Today, Metro Manila has the country’s largest concentration of hospitality and tourism jobs, a position closely contested by Metro Cebu. As both the preeminent tourism and business center of the country, it has the largest concentration of foreign tourists, business people, and expatriates in the Philippines. The decades-long improvement in the local economy has also increased the incomes of locals, creating a much greater demand for tourism and hotel services.
If you’re looking
for tourism and hotel jobs in Manila,
you’ll
find that there is almost always a large number of openings thanks to both the
continuous improvement in the economy and the opening up of the Philippine
market to more types of foreign investment. The boom in services such as Airbnb
has also increased the number of job openings in smaller hotel alternatives.
Here are some of the
job openings you can usually find on most job listing sites as well as the
responsibilities of each role:
1.) Housekeeping
Hotels and hotel alternatives such as resorts and Airbnb partners are always in need of qualified housekeepers to turn over rooms and help improve customer experiences. Responsibilities include cleaning and turning over rooms as well as addressing customer queries.
2.) Hotel manager
Hotel managers are responsible for the day-to-day upkeep of hotels, including but not limited to maintenance, upkeep, and marketing. These positions normally require a few years of experience working in the hospitality industry, though smaller businesses may have opportunities for talented fresh graduates.
3.) Chef
With
the Philippines starting to gain recognition as a major international food
destination, the demand for talented chefs and in both hands-on and executive
roles has likewise risen. Chefs do much more than cook. They are also
responsible for menu planning, sourcing, as well as ensuring cleanliness
throughout every step of food preparation.
4.) Sommelier
The Philippine wine market has exploded in recent decades, and the available selections are much better than they ever were. As hotels and restaurants are now attempting to attract local and foreign customers with their selections, this has led to an increase in demand for capable sommeliers or wine experts. Sommeliers source and select wines to suit the food items on the menu.
5.) Marketing and PR specialist
All this local competition in the hospitality industry has made it more important than ever for hotels, resorts, and restaurants to start investing heavily in their marketing. Depending on the business’s marketing strategy, responsibilities can range anywhere from maintaining and updating websites and social media pages to actively running advertising campaigns in different media outlets.
6.) Event organizer
More hotels and resorts are moving towards hosting wedding receptions, business conferences, and other events as a major source of income. As this area has become very competitive, many hotels and resorts now hire professional event and conference organizers. Event organizers handle the details of event management, including catering, decor, logistics, and other related activities.
7.) Tour operator
Tour operators work with hotels, resorts, and transportation services to offer competitive tour packages. The increased diversity of tourists in recent years has increased the opportunities for tour operators fluent in languages other than English, including Korean, Mandarin, and Japanese.
8.) Spa and wellness management
Hotels
and resorts are now offering more competitive spa and wellness services, which
has increased the openings in these areas. Spa and wellness managers are in
charge of the upkeep and day-to-day running of spas, including the hiring and
management of massage, beauty, and wellness specialists.
9.) Travel agent
Travel agents have a wide number of responsibilities beyond simply arranging tickets and packaged tours. They are also responsible for customer experience, trip planning, as well as visa and passport advice. In many cases, they are also responsible for selling insurance and may be involved in the day-to-day marketing of the business as well.
10.) Tour guide
The increase in foreign arrivals has resulted in a huge and growing demand for tour guides in Metro Manila. Tour guides may work with a tour operator, travel agency, or as part of an independent tour guide service. Metro Manila’s heritage and complexity and the growing number of arrivals ensure that there will be available tour guide slots in the foreseeable future.
11.) Customer service specialist
The hospitality industry worldwide has made large strides in its effort to improve customer service at every level. Many of the customer experience responsibilities that were once mostly handled by hotel managers have now been taken up by customer service specialists. In Metro Manila, customer service specialists can find openings both in local hotels and resorts, as well as in call centers that service major hotel and resort chains all over the world. Customer service specialists may be asked to handle a wide variety of customer queries and complaints as well as arrange and confirm different bookings and reservations.
These are just a few of the Manila-based hotel and tourism jobs that you are likely to come across on most job listing sites. Always be sure to check if the job site you’re using is reputable, and always take the time to thoroughly research each listing before you send in your application. Good luck with your job search!
