The Impacts of Hospitality and Tourism

This Wall Street Journal video shows us an example of how eco-tourism can change people’s lives without sacrificing the nature in Philippine. I have to admit that not every place has the resources to develop eco-tourism, but I believe the hospitality and tourism industry can benefit almost everyone in any place. In fact, such benefits can go beyond the economic impacts.

Ben Eberhardt, a hotel entrepreneur, shared a great example with us when he spoke in my Hotel & Resort Operations class on Tuesday. He is currently in charge of the Colgate Inn renovation project in Hamilton, NY. As part of the downtown “make-over” effort, the City of Hamilton and Colgate University believe that better hospitality facilities will attract and retain students as well as faculty members.

I have been living in Syracuse (Upstate New York) for almost two years. This region has great potential for hospitality and tourism. The Finger Lakes region is beautiful. There are many wineries and very good local restaurants. The farms and parks are lovely. Many tier-one institutions, including the No. 1 Hotel School at Cornell, are also located in the region. Yet, most tourists only stay in New York City. This problem seems more apparent to me every time when I travel to Niagara Falls --- the Canadian site and the American site look like two completely different worlds. What have we missed? What are strategies we can use to help revitalize the region?

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Is It OK for Hotel Staff to Wear Piercings and Tattoos?

Time has changed. I see more and more college students wearing piercings and tattoos nowadays, but is it OK for hotel staff to wear piercings and tattoos? The answer is “no, no, no.” According a report at USAToday.com, customers across the board do not want to see any hotel workers with pierced eyebrow, pierced tongue, tattooed arm, or nose ring. Some may argue that tattooed and pierced workers may seem more acceptable in edgy boutique hotels as compared to the big franchised hotels, but the survey results did not find any differences among a variety of lodging products. Many respondents believe people who wear visible tattoos and piercings are taking a high risk of their professional lives. If you stay in a hotel, do you mind being served by tattooed and/or pierced staff? What if you are the one who makes the hiring decision? References: USAToday.com: http://tinyurl.com/linchikwok08042010 Picture was downloaded from http://tinyurl.com/linchikwok08042010P

Where Coffee Meets Culture: My Experience with Orientation, Socialization, and Culture at Dutch Bros (by Karina Martinez)

When people think of Dutch Bros, they usually picture colorful drinks, loud music, free stickers, and baristas so friendly they’ll jump in the car with you. As someone who has had the opportunity to work for Dutch Bros, I can say that the energy customers feel isn’t an act; it is the result of intentional and effective HR practices that are focused on orientation, socialization, and culture. From your very first day, you experience how these practices shape the entire Dutch experience. Orientation, Socialization, Culture In HR management, orientation is the introduction of the role and company to new hires. This is intended to help them feel welcomed and informed. Socialization goes beyond the initial training process; it’s how new hires grasp the organization’s values, behaviors, and traditions over time. Together, these fun...

Average/Below-Average Looking People Can Earn as Much as the Attractive Ones

Research has shown that attractive people can not only charm interviewers (and thus get hired easier), they are also more likely to earn more as compared to those with average or below-average looks. Accordingly to a Wall Street Journal report , attractive people can earn 3% - 4% more than a person with below-average look. If such difference adds up over a person’s lifetime, an attractive person can earn up to $230,000 more than an ugly worker; even an average-looking person can make $140,000 more. Another relevant Wall Street Journal report also suggests that workers who exercise regularly can earn 9% more than those who do not. If that is the fact (I believe it is), is it legal? Can employers do that? Linchi Kwok and Otto @SyracuseU Career Fair To my knowledge, no law or regulation under EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) considers a person’s look as a protective class. It is true that people in general have an idea of what kind of person they feel attract...

Linchi Kwok, Ph.D.

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