CHAPTER 5

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 its users. TripAdvisor has over 400 million monthly travel-eager users who do not only use it to
get all this information but to also 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 chose 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 options 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
Trivago 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 organizations 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 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), 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.

Reflections: five takeaways from this story

1. Always take your job training seriously. You will never know when some sensitive situations like this one will just
pop up.
2 The adage "the customer is always right" is not only worn on the sleeves of every tourism professional. It is also
ingrained in their mindsets.
3. Having a general idea of multicultural diversities among different nationalities and knowing how to tactfully
deal with these diversities when conflicts arise could mean a "make or break" in your handling of these
situations. Always ensure you "make" not "break."
4. Sincerely listening to and empathizing with your customers is one of the keys resolving to all conflicts.
5. It never about you. It is always about others.
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 kababayans¹ 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 down 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 first question which was, "anyat ti nagan mo?" The leader of the pack, who still
had his face close to mine, suddenly retreated and asked "Ilocano ka?" 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 thembefore deplaning. Fortunately for everyone, there was peace and
quiet until we landed in Manila.
Reflections: five takeaways from this story
1. Filipino immigrants to the United States of America, specifically those that have made the state of Hawaii
their place of residence, are mostly from the Ilocos region or Ilocanos.
2. Lucky for me, I was able to establish a common thread between them and me by proudly saying something
in their native tongue; this broke the ice.
3. Balikbayans and OFWs are the most excitable Filipino airline passengers you will meet. Understanding their
excitement and putting yourself in their shoes is the first step to resolving any conflicts that arise.
4.Little gestures mean a lot. The airplane toy giveaways were gifts they brought home to their loved ones with
the poignant story of how they got them. I am certain of that.
5. When this situation happened, I must have been about 25 years old and dealing with people I could have
considered my grandparents. I did not see them just as a bunch of noisy senior halikhayans. Respect.
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 i
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 PMS2% 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. as a The front desk receptionist is fully aware of all
nationalities in the house. The challenge is that many nationalities rarely speak English 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.his 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
ion 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" means "the keys of gold," signifying
the golden standards in hotel which 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.
iWhen 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.
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 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.