How Are You Going to Spend Your Summer?

As you are all now getting ready to take or already taking your exams, you are no doubt thinking ahead and looking forward to your summer. Some of you will be graduating and going out to start your careers in hotel and tourism, which is very exciting. Others will be starting or perhaps continuing a placement. Still others may have plans to just take time off from school. However, whatever your plans, the summer is a time for you to expand your knowledge of this wonderful business of hotel and tourism management that you are pursuing through your education at SHTM.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to suggest you read another textbook, study another subject, or anything that serious. What I want to encourage you to do is explore.

So, if hotels are your interest, go visit some. Yes, just get dressed up a bit in those professional clothes you all look so good in for presentations in your classes and walk around the lobby and public areas of hotels in Hong Kong or wherever you are this summer. In fact, I’d suggest you take time to introduce yourself to a front desk person, concierge, server in the restaurant, etc. Tell them you are studying at SHTM and you want to know more about what it is like to work in that hotel. You might even walk up to a manager you see in the lobby or at a restaurant (I know that will take some courage) and say hello. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how receptive to you they’ll be. Another option if you are too timid to speak to someone, might be to just sit in the lobby or have a drink in the lobby bar for a hour or more and watch the employees and guests interact as they check-in or out. Think about what it would be like if you were running that hotel.

For those with tourism interests, I'd suggest you go visit some of the well-known tourist attractions in Hong Kong such as the Peak Tram or Avenue of the Stars. However, don’t just go to see the attraction, go to observe the tourists and employees at the attractions. Again, talking to an employee of the attraction or even few foreign tourists about their visit could be valuable time spent for you. Another thought would be going out to Hong Kong International Airport and just walk around a little and observe what everyone does. You could go up to a service desk of one of the airlines, if they aren’t too busy, and introduce yourself to them too. Attractions such as Ocean Park or Disney are even easier as you could go for a fun day, but also take time to talk to those great employees serving you while you are there. How about cruises, well you don’t even have to go on one, just go visit Ocean Terminal and see how it is done when people are checking in or arriving for a couple hours. What about travel agencies, if they have a retail store operation, stop in and ask them about travel destinations you might want to visit someday, you don’t have to buy one if you aren’t ready, just see how it’s done.

If you are doing your placement this summer, don’t just spend all your time at the company you are working for, go visit the competition too on your day off. Of course, those of you looking to start your careers, but haven’t yet found the right opportunity, you certainly should do the same and even go to the human resource office to apply for any positions they may be seeking.

Enjoy your summer and make the best of it in every way, believe me, it will pay off for you in the future.