THE newly-elected chairman of the Hong Kong Hotel Association (HKHA), Victor Chan, has predicted slower growth for the city’s hotel rates next year.
Chan said a single-digit growth was expected in 2013, following two to three years of double-digit increment, as some 20,000 new hotel rooms were expected to come into the market over the next five years.
He also warned of heightened manpower challenges in the hotel industry in 2013, created by a yawning communication gap between “supervisors and Gen Y frontline staff”.
To reach out to new blood, HKHA works closely with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University to organise Winter School, an executive development programme in hospitality.
“We place emphasis on both education and training, particularly the sales and marketing aspects. Apart from liaising with industry veterans to give career talks in schools, we also hope to venture out on a society-wide level to promote careers in the hotel industry.”
