore, the hospitality industry can be
broadly defined as the collection of activities providing accommodation and/or food and
beverages to people who are away from home. In other words, the hospitality industry includes
not only hotels or restaurants, but also a wide range of businesses, such as small guest houses,
snack bars and fast-food outlets.

The accommodation sector mainly comprises the provision of short-term accommodation,

typically on a daily or weekly basis, for visitors and other travelers by the hotels, motels, resorts,
guesthouse, holiday homes, bed and breakfast etc. It also includes the supply of short-term
accommodation services by camping grounds, parks as well as the provision of space and
facilities for recreational vehicles and the provision of temporary or longer-term accommodation
in single or shared rooms or dormitories.
Origin

The hotel industry is perhaps one of the oldest commercial endeavors in the world. The first inns
go back to the sixth century B.C. and were the products of the urge to travel, spurred by the
invention of the “wheel”. The earliest inns were ventures by husband and wife teams who
provided large halls for travelers to make their own beds and sleep on the floor. They also
provided modest wholesome food, thirst quenchers like wine, port etc. and stabling facilities.
The host’s wife or his wench provided entertainment and recreation. The entire cooking, service
and recreation was provided by the husband and wife team and his family.

These conditions prevailed for several hundred years the advent of the Industrial Revolution in
England brought ideas and progress in the business of inn keeping. The development of railways
and steamships made traveling more prominent.

The lead in hotel keeping was taken by the emerging nations of Europe, especially Switzerland.
It was in Europe that the birth of an organized hotel industry took place in the shape of chalets
and small hotels, which provided a variety of services and were mainly patronized by the
aristocracy of the day.

The real growth of the modern hotel industry took place in the USA beginning with the opening
of city hotel in New York in 1794. This was the first building specifically erected for hotel
purposes. This eventually led to great competition between different cities and resulted in
frenzied hotel building activity. Some of the finest hotels of the USA were built in this era, but
the real boom in hotel building came in the twenties. This period also saw the beginning of chain
operations under the guidance of E.M. Staler. It involved big investments, big investments, big
profits and trained professional to manage the business.

The Depression in 1930 had a disastrous effect on the hotel industry. It was fest that the industry
would never recover but the outbreak of World War II brought a tremendous upsurge. This
prosperity continued through the war years into the fifties when two new concepts emerged :

• Motels
• International chain operations.
While the growth of motel was restricted to the North American continent, international chain
operations spread into all continents. Individual entrepreneurs found them crushed in the rest of
this multi-dimensional, multinational industry. International chains could provide the expertise
technology and marketing thrust that individual owners could not provide. Individual owners
thus merged themselves to large international chains such as Sheratons, Hiltons, Hyatt, Holiday,
Inn Ramada Inn, etc.

Classification of Hotels

Hotels can be classified into several distinct categories to help the prospective guest in
identifying the right type of hotel matching his standard and requirement. The following figure
shows the different hotel classification:

Size

Level of
Service Location
Hotel
Classification

Ownership Clientele

A) Classification on the basis of Size.

1) Small hotel: Hotels with 25 rooms or less are classified as small hotels.

2) Medium Hotel: Hotel with twenty six to 100 rooms are called medium hotels.

3) Large Hotels: Hotels with 101-300 guest rooms are regarded as large hotels
 4) Very Large Hotels: Hotels more than 300 guest room are usually known as very
large hotels.

B) Classification on the basis of Location

1. Downtown Hotel: A downtown hotel is located in the centre of the city or within a short
distance from business centre, shopping areas, theatres, public offices etc. The centre of
the city may not necessarily be the geographical centre, but it refers to an area that is
considered to be the commercial hub of the city. The room rates in these hotels may be
higher than similar hotels in other areas, so as to cover the huge investment made on the
land. They are preferred by business clientele as they find it convenient to stay closer to
the place of their business activities. Hotels at Gulshan, Banani and Motijheel of Dhaka
city may be examples of downtown hotel.
2. Sub-urban Hotels: As the land cost in the city centre is higher and the space is limited,
some entrepreneurs build their hotels near the outskirts of the city. Providing similar
facilities as the downtown hotel, these hotels are set in suburban areas and have the
advantage of quicker surroundings. Such hotels are ideal for people who prefer to stay
away from the hustle and bustle of city. The duration of the stay of guest in these hotels
may be longer than at a hotel located in the city. The room rates in such hotels are
moderate and may attract the budget travelers.
3. Resorts Hotel: Hotels that are located at tourist destination such as hill station, sea
beaches and countryside are referred to as resort hotels. These hotels have a very calm
and natural ambience. They are mostly away from cities and are located in pollution –
free environs. The room rates in these hotels may range from moderate to high,
depending on the additional service offered. These hotels combine stay facilities with
leisure activities such as golf, summer and winter sports, etc. The occupancy in resorts is
normally higher during vacation time and weekends when guest want to take a break
from their weekly routine.
4. Airport Hotel: Airport Hotels are situated in the vicinity of airport and other ports of
entry. Offering all the services of a commercial hotel, these hotels are generally
patronized by the passengers who need a stopover en route their journey.
5. Motel: The word motel is formed by merging two words ‘motor’ and ‘hotel’. They are
located primarily on highways and provide modest lodging to highway travellers. A
motel offers facilities such as accommodations, food and drinks, garage facilities, a
parking lot, and re-fuelling for vehicles.
6. Floatels: Floatels are type of lodging properties that float on the surface of water. This
category consists of all lodging properties that are built on the top of rats or
semisubmersible platforms, and includes cruise liners and houseboats. Some of them
provide luxurious accommodation, along with food and beverage facilities to guests.
7. Rotels: The hotels which rotate on wheel are called Rotels. It is also called Motel on
wheels. The best example of rotel in India is Palace on Wheels. It is a luxurious train,
fully air-conditioned, and well furnished, with attached restaurant and bar. The fare is
inclusive of train ticket, food, alcoholic beverages and sightseeing.

C. Classification on the basis of Clientele

1. Business or commercial Hotels: Designed to cater to the business traveler, commercial

hotels are generally situated in the city centre. These hotels provide high standard rooms
and amenities situated in the city centre. These hotels provide high standard rooms and
amenities, along with high speed internet connectivity, business centres, and conference
halls. They also provide in-house secretarial services, as well as facilities such as letter
drafting, typing, and fax and photocopying of document for the convenience of their
guest. The guest amenities at commercial hotels may include complimentary newspapers,
morning coffee, cable television and access to channeled music and movies. The duration
of guest stay is generally very short at these hotels. The occupancy level is higher during
the weekdays and slightly lower during weekends. These hotels are also known as
downtown hotels.
2. Transient Hotels: Transient hotels cater to the needs of people who are on the move and
need a stopover en route their journey. Located in the close proximity of ports of entry,
such as sea port, airport, and major railway station, these hotels are normally patronized
by transient travellers. They have round –the –clock operational room service and coffee
shop, and all the facilities of a commercial hotels. Transient hotels are usually 5 stars, and
their target market includes business clientele, airline passengers with overnight travel
layovers or cancelled flights, and airline personnel. The occupancy rate is usually very
 high, sometimes more than 100 percent, as room can be sold more than ones on a given
date.
3. Boutique hotels: These are very small and expensive hotels and mainly cater for elite
class. They are different from the hotels in that each room has a distinct personality.
Though the hotel is small but still it has more number of restaurants. Each restaurant is
decorated keeping in view a theme and food served the uniform of the staff, the menu,
even the way of welcoming the guest commemorates with the theme.
4. Residential Hotels: As the name suggest, residential hotels provide accommodation for
longer duration. These hotels are generally patronized by people who are on a temporary
official deputation to a city where they do not have their own residential accommodation.
Guest stay for a minimum period of one month and up to two years. The services offered
by these hotels are modest.
5. Suite Hotels: Suite hotels provide the highest level of personalized services to guest. The
guest rooms generally comprise a living area, compact kitchenette, complete with
refrigerator and a microwave, a bedroom attached with a bathroom, and sometimes even
a dance floor. The facilities are highly customized and may include valet services,
personalized guest stationery, high speed internet connection, and in-room safety locker
facility. These hotels are patronized by affluent people and tourist who are found of
luxury.
6. Bed & Breakfast Hotel: A European concept, bed & breakfast hotels are lodging
establishment generally operated in large family residence. These range from houses with
a few rooms converted into overnight facilities to small commercial buildings with
twenty to thirty guestrooms. The owner usually lives on the premises and is responsible
for serving breakfast to guest. Guest is accommodated in bedrooms and breakfast is
served in the rooms or sometimes in the dining room. The bathroom may be attached to
the guest rooms or may be on a sharing basis. As the tariff is generally lower than a full-
service hotel at these properties, they are suitable for budget travelers.
7. Casino Hotels: Casino hotels provide gambling facilities, such as Luxor hotel and casino
in Las Vegas. These Hotels attract the clients by promoting gambling, arranging
extravagant floor shows, and some may also provide charter flight services to its clients.
They have state-of-the-art gambling facilities, along with the special restaurants, bars,
 round the clock room services, well appointed and furnished rooms for its guest.
Nowadays, these hotels are also attracting the MICE (meetings, incentives, conference
and exhibitions) segments.
8. Conference Centres: The word conference means ‘a meeting, sometimes lasting for
several days, in which people, with a common interest participates in discussions or listen
to lecturers to obtain information’. Thus, a conference centre is a hotel which caters to the
needs of a conference delegation. These hotels provide rooms to delegates of
conferences, a conference hall with the desired seating configuration for the meeting,
food and beverage requirements during and after the conferences and other requirements,
such as flip charts, white board with markers, and overhead projector with screen,
computer, and public address system. These are large hotels, having more than 400 guest
rooms. The services provided are of the highest standards. Normally conferences are
charged as packages, which include accommodation and meetings facilities.
9. Convention Hotels: Convention is defined as ‘a formal assembly or meeting of
members, representative, or delegates of a group for general agreement on or acceptance
of certain practice or attitudes’. This type of meetings involves a large number of
participants. The hotels catering to the needs of these segments are known as convention
hotels. These hotels may have more than 2000 rooms to accommodate the large number
of delegates. They are equipped with state-of-the- art convention centre with all the
required facilities such as seating configuration (T-shaped, classroom type, workshop-
style and theatre style), audio-visual equipments, and public address system to meet the
demand of a convention.
10. Green hotel: is a hotel or accommodation that has made important environmental
improvements to its structure in order to minimize its impact on the environment. The
basic definition of a green hotel is an environmentally responsible lodging that follows
the practices of green living. These hotels have to be certified green by an independent
third-party or by the state they are located in. Traditionally, these hotels were mostly
presented as Eco Lodges because of their location, often in jungles, and their design
inspired by the use of traditional building methods applied by skilled local craftsmen in
areas.
 D) Classification on the basis of Ownership.

1. Independent Hotels: These hotels are on ownership basis and do not have any affiliation
or contract through any other property. And also they do not have any tie up with any other
hotels with regards to policy, procedures and financial obligation. The advantages in this type
of hotel is that they need not maintain a particular image and they are not bound to maintain
any set targets, but can independently adopt quickly to the changing trends. They are usually
autonomous.

2. Chains: When one hotel realizes that they can offer the same services in other cities, chains of
the same hotel are opened in those places. Hotel chain is an enterprise that administrates, through
a unique management a number of hotels located in different areas. They can be total or partial
owners of the hotel and they manage their administration, marketing and promotion. This gives
them the advantages of a large central organization providing reservation systems, management’s
aids, financial strength, expertise, manpower, specialities, merchandises and promotional help.

3. Management Contracts: It is a contract between the owner of the property and a hotel
operator (management contractor) by which the owner employs the operator as an agent to
assume the full responsibilities for operating and managing the hotel. The operator can be a hotel
chain with reputed name and market image, such as Hilton, Sheraton, best western, choice
hospitality, etc.

4. Franchise: It is the authorization given by a company to another company or individual to sell

its unique product /services and use its trademark according to the guidelines given by former,
for a specified time, and a specified place. Under it the owner operates as a member of the chain,
utilizing the brand image, name, and goodwill and obtaining for a certain fee. Some of the
franchising companies are Holiday Inn, Choice international,

5. Referral Groups: It consists of independent hotel which have grouped together for some
common purpose. Though the properties in the referral group may be different from each other
but there is sufficient consistency in the quality of service to satisfy guest expectations. The
member hotels recommend guest to other member hotels. Some examples are Best Western
international, one of the largest hotel chains, is the best example of referral groups.

6. Time –Share Hotels: A new concept of ownership also called vacation ownership or holiday
ownership concepts, mushrooming up in resorts areas like hills, beaches, forest. As the name
suggest, it entails purchasing a tourist accommodation at a popular destination for a particular
time slot in a year which can be week or weeks. Each room or suite is owned by several people
who will schedule their visits well in advance with the management office to ensure that the
room or suites is available or rent a unit to other vacationers if they cannot avail the facility. It is
fully furnished rooms with kitchenettes may have a dining hall with a bar. More desirable the
season, the higher the timeshare fee. The price of the property will depend on the week, one
intends to buy. The guest can choose the peak seasons, semi peak seasons or lean seasons. It is
also required to pay an annual contribution towards the maintenance of apartments and public
areas, electricity, gas, water, safety, insurance etc. The owner can also rent out the unit through
management.

E) Classification on the basis of Level of Services

1. Upmarket/Luxury/World Class Services Hotels: Targeting the affluent segment of

society, hotels in the up-market category offer world class products with personalized
service of highest standard. The emphasis is on excellence. These hotels provide upscale
restaurants and lounge, exquisite decor, concierge services, luxurious rooms and
abundant amenities. The design and interior decoration of the hotel itself reflect the
standards maintained by the hotel. The guest rooms are large with exquisite decoration
and furnishing. Generally, a valet is assigned to each guest room. These hotels have many
specialty restaurants with full-assisted services. Top-end recreational facilities, such as
golf course, tennis court, swimming pool with trained lifeguard, and other sports
facilities, shopping arcades, beauty salons, health spas with sauna and Jacuzzi, are
regular features. These hotels are generally patronized by affluent people who care for
quality and include business executives, celebrities, and high –ranking political figures.
2. Mid- Market/Mid- Range Service Hotels: These hotels offer modest services without
the frills and personalized attention of luxury hotels, and appeal to the largest segment of
 travelers. They may offer services such as room services, round –the-clock, coffee shop
Airport / railway station pickups and drop facilities. A typical hotel offering mid range
services would be medium sized; having roughly 150 to 300rooms.The room rent is much
lower than the up-market hotels.
3. Budget/Economy Hotels: It focuses on meeting the most basic needs of guest providing
clean, comfortable and inexpensive rooms. Also known as economy or limited services
hotels, they appeal primarily to budget –minded travelers and groups. The clientele of
budget hotels may also include families with children, bus tour groups of people
travelling together. These hotels have clean, comfortable guest rooms, coffee shop, and a
multi cuisine restaurant, in room telephone, and channeled music and movies.

Major Operational Department

Front Office Operation

Front office is called the heart of the hotel. Regardless of the class or type of the hotel, front
office is the most visible and essential focal-point of a hotel. The focal point of activity within
the front office is the reception desk which is located in the front lobby of a hotel and distributes
all front-of-the-house activities of the hotel. It is the communication centre of the hotel. First of
all a guest interacts with the front office staff and their first impression about the hotel based on
the efficiency, competency and behavior of the front office staff.

Front Office Functions

The primary function of the front office is to work as a facilitator between the guest and other
departments of the hotel. Another job of Front office desk is also to support and help in
providing services to the guests. The number of interactions and transactions between the guest
and the hotel during a guest stay determine the type and nature of front office operations. The
stages of guest stay are given below:
 Pre-arrival

The Stages
Departure of Guest Arrival
Stay

During Stay

• Pre-arrival: During the pre-arrival stage the prospective customer makes a decision as to
which hotel to stay. At this stay customer may find out various properties for his stay and
make reservation through various distribution channels like telephone, mail, web site or
other reservation agents.
• Arrival: This is the second major stage of guest contact with hotel. The major activities
at this time are registration and rooming and both the guest and hotel enter with a binding
contract. At that time the Guest Service Agent (GSA) creates a guest folio based on room
number.
• During Stay: This is the third stage and major activities during this stage are guest
accounts keeping, his complaints and suggestions handling etc. also referred to “On going
responsibilities” stage for hotel.
• Departure: This is the fourth stage. It involves mainly the bill settlement, check-out of
the guest.
Main activities of Front Office

The front office of a hotel generally performs the following basic activities:

1. Selling rooms
2. Processing advance reservations.
3. Registering guests.
4. Rooming guests.
5. Handling guests’ luggage.
6. Issuing room keys.
7. Providing information.
8. Handling guests’ mail and parcel.
9. Administering telephone service.
10. Accounting (making payments)

House Keeping Operation

Housekeeping is an important and integral part of the guest experience and satisfaction.
Housekeeping department provides home like feeling to the guest and comfortable stay of guest
depends on this department. Although the staff providing this service do not necessarily interact
directly with the public but the quality of their work is critical in shaping guests’ pleasant
memories of their stay. The role of Housekeeping department is very simple, but when it is
concerned to maintain a house of several hundred rooms, a number of public areas, the task
becomes challenging.

Housekeeping means performing all the duties towards cleaning, maintaining and running
lodging establishment, like inn, hotel, resort, dormitory. In the hotels, the housekeeping duties
involve maintaining the hotel to the best possible state in terms of cleanliness, and keeping it at
highly desirable ambience.

Objectives of Hotel Housekeeping

The main objectives of hotel housekeeping are –
 ✓ To maintain overall cleanliness of the entire hotel at all times.
✓ To perform cleanliness duties most efficiently and effectively.
✓ To use good quality, safe cleaning equipment and chemicals.
✓ To manage laundry and linen.
✓ To control pests.
✓ To keep up the hotel with classy interior decoration.
✓ To take care of the furniture, fittings of the entire hotel.

Functions of Housekeeping Department

Housekeeping department holds the responsibility of cleaning and maintenance of the hotel. The
main functions of housekeeping are overall cleanliness, bed making, ensuring maintenance of the
building and its infrastructure, laundry, linen management, key control, pest control, safety and
security of the guests as well as the infrastructure and interior decoration. All this ensure the
ambience and promotes a congenial environment. The basic function of the housekeeping is
explained briefly:

• Cleaning Rooms and Public Areas: Housekeeping department cleans the rooms and
toilets and wash basins in the room. Apart from cleaning the guest rooms, housekeeping
department is also responsible for cleaning floor, elevators, elevator lobbies, corridors of
guest floors, floor linen closets, service lobbies and service stairways, bars, dining rooms,
offices, uniform rooms, tailor rooms and swimming pools. To be brief, the housekeeping
department is responsible for the total cleanliness of a hotel.
• Bed Making: A guest requires a comfortable bed to take rest, relax and enjoy. A bed that
is well- made will provide the required comfort. Bed making is a skill that requires to be
developed by the housekeeper, as it not only provides comfort to the guest, but also adds
to the pleasant ambience of a guest’s room.
• Linen Management: One of the important jobs of the housekeeping department is
clothes and linen management. This involves all functions from purchase of linen to
laundering, storage, supplies and to condemnation. In a hotel different types of clothes
and linen are used such as the bed sheets, pillow covers, napkins, towels, hand towels,
table covers, curtains, cushion covers etc. All of these require regular maintenance.
 • Laundry Services: It is the job of the Housekeeping Department to ensure clean and
hygienic washing of all the linen items, and then distributing them to different areas of
the hotel. The relationship between the housekeeping and laundry is significant for the
smooth functioning of housekeeping services. One of the supporting roles of the laundry
is to provide valet services to house guests.
• Pest Control: Pest Control is another major job of the Housekeeping Department. No
matter how clean one keeps the surroundings, one cannot avoid the pests. It is not only
embarrassing but also speaks badly of a hotel where one sees rats, cockroaches, and
lizards running around. Therefore, pest control is one of the primary responsibilities of
the housekeeping department.
• Key Control: Key control is one of the major jobs of the housekeeping department. The
room key has to be handled efficiently and safely before and after letting the room.

Food and Beverage Department

The food and beverage is one of the integral part and important operational department in a hotel
which is divided into (i) food production and (ii) food and beverage service department. Food
production or kitchen department is responsible for the actual preparation of food items where as
the F & B service department is responsible for the systematic service of food from the hot or
cold plates of kitchen to the customer’s tables as per their choices or order.

The term kitchen is derived from the French word “Cuisine” which literally means Art of
cooking or food preparation in the kitchen. But in the modern concept of catering the cuisine not
only refers to Art of cooking foods in the kitchen, it also indicates the style of service offered to
serve the food.

Food and Beverage Services Department :

The food and beverage services is usually defined by its output of products, to satisfy the various
demands of food and drinks of people. But it doesn’t include the manufacturing of food and
drink and its retailing. In today’s world, the food and beverage service industry has expanded a
lot and nowadays, it is serving more than 100 million meals per day. It has spread across all
aspects of life. Hotel, restaurants, industrial canteen, hospital canteen, railway, airways, all are
now part of food and beverage service industry.
The basic function of this industry is to serve food & drink to people, to satisfy their various
types of needs. The main aim is to achieve customer satisfaction. The needs that customer might
be seeking to satisfy are:

• Physiological: the need of special food items

• Economic: the need for good value for the price paid
• Social: a friendly atmosphere, to express feelings frankly
• Psychological: the need for enhancement of self‐esteem
• Convenience: the desire for someone else to do the work.

These various needs play a major role in deciding the factors responsible for defining the
different type of service methods in Food & Beverage service industry. The service of food&
beverage may be carried out in many ways depending on a number of factors:

• The type of establishment

• The type of customer to be served
• The time available for the meal
• The turnover of customer expected
• The type of menu presented
• The cost of meal served
• The site of establishment

Food & beverage service can also be viewed from the customer’s perspective. Essentially, the
customer enters a food service area, orders or selects his/ her choice and then is served (the
customer may pay either at this point or later). Food and beverages are then consumed, following
which the area is cleared. Broadly we can categorize the service methods in five types:

A. Table Service
B. Assisted service
C. Self‐ service
D. Single point service
E. Specialized or in situ service
A. Table Service

In this category, the guest enters in the area and is seated. Menu lists are given or displayed for
orders. The orders are been taken by waiter/ess. Then the service is done using a laid cover on
the table. The following are types of service come under this category:

i. English Service: Often referred to as the "Host Service" because the host plays an active
role in the service. Food is brought on platters by the waiter and is shown to the host for
approval. The waiter then places the platters on the tables. The host either portions the
food onto the guest plates directly or portions the food and allows the waiter to serve.
For replenishment of guest food the waiter may then take the dishes around for guests to
help themselves or be served by the waiter.
ii. French Service: It is a very personalized service. Food is brought from the kitchen in
dishes and salvers, which are placed directly on the table. The plates are kept near the
dish and the guests help themselves.
iii. Silver Service: The table is set for hors d'oeuvres, soup, main courses and sweet dish in
sterling silverware. The food is portioned into silver platters at the kitchen itself, which
are placed at the sideboard with burners or hot plates to keep the food warm in the
restaurant. Plates are placed before the guest. The waiter then picks the platter from the
hot plate and presents the dish to the host for approval. He serves each guest using a
service spoon and fork. All food is presented in silver dishes with elaborate dressing.
iv. American/Plate Service: The American service is a pre‐plated service, which means that
the food is served into the guest's plate in the kitchen itself and brought to the guest. The
kitchen predetermines the portion and the accompaniments served with the dish and then
balance the entire presentation in terms of nutrition and colour. This type of service is
commonly used in a coffee shop where service is required to be fast.
v. Russian Service: An elaborate silver service thought to be the foundation of French
service except that the food is portioned and carved by the waiter at the gueridon trolley
in the restaurant in full view of the guests. Display and theatrical presentation are a major
part of this service. The principle involved is to have whole joints, poultry, game and fish
elaborately dressed and garnished, presented to guests and carved and portioned by the
waiter.
 vi. Guèridon Service: This is a service where a dish comes partially prepared from the
kitchen to be completed in the restaurant by the waiter or, when a complete meal is
cooked at the tableside in the restaurant. The cooking is done on a gueridon trolley,
which is a mobile trolley with a gas cylinder and burners. The waiter plays a prominent
part, as he is required to fillet, carve, flambé and prepare the food with showmanship.
The waiter has to have considerable dexterity and skill.
vii. Snack‐bar Service: Tall stools are placed along a counter so that the guest may eat the
food at the counter itself. In better establishments, the covers are laid out on the counter
itself. Food is either displayed behind the counter for the guests to choose from, or is
listed on a menu card or simple black board.

B. Assisted Service

In this type of category, the guest enters in the dining area and helps himself to the food, either
from a buffet counter or he may get served partly at table by waiter/ess and he collects any extras
he needs from the counter. Eating may be done on either at table, standing or in lounge area/
banquet hall. Buffet Service: A self‐service, where food is displayed on tables. The guest takes
his plate from a stack at the end of each table or requests the waiter behind the buffet table to
serve him. For sit‐down buffet service, tables are laid with crockery and cutlery as in a
restaurant. The guest may serve himself at the buffet table and return to eat at the guest table laid
out. The waiter may serve a few courses like the appetizer and soup at the table.

C. Self Service

In this type of service, the guest enters in the dining area, selects his own tray or from the food
counter and carries food by himself to his seating place.

Cafeteria Service: This service exists normally in industrial canteens, colleges, hospitals or
hotel cafeterias. To facilitate quick service, the menu is fixed and is displayed on large boards.
The guest may

have to buy coupons in advance, present them to the counter waiter who then serves the desired
item. Sometimes food is displayed behind the counter and the guests may indicate their choice to
the counter attendant. The food is served pre‐plated and the cutlery is handed directly to the
guest. Guests may then sit at tables and chairs provided by the establishment. Sometimes high
tables are provided where guests can stand and eat.

D. Single Point Service

In this category, the guest orders, pays for his order and gets served all at a single point. There
may be may not be any dinning area or seats. The different types are:

i. Take Away: Customer orders and is served from single point, at counter, hatch or snack
stand; customer consumes off the premises.
ii. Vending: Provision of food service and beverage service by means of automatic
retailing.
iii. Kiosks: Outstation to provide service for peak demand or in specific location (may be
open for customers to order or used for dispensing only).
iv. Food Court: series of autonomous counters where customers may either order and eat or
buy from a number of counters and eat in separate eating area, or take‐away.

E. Specialized Service

In this category the guest is served at the place, which is not meant or designated for food &
beverage service (i.e. guest rooms or any special area).

i. Grill Room Service: In this form of service various meats are grilled in front of the
guest. The meats may be displayed behind a glass partition or well decorated counter so
that the guest can select his exact cut of meat. The food comes pre‐plated.
ii. Tray service: Method of service of whole or part of meal on tray to customer in situ, e.g.
hospitals aircraft or railway catering.
iii. Trolley service: Method of service of food and beverages form trolley, away from dining
areas, e.g. for office workers, in aircraft or on trains.
iv. Home‐ Delivery: Food delivered to customer’s home or place of work, e.g. Pizza home
delivery or Meal on wheels etc.
v. Lounge Service: Service of variety of foods and beverages in lounge area.
vi. Room Service: It implies serving of food and beverage in guest rooms of hotels. Small
orders are served in trays. Major meals are taken to the room on trolleys. The guest places
 his order with the room service order taker. The waiter receives the order and transmits
the same to the kitchen. In the meanwhile he prepares his tray or trolley. He then goes to
the cashier to have a check prepared to take along with the food order for the guests’
signature or payment. Usually clearance of soiled dishes from the room is done after half
an hour or an hour. However, the guest can telephone Room Service for the clearance as
and when he has finished with the meal. There are two types of Room Service:
a) Centralized room service: Here al the food orders are processed from the main
kitchen and sent to the rooms by a common team of waiters.
b) Decentralized room service: Each floor or a set of floor may have separate pantries
to service them. Orders are taken at a central point by order‐takers who in turn convey
the order to the respective pantry.
vii. Mobile Room service: Some hotels have pantries installed in service elevators. A
central point that conveys it to the mobile pantry receives orders. The pantry has to just
switch on the floor and give instant service. For the sake of information, in countries,
which have a shortage of manpower, large hotels install mechanized dispensing units in
rooms. The guest inserts the necessary value of coins into the machine, which will eject
pre-prepared food and beverages for guest consumption.

Food Production Department :

It is a department with deals with the preparation of different types of food items. It is not a
visible department to the guest because it usually works in the back area. It makes the food more
delicious and attractive by different styles of cooking method. Different cuisine has their own
kitchen and specialized chef to work on it according to their skills. Bakery departments comes
under this which include preparation of desserts, breads etc.

Food Production is a department which is involved in preparation of food. A process, in which

raw materials are cooked, combined and transformed to make a dish. The scope of Food
Production has been widening at a faster pace in India as well as Abroad. It makes the food more
delicious and attractive by different styles of cooking method. Different cuisine has their own
kitchen and specialized chef to work on it according to their skills. Bakery departments comes
under this which include preparation of desserts, breads etc.
A Chef is involved from purchasing to deciding the menu, supervising the kitchen, maintaining
the quality of food, sanitation standards, and coming up with new dishes. Food Production
department comprises of main kitchen, banquet kitchen, soup section, pantry section, pastry
section, baking & confectionary section, and vegetable section. Sections may vary based on the
scale and star category of a hotel or hospitality establishment.

A Chef does more than cooking and has to handle many responsibilities. Being a Chef requires
great experience and a flair for cooking. A Chef is responsible for overseeing subordinates and
the work they do. Chef is responsible for menu planning and menu engineering; and special
dishes to be added from time to time. He/she is also responsible for creating recipes, indenting
and costing. A Chef supervises the purchasing, preparation of food, organization of kitchen,
equipments required in the kitchen, recruitment of staff, maintaining the cleanliness and
inspecting the quality of raw materials to be used in cooking; at the same time be aware of safety
standards.

Promotion from a junior Chef to a head chef may take years and is competitive, but if you have
that extra edge and are focused, one could be a famous Chef at a young age. Pursuing a career as
a Chef is challenging, exciting and rewarding at the same time.

One can even opt for self-employment and if you have the confidence and skills in you, you can
open up your restaurant/hotel/café.

The institute from where you complete your certificate or diploma or degree comes in picture as
an important aspect. Lords Institute of Management offers certificate course in Food Production
Principles affiliated to American Hotel & lodging Educational Institute, USA. Students
graduated from the institute are market ready and have high practical knowledge in the
meticulous tasks involved in various sections of Food Production. (Lords Institute of
Management, 2017)
Picture : The apprentices in a kitchen (pc. Lords Institute of Management).

Transport Services

The people have been using transportation in order to travel from one place to another since
ancient times. At that time simple transportation forms existed. But in the 19th century the steam
power engines, and lately diesel powered engines were invented, as the matter of fact the
inventions changed the transportation notion or speed. The speed became one of the most
important factors in transportation. In 1841 Thomas Cook realized the first organized travel
using train with steam power engine. From that time transportation became inseparable part of
tourism.

Transportation in its simple meaning is to carry passengers from one point to another. The travel
and tourism experience of tourists and the ideas about tourism products start and end with
transportation. That is why it is impossible to consider tourism without transportation. The
development of transportation, transportation vehicles, infrastructure and using new technologies
in this sector speed up the development of tourism. If we pay attention to the statistics of World
Tourism Organization, we may see that the tourism dynamics has changed and increased rapidly
between 2005 and 2008, and experiencing continuous growth in present time. This trend can be
explained with different factors. But the main important factor here is the rapid development of
transportation sector and application of technological innovations which enable the tourists to
reach many destinations of the world.

Transportation Modes

Whether transportation plays important role in enriching the travel experience of a tourist
depends on the mode of transportation and the frequency of use. Transportation can turn into a
separate tourist attraction element; cruising, express trains, boat trips along the river and others.
Transportation sector is divided into four categories: Air, Rail, Ground and Water. The following
text offers an overview of each area :

Air Transportation

One of the most important transportation modes in tourism is air travel. Air travel has made
significant changes in people’s minds concerning time and distance. In order to meet the ever
growing demand, the airline companies spend billions of dollars and apply new technological
innovations. The world’s airline industry comprises with 1,629 airlines, 27,271 aircraft, 3,733
airports, 29.6 million scheduled departures a year, and carries 2.7 billion of passengers a year.

Automobile Transportation

The importance of this mode in tourism is also very important. When compared with the prices
in air transportation, this mode of transportation is frequently used by tourists because of low
prices. In short distances tourists always choose automobile transportation.

In order to develop the automobile transportation, it is vital to develop the infrastructure.

Infrastructure means to rebuild the existing roads and highways, to build new ones, to establish
motel and restaurants on the way for tourists to take advantage of the opportunity to rest during
the travel. Automobile transportation may be of different modes like bus, personal automobile,
caravan, and rental cars and others

Railway Transportation

The other mode that affects tourism is railway transportation. This type of transportation is
considered the oldest one. In 19th century the railways were frequently used. But nowadays
technology and technological innovation gave birth to fastest trains which compete with air and
automobile transportation modes. In order to take advantage of fast trains many countries rebuild
their existing railroad systems completely.

Sea Transportation

Sea transportation includes cruise travel, boat travel, yachting, ferry travel etc. The cruise travel
has a special place in tourism. The cruise ships, named as sailing hotels, provide tourists with an
unforgettable travel opportunity. While travelling with a cruise ship, the tourists get the
opportunity to see several countries at a time. This type of transportation is one the most
expensive one, because the price for a cruise ship exceeds $100 million. More than thousands of
employees work in a cruise ship at a time.

Adventure Tourism and Recreation

Adventure Tourism has grown exceptionally in worldwide over the past few years. This allows
for new destinations to market themselves as truly unique, appealing to those travellers looking
for rare, incomparable experiences.

Adventure Tourism means guided commercial tours, where the principal attraction is an outdoor
activity that relies on features of the natural terrain, generally requires specialized equipment,
and is exciting for the tour clients. The clients may operate the equipment themselves or they
may simply be passengers. There are two main categories of adventure activities, hard adventure
or soft adventure, and vigorous debate often surrounds which activities belong in each category.
The easiest way to identify an adventure trip as hard or soft adventure is by its primary activity.

Both hard and soft adventures are highly lucrative segments of the adventure tourism sector. The
cost of just for the permit to climb to summit Mt. Everest, a hard adventure activity, is estimated
to be USD 11,000 per person for 2015.

Adventure travelers are early adopters by nature, meaning they are generally more willing to try
new destinations, activities, and travel products. Popular activities change rapidly, and it seems
there is a new twist on an existing sport every year. Typical activities in adventure tours include
the following activities:
 • Surfing
• Climbing • Sail boarding
• Caving • Sailing
• Abseiling • Ballooning
• kayaking • Skydiving
• Whitewater kayaking • Paragliding
• Rafting, Diving • Horse riding
• Snorkeling • Mountain biking
• Skiing • Snowmobiling and
• Snow boarding • Off-road driving
• Hang gliding • Zip linining

Group Work

1. What are the different service sectors in tourism and hospitality management?
Identify in the context of Bangladesh.

2. Take a hotel of your area and describe about it

3. List the Bangladeshi food and beverages and identify the places famous for a
particular food item.

4. Write about the Transport system of Dhaka city, identify the problems and
suggest how these could be overcome..

5. List the adventure tourism and recreation tourism facilities available in

Bangladesh. To your group which one seems to be interesting. Why?

6. Visit the Front office of any good hotel of Dhaka city and justify why it is called
the heart of the house.
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