A chance to thrive in travel and tourism
By Susanna Khoo
Amidst the growth and emergence of numerous industries in the Malaysian economy over the years, the travel and tourism industry still remains a vibrant and thriving industry in our nation today.
In 2010, Malaysia was named among the world's top ten tourist destinations. Based on figures published by the Research Division of Tourism Malaysia, it was estimated that there were around 24,577,196 tourist arrivals in the year 2010. The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) also observed that as at October 2010, there were at least 158 hotels operating within the vicinity of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur alone.
For this year, the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia aims to achieve an increase in the number of tourists in Malaysia by 25 million and has projected the revenue to be derived from this industry to be in the region of RM 60 billion. In order to achieve this target, as much as RM 100 million has been allocated through Budget 2011 in support of this industry.
In addition to this, a considerable number of renowned hotel chains have begun to have a presence in Malaysia - for example, the Grand Hyatt, St Regis, Ritz-Carlton, the InterContinental, The Regent, Four Seasons and many others. It is expected that these development projects would result in an additional 4000 rooms being made available for travellers within the Klang Valley.
With regards to its future prospects, the World Travel and Tourism Council expects the travel and tourism industry will contribute as much as RM 137.1 billion (in nominal terms) to Malaysia's total exports in the year 2020 whilst creating 12% of total national employment within that year.
In general, the career prospects within the industry in Malaysia remain good with the long term potential of the industry seen to be bullish, according to a report released by Business Monitor International recently. In fact, despite the positive growth in job opportunities within this sector, it has been noted that there is still an inadequate supply of candidates to fill existing job vacancies.
Among the emerging trends in the travel and tourism industry today is an increasing dependence on online systems, especially for travel bookings. Hotel operators frequently partner with online travel agents in order to capture a wider range of potential customers via the Internet . Experience in e-commerce or information technology would thus be an added advantage for job candidates, especially those aiming for positions in the sales and marketing divisions within this industry.
Hospitality consulting firm, Andrew Freeman & Co. has noted in its 2010 Trend Watch List that consumers have been showing greater preference for budget travel options nowadays . A minimalistic approach towards tourism services has now become more commonplace with hotels and transport providers offering more limited services to consumers which give them the flexibility of choice over which services they want. Besides that, this ongoing trend may lead to a larger number of tourists visiting the country as more people are now able to afford a holiday in Malaysia.
Another persistent trend in the industry today is the growing demand for business tourism in the form of meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE). A combination of business and hospitality skills is especially useful for those seeking to work in this area of specialisation.
Job applicants also ought to keep abreast with the government's current approach of promoting tourism. This is because it has implications on the direction and focus of local industry players, thus indirectly affecting the nature of jobs. Presently, the tagline "Malaysia, Truly Asia" is being used. It places a strong emphasis on the rich, diverse multi-cultural experience that tourists can savour when visiting the country and this is something to keep in mind when applying for jobs within this industry.
It is worth noting too that the term "tourism" is commonly paired with the word "hospitality". This is apt indeed since hospitality lies at the very heart of the travel and tourism industry due to its people oriented nature. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that you have good interpersonal abilities and enjoy having constant interaction with people as part of your work routine if you want to build your career in this field.
Long working hours are frequently a requirement in this industry and you should be prepared to face this in your job. Certain types of jobs may also be seasonal in nature, whereby your work load would be hectic at particular times but slow moving during other periods.
Some jobs may also require candidates to possess specialised skills; for instance, jobs in the food and beverage, security or housekeeping departments of a hotel.
