Overview of the Hospitality and Tourism Industry

Written By
April Lynn Mobley
August 16, 2014

In this paper I will show the challenges involved in managing restaurant operations in the State of South Carolina. I will also address how I would handle the challenges. Then I will show the impact of computerization on food service and lodging operations in the state of South Carolina. I will then take a look at the interdependence of the food service, lodging and meeting segment of the hospitality industry and I will make two recommendations for how the synergy between the three sub- segments could be improved, using examples from South Carolina to prove what I am writing about. I will also consider how these segments could improve their relationship between one another and how they could combine their service so they could be more marketable. The last thing I will show is the likely consequences of the introduction of gaming entertainment back into the state of South Carolina. There are many different challenges involved in managing a restaurant in the state of South Carolina. One of the biggest challenges for managers here is ensuring compliance with various state laws and regulation concerning the health and safety in the Hospitality Industry. The Restaurateurs and management believe that they are at the mercy of the legislators. It is believed by management that they do consider the ramifications of the laws that are passed and what the impact the industry has on local economy and job market. Over the next two years there will be more changes that will affect the economy and also the employee’s pay scale. The managers need to keep up to date on current issues. Today most management teams use computerized point of sale terminals and register that control guest checks, kitchen orders, and guest payments. In addition, such systems can store a great amount of data, which can provide a range of averages and ratio’s that can be used to evaluate such items as menu-mix analysis, average guest check, the seat turnover, cost of the sales analysis, and inventory control, this is just to name o few. The computers have made a manager’s job somewhat easier and less time consuming.
They have made due manual accounting almost a thing of the past. They can do analysis and evaluation of labor productivity, cost control, inventory control, menu costing; budgeting and so on can be obtained quickly and accurately from the computer.
Today, you can go get a small low cost, yet very powerful microcomputer are available to almost any business operation or individual.you can use them for maintaining a storeroom or small commissary inventory. Customers can visit certain Waffle House’s, McDonalds, Chick fil A, Dunken Donuts, and almost every restaurant today and get on WIFI. Computerization is everywhere today. You stay at a hotel today and they have Wi-Fi, hospitals and camping grounds even have Wi-Fi. Majority of all hotels use computers now for reservations, guest history, guest account auditing, and back office accounting. When you call a hotel, or even the doctor’s office today you have to listen to a computer before you can speak to real person. Restaurants use computers for point of sell so they can keep track of what waitress is selling and what was placed on the persons table. It does help cut out a lot of stealing. If the manager see’s something on a table and then goes to the point of sell and does not see it on the ticket then he or she can fire that person. So computers really are helpful in most cases, just as long as the power does not go out. How can computers help customers in the state of South Carolina? Well they can google different attractions to go visit, places to eat and places to call home for as long as they here on vacation. Some of the visitors may be her on business and the computer is either their link to their family back home or they can do their work for whatever job they do. A person may decide they want to buy a house her so they can sit and look up reality. Computers benefit hotels in more than one way. It is great that some have computer work stations for their guest.