The Jordan Times - AMMAN — Once looked down upon by society jobs in the hospitality industry are attracting more young men and women who are pushing traditional boundaries to begin their professional climb.
Stigmatised by a “culture of shame,” so-called inferior jobs such as serving or cleaning up in hotels, cafÈs and restaurants subsequently created an industry dominated by foreign workers, mainly Indian, Philippine and Egyptian nationals.
While resistance to working in the hospitality industry lingers, sociologists and workers agree that society's view towards such work is improving.
High professional standards within hotels and public awareness, according to hospitality industry expert Ammar Kanaan, is a key factor in this shift. Official figures reveal exponential growth in hospitality job creation.
With 8,000 in 1989, the number of workers in hotels, souvenir shops, travel agencies, and tour operating offices increased to 22,634 employees by last year, according to the Ministry of Tourism. Employees in classified hotels alone nearly doubled from 5,782 workers in 1989 to 10,893 in 2001.
Kanaan, who is also general manager of the Ammon College for Hospitality and Tourism Education (ACHTE), said more Jordanians looked to this sector for employment when it no longer became feasible for hotels to maintain foreign staff with the devaluation of the dinar in 1989.
“The situation was much different during the 1980s. There simply weren't any Jordanians willing to wait on tables or work in what is known as the service industry,” said Kanaan. “But if we look at the hospitality industry today, particularly in three-, four- and five-star hotels, the majority of those working in food and beverage related jobs are Jordanians,” he added.
Encouraging ACHTE graduates to share their experiences during official events and the support of the Ministry of Tourism are two of the ways to promote awareness and shift negative attitudes.
ACHTE, a private college founded in 1981, provides specialised training for up to 600 students each year seeking to join the hospitality industry. After a two-year period, which includes on-the-job training in local four- and five-star hotels affiliated with the college, graduates earn their diplomas. Many of these hotels, according to Kanaan, are often keen on taking on those who appear promising during the training period.
Breaking the gender taboo
Sociologist Musa Shtewi said gender-related issues may deter people from working in this sector.
“One factor causing resistance is the perception that working in serving or cleaning is more female-oriented,” he said.
But more professional standards in hotels along with a tight job market are easing the resistance, he said.
Ministry of Tourism figures for 2000 indicate that 7,305 males compared to 437 females were working in hotels across the country.
But Kanaan said that women usually prefer administrative posts such as front desk jobs or public relations and banqueting over housekeeping or waitressing.
At the ACHTE, Kanaan said the number of women varies. In 2000, for example, there were 12 female graduates out of 60 students but last year the institution graduated only one woman.
The marketing communications manager at the five-star Grand Hyatt Amman Hotel, Madian Al Jazirah, said that although the industry has come a long way in attracting Jordanians, there still are few women in this field.
“Even with the progress made, seldom does one find women taking up face-to-face contact duties such bar-tending or waitressing,” said Al Jazirah.
“Those who do are usually Filipina,” he added.
But some women are breaking through professional and social barriers to make their mark in the hospitality industry. Some, perhaps, are luckier than others when it comes to getting their family or friends' support.
Amani Dureidi, 22, concierge clerk at Amman's Grand Hyatt, faced little resistance when she told her parents she wanted to pursue her studies in hotel management at the Applied Sciences University.
“They told me to go ahead with whatever career I wished to pursue, but advised me that it could be a tough job in this field unless I carried myself well,” said Dureidi.
Among her responsibilities, Dureidi handles guest affairs and makes sure the valets, doormen and bellboys are performing efficiently.
The young woman worked her way up from being an operator at the hotel's communications centre, moving on to the business centre and bookshop then to her current post.
“Although it isn't easy being a woman in this profession, the positive change in the mentality of most people towards women in the hospitality industry helps. Still, others look at girls who work in hotels without much respect,” she added.
Apart from late night shifts, which she said caused her family to grumble every now and then, Dureidi said the hospitality industry constitutes a career she plans to unconditionally devote herself to.
Over at the five-star Le Meridien Hotel, receptionist Rasha Al Azza has a different story to tell. Having joined the hospitality industry just over a month ago, 19-year-old Azza, who trained as a secretary, said her friends occasionally criticise her for working at a hotel.
“Many people continue to regard women working in hotels as loose, and there's usually a lot of talk about their reputation being at stake, but it shouldn't be that way,” said Azza.
“It doesn't bother me. My family gave me their support to go after what I wanted to do with my life, and that's the important thing.”
http://www.ehotelier.com/news/July29.htm#JORDAN
