Hospitality Careers: Thriving During the Busy Holiday Seasons
The hospitality industry booms during the winter holiday season. People travel more frequently to visit family or go on vacation, adding pressure to hospitality venues such as hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions.
While this time of year can give hospitality workers unforgettable experiences, such as meeting new people and opportunities to advance your career, it can also come with greater challenges, including longer hours, demanding guests, and high expectations. This can often lead to stress and unpleasant working conditions.
Never fear, because we’ve got some actionable tips to help you survive busy tourist seasons, including the winter holidays. Keep reading to get our expert tips to help you deliver top-notch service, manage your personal stress, and help advance your career.
Understanding the holiday hospitality rush
In the last quarter of 2024, Canadians took 71 million domestic trips, with 45% to visit friends and relatives and 30% for holidays or vacations. In December 2024, the Vancouver International Airport welcomed over 2.1 million passengers (up 7.6% from the previous year).
The winter holiday season is the second busiest travel season for Canada (second to July and August). Canada often attracts tourists during the winter due to our abundance of winter activities and landscapes. Hospitality businesses must plan for this influx of tourists and travellers.
With more guests to support, staff in hotels, airports, and other tourist destinations are often overwhelmed. As the crowds grow, guest tolerance and patience frequently shrink, causing usually calm guests to become stressed and upset, and take out their frustrations on the hospitality staff.
In addition to ensuring your hospitality venue has plans to deal with the holiday rush, staff must prepare both physically and mentally for the increased demands of their job during this busy season.
Managing stress and maintaining balance
How can you manage stress in your hospitality job during busy seasons? Here are some tips to help you manage your mental health during busy seasons, like the winter holidays:
- Prioritize self-care – Take care of yourself. When not at work, engage in activities that physically or mentally recharge you, such as meditation, exercise, a trip to the spa, or reading a good book.
- Manage your time – Utilize calendars and checklists to effectively manage your work responsibilities, ensuring you don’t get overwhelmed and forget important tasks. Don’t be afraid to say no to extra or overtime shifts if it’s overwhelming.
- Communicate – Keep in touch with your team members and manager on a regular basis. If you’re starting to feel overwhelmed or overworked. There may be someone who can pick up the slack temporarily while you take a short break or breather.
- Positive mindset – Positivity is powerful. Try looking in the mirror before every shift and saying something positive or complimenting yourself. A smile, even if you’re not feeling well, can make a difference for your mental health.
- Take a moment – Sometimes, taking a quick break or getting fresh air can help reset your body and mind during a busy shift. When needed, ask for a quick 5-minute break to step away from the work environment and relax for a few minutes to recharge.
Delivering exceptional guest experiences
Your job is to deliver exceptional guest experiences. Here are a few ways you can create these memorable moments for guests over the holidays:
- Small touches – What small things can you do to make your guests feel special? Maybe it’s addressing them by name when they walk past or interacting with their children? Perhaps you overhear them mentioning a special celebration, and you deliver a small gift to their room. Remember that even small touches can create a big impact.
- Anticipating needs – Be observant. Read guests’ cues to learn more about their needs and be proactive in addressing them.
- Professional composure: How you handle a difficult guest can turn things around. Always interact with demanding guests with empathy and grace, and you may be the person to turn their “bad” experience into a good one.
- Team synergy and collaboration: Hospitality isn’t solo. Collaborate with your coworkers on initiatives that elevate the overall guest service experience.
Turning the holiday season into a career opportunity
The busy holiday season is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your professionalism and dedication to your career and your employer’s business. Here are a few ways to turn the holiday season into a career-boosting opportunity:
- Showcase your skills – Stand out in performance reviews by going above and beyond for your guests.
- Network – Connect with managers, event planners, and returning guests to discover new opportunities for creating positive guest experiences and potential professional connections that could lead to future career opportunities in hospitality.
- Professional Development – Spearhead special projects and committees at work. This real-world experience and exciting portfolio pieces can strengthen your resume.
- Skills Development – Consider returning to school after the holidays to enhance your hospitality skills at a program like Capital College’s Hospitality Management Diploma Program.
Is your future in hospitality?
The winter holidays are a busy time for the hospitality industry, but they present fantastic opportunities to expand your skills and showcase your experience to further your career. Just remember to manage your work-life balance to ensure you’re not overworking yourself physically or mentally. Take breaks often to refresh your mind and body, and to help you perform at your best.
Whether you’re simply intrigued by the possibility of working in the industry or have some experience already, the Hospitality Management program at Capital College provides the knowledge, skills, and fundamental experience needed to work successfully in a range of hospitality/ tourism careers.
Capital College’s hospitality management training program includes 1440 hours (including a co-op placement) and is typically completed over 72 weeks. Upon completion of this tourism diploma in Canada, you’ll receive your:
- Hospitality Management Diploma from the College.
- Hospitality Management Diploma from the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA)
- Certificate of Specialization for Rooms Division from the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA)
Remember, hospitality industry career success during the holidays isn’t just about surviving—it’s about growing. Start your career growth with Capital College today.
Learn more about our Hospitality Management program and register today.