Hospitality Tourism
The south has made significant changes and growth to create equality among the region in attempt to clear its association with racism. Changes and growth are seen in cultural, academic, and religious practices. Each generation moves the south’s reputation further away from their racist past. However, among the changes, southern hospitality is still a prominent attribute of the south. Historically, for southerners, southern hospitality is most evident at large estates, in anticipation of visitors. Today, the southern states and cities utilize southern hospitality as a tourism selling point. The ample tourism business produced by the commercialization of southern hospitality cannot be tapped into without causing ethical controversy. The authenticity of southern hospitality has been tarnished by businesses putting their employees through hospitality training.
It’s easy for tourists to assume that such a strong regional ideal is simply instilled through growing up in the area, but their’s a gap between authentic southern hospitality, and taught hospitality. In 2006 a Florida based trade magazine launched their own “Southern Hospitality Experience” program, a prime example of “the crass commercialization of southern hospitality at perhaps its worst”(Szczesiul 149). In addition to educating establishments on how to provide a “true” southern hospitality experience, the program offers certification of hospitality. The program’s announcement read “Your guests expect Southern Hospitality: Warmth, courtesy, care, and comfort—the special welcome and attention of the South”, further stating, toward tourism based establishments, “Let’s elevate that message and your distinctive Brand by certifying your Performance through the ‘Southern Hospitality Experience’ program.” The program blatantly reveals that instead of being an established aspect of the South’s personality, southern hospitality has become a lucrative aspect of southern tourism. Rather than being authentic examples of southern hospitality, companies are paying to be certified examples of southern hospitality. Southern hospitality, as a staple of the south, should’t have to be taught.
The south has made significant changes and growth to create equality among the region in attempt to clear its association with racism. Changes and growth are seen in cultural, academic, and religious practices. Each generation moves the south’s reputation further away from their racist past. However, among the changes, southern hospitality is still a prominent attribute of the south. Historically, for southerners, southern hospitality is most evident at large estates, in anticipation of visitors. Today, the southern states and cities utilize southern hospitality as a tourism selling point. The ample tourism business produced by the commercialization of southern hospitality cannot be tapped into without causing ethical controversy. The authenticity of southern hospitality has been tarnished by businesses putting their employees through hospitality training.
It’s easy for tourists to assume that such a strong regional ideal is simply instilled through growing up in the area, but their’s a gap between authentic southern hospitality, and taught hospitality. In 2006 a Florida based trade magazine launched their own “Southern Hospitality Experience” program, a prime example of “the crass commercialization of southern hospitality at perhaps its worst”(Szczesiul 149). In addition to educating establishments on how to provide a “true” southern hospitality experience, the program offers certification of hospitality. The program’s announcement read “Your guests expect Southern Hospitality: Warmth, courtesy, care, and comfort—the special welcome and attention of the South”, further stating, toward tourism based establishments, “Let’s elevate that message and your distinctive Brand by certifying your Performance through the ‘Southern Hospitality Experience’ program.” The program blatantly reveals that instead of being an established aspect of the South’s personality, southern hospitality has become a lucrative aspect of southern tourism. Rather than being authentic examples of southern hospitality, companies are paying to be certified examples of southern hospitality. Southern hospitality, as a staple of the south, should’t have to be taught.
Commercialized hospitality has led to fabricated southern hospitality, but the economic benefits are hard to look past. Atlanta, GA, is an example of how selling southern hospitality to potential visitors can lead to economic growth. Harvey Newman explains how Atlanta used southern hospitality to grow their economy and infrastructure in Southern Hospitality: Tourism and the Growth of Atlanta. The city put all employees who interact with visitors, such as airport workers and hotel clerks, through hospitality training, bringing the hospitality evident in households to the large city. Atlanta’s tourism is unique in comparison to other tourist cities in the south. The majority of Atlanta’s tourism comes from large business conferences, rather than vacationers. Putting hospitality on display everywhere provides a welcoming environment for businessmen and women that, according to Harvey Newman, is not matched anywhere else. Tourism in Atlanta is now a multibillion dollar industry that continues to grow with time. Atlanta is just one example of the growth of tourism from advertising southern hospitality.