Tourism

This book showcases the many contributions that women worldwide have made to tourism research. It also serves as a collective mentoring platform, containing letters written by women to the future generations of tourism researchers and passing on invaluable observations and advice.

This guide is intended to introduce resources to assist anyone researching the hospitality industry, specifically hotels and restaurants. It is not possible to include resources that cover every aspect of these industries, so it is not meant to be a comprehensive guide, but rather be a solid starting point. These industries have been grouped together into one guide primarily because they are industries with a close connection and have often been written about in the same literature.

We have put in few parameters to keep the guide as concise as possible. When looking at food establishments we have limited coverage to sit down restaurants and fast food, as well as some older types of establishments like cafeterias, soda fountains, and tea rooms. This guide does not include coverage of either catering or food delivery services, even though that has become a large part of the restaurant/fast food discussion. We have also chosen to focus primarily on hotels and motels and excluded camp grounds, RV parks, and other similar private accommodations that would be considered vacation rentals.

Once upon a time, there was an industry that employed ten-percent of workers worldwide. It spanned borders and cultures, economics, and demographics. It endured man-made catastrophes, natural disasters, economic crises, and technological evolution. It is resilient. It is flexible. It will not rest. Of course, I am referring to the hospitality industry.

Recently, the hospitality industry has faced exceptional adversity in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, it has persevered and evolved to continue to provide customers with, although altered, high-quality customer service. Although some players have closed their doors forever, others have adapted to see record growth. The future for hospitality organizations will continue to shift and morph from the world we once knew but it goes without saying that this industry will survive and continue to thrive whatever comes its way.

Join us as we explore the history and future of this diverse and dynamic industry. Each section will show you career paths and real-world success stories in a different segment of the industry. My hope is that your eyes are opened to new opportunities and your passion is ignited to explore how your journey may unfold as a customer, an employee, and, potentially, a leader in the great big world of hospitality.