A STUDY ON HR CHALLENGES IN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE CITY OF VIJAYAWADA

Abstract

The Indian hospitality sector is recognized as one of the key drivers of growth among the territory sector of India. It contributes to 4% of GDP and 6.7% of total employment in the country. Constant transformation, functional growth & improving standards have gained the hospitality industry of India approval all over the world. The industry provides employment to skilled,semi-skilled,unskilled labor directly and indirectly. Within hospitality sector hotel industry is prominent. The average employee to room ratio is 1.6(2008-09), which is much higher than that for hotels across the world. Hotel industry is ever evolving, ever changing but not its nature but due to the need of an hour. New and progressive concepts like boutique hotels, green hotels, and growth of new trends in the hotel industry. Industry has always operated in a same manner. No matter how magnificently any hotel is built, its revenue flows from the number of guests staying in the hotel’s room or utilizing any other services of hotel like its restaurants, bar, banquets, conference halls, spa, gym, beauty saloon, swimming pools etc. It is a direct customer based industry whose main focus is towards the customer’s satisfaction and customer retention so as to earn their long term loyalty towards their brand. It is a big challenge for all the hotels to retain their customers, as with the advent of new trends in architecture, designs and technology and environment friendly and healthy hotels concepts, companies have been coming up with hotels which are being built incorporating all or some of these components in a building which is made while keeping in mind the fact that it is an investment for the future.However hotel industry in India is facing HR challenges like high turnover rates, low morale of staff, lack of training, employee skill gap, etc