London, UK (4th December, 2012) - Hotelschoolsearch.com, a site dedicated to providing advice and assistance in finding hospitality management, tourism and culinary schools around the world, comments on a leading hospitality expert's recent analysis of current industry trends which forecasts a wider use of social media to enhance communication with customers.

According to hotelier Robert A. Rauch's analysis of the new factors driving the hospitality industry on hospitality.net, social media will play a greater role in connecting hotels with customers. In his list of ten trends, Mr Rauch forecasts that apps and photo-sharing will become a major method of hotel advertising, with social sites such as Pinterest and Instagram bringing promotional material to a wider range of potential customers.

He also suggests that social networks such as Twitter and LinkedIn could prove useful as a key way to connect with businesses looking to use a hotel's conference facilities via brief, instant discussions, wherever they are. Hotelschoolsearch.com believes that hotel schools and hotel management students will need to be able to adapt and operate within these new areas.

"Hotel and hospitality management schools need to move from a conventional marketing curriculum to one that exposes students to a more dynamic media-driven alternative," said a spokesperson for Hotelschoolsearch.com. "It is a cliché but social media is not a one-way street. Schools need to promote a curriculum that encourages students to understand that social media is both a customer engagement and customer service channel.

"Customer engagement equates to branding and marketing, whereas customer service requires a new type of social media-savvy employee who is able to monitor and react to customers' needs. The new benchmark for hotel schools would shift towards their ability to be able to devise and adapt their curriculum to provide future graduates with such skills. Hospitality brands such as Kempinski, The Hilton etc. are exploring the role of community manager - one that is socially engaging customers on behalf of the brand.

"For students, there is a need to realise that the way they use social media on a personal level is not the same as how it can be conducted on a corporate level. To be successful in the social space, students cannot just focus on one social channel. There is a need to see the use of social media to convey a story, lifestyle, or an experience; Facebook is ideal as it is multi-content, while Twitter can be used to reach more people and direct them to Facebook for the key content and interaction. The hospitality industry is service-oriented, and students need to be aware of the changes taking place to provide maximum customer satisfaction."

For more information on Hotelschoolsearch.com, visit http://www.hotelschoolsearch.com/ or call (0)7896863735.

About Hotelschoolsearch.com:
Hotelschoolsearch.com is dedicated to providing information on the world's best hotel management, tourism and culinary schools and universities, combined with expert, unbiased advice. Comprehensive information is provided for each school and programme, ensuring candidates have a wealth of information on which to base their decision. Hotelschoolsearch.com also lists hospitality jobs all around the world, across all areas of the industry, to help graduates find their dream role.


Contact:
Yan - Ping Mew
Hotelschoolsearch.com
12 Cranbrook Park
London, UK
Zip: N22 5NA
Tel: (0)7896863735
Email: [email protected]