The origin of the word hospitality

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hospitality is the relationship between a guest and a host, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill, including the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis, chevalier de Jaucourt describes hospitality in the Encyclopédie as the virtue of a great soul that cares for the whole universe through the ties of humanity.^[4] Hospitality is also the way people treat others, that is, the service of welcoming and receiving guests for example in hotels. Hospitality plays a fundamental role to augment or decrease the volume of sales of an organization.

Hospitality ethics is a discipline that studies this usage of hospitality.

Etymology[edit]

Derives from the Latin hospes,^[5] meaning «host», «guest», or «stranger». Hospes is formed from hostis, which means «stranger» or «enemy» (the latter being where terms like «hostile» derive). By metonymy, the Latin word hospital means a guest-chamber, guest’s lodging, an inn.^[6] Hospes/hostis is thus the root for the English words host, hospitality, hospice, hostel and hotel.

Historical practice[edit]

In ancient cultures, hospitality involved welcoming the stranger and offering him food, shelter, and safety.^[7]

Global concepts[edit]

Ancient Greece[edit]

In Ancient Greece, hospitality was a right, with the host being expected to make sure the needs of his guests were met. Conversely, the guest was expected to abide by a set code of behaviour. The ancient Greek term xenia, or theoxenia when a god was involved, expressed this ritualized guest-friendship relation. This ritualized relationship was codified in the Homeric epics, and especially in the Odyssey.^[8] In Greek society, a person’s ability to abide by the laws of hospitality determined nobility and social standing. The ancient Greeks, since the time of Homer, believed that the goddess of hospitality and hearth was Hestia, one of the original six Olympians.

India and Nepal[edit]

In India and Nepal hospitality is based on the principle Atithi Devo Bhava, meaning «the guest is God». This principle is shown in a number of stories where a guest is revealed to be a god who rewards the provider of hospitality. From this stems the Indian or Nepal practice of graciousness towards guests at home and in all social situations. The Tirukkuṛaḷ, an ancient Indian work on ethics and morality, explains the ethics of hospitality through its verses 81 through 90, dedicating a separate chapter on it (chapter 9).^[9][10]

Judaism[edit]

Judaism praises hospitality to strangers and guests based largely on the examples of Abraham and Lot in the Book of Genesis (Genesis 18:1–8 and 19:1–8). In Hebrew, the practice is called hachnasat orchim, meaning «welcoming guests». Besides other expectations, hosts are expected to provide nourishment, comfort, and entertainment for their guests,^[11] and at the end of the visit, hosts customarily escort their guests out of their home, wishing them a safe journey.^[12]

Abraham set the pace as providing 3 things:

• Achila («feeding»)
• Shtiya («drinking»)
• Linah («lodging»)

The initial letters of these Hebrew words spell Aishel (Genesis, 21:33).

Christianity[edit]

In Christianity, hospitality is a virtue, which is a reminder of sympathy for strangers and a rule to welcome visitors.^[13] This is a virtue found in the Old Testament, with, for example, the custom of the foot washing of visitors or the kiss of peace.^[14][15] It was taught by Jesus in the New Testament. Indeed, Jesus said that those who had welcomed a stranger had welcomed him.^[16] Some Western countries have developed a host culture for immigrants, based on the Bible.^[17]

John Paul II writes: «Welcoming our brothers and sisters with care and willingness must not be limited to extraordinary occasions but must become for all believers a habit of service in their daily lives.»^[18]

Individuals are also treated as favored guests in the liberal Catholic tradition. Honored guests receive first parlance, religious clergy second parlance, and very important persons third parlance. Clergy and followers of Christ received parlance, and some may have turned away from hospitality, welcoming and serving, since active service requires detachment from material goods, family connections, and physical comforts. Hospitality is a meeting of minds, it is an openness to the familiar and meet to discuss and question the mystery of self, social events, experiences, nature and to God. Any guest should never made to feel or see that they are causing undue extra labor by their intrusion or presence.^[19]

It is always polite to ask about religious convictions. John Paul II said: «Only those who have opened their hearts to Christ can offer a hospitality that is never formal or superficial but identified by ‘gentleness’ and ‘reverence’.»^[20] In reference to Biblical scripture as a sign of politeness to always come to the defense and aid to those who give an account of hope and those interested (see 1 Pet. 3:15).

Christ expanded the meaning of brother and neighbor to include the stranger, that he or she be treated like a follower with and for hospitality and mutual help, if the believer in Christ or who may be a messenger of God either needed help, circumstances made it difficult to interpret and being uncertain of whether an individual is a believer in Christ and God.^[21][19]

Pashtun[edit]

One of the main principles of Pashtunwali is Melmastia. This is the display of hospitality and profound respect to all visitors (regardless of race, religion, national affiliation or economic status) without any hope of remuneration or favour. Pashtuns will go to great lengths to show their hospitality.^[22][23][24]

Islam[edit]

Islam highly recommends to say to one another peace be upon you Assalamu Alaikum, as Muhammad had said, Muslims are obliged to treat their guest with kindness and peace, even prisoners (in war), as Muhammad had said in authentic sources and verses from the Quran.^{[citation needed]}

Abu Aziz ibn Umair reported: «I was among the prisoners of war on the day of the battle of Badr. Muhammad had said, ‘I enjoin you to treat the captives well.’ After I accepted Islam, I was among the Ansar (Inhabitants of Madinah) and when the time of lunch or dinner arrived, I would feed dates to the prisoners for I had been fed bread due to the command of Muhammad.»^[25]

Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious.^{[Quran 16:125]}

Good hospitality is crucial in Islam even in business. According to another report, Muhammad passed by a pile of food in the market. He put his hand inside it and felt dampness, although the surface was dry. He said:

«O owner of the food, what is this?»

The man said, «It was damaged by rain, O Messenger of God.»

He said, «Why did you not put the rain-damaged food on top so that people could see it! Whoever cheats us is not one of us.»

(Saheeh Muslim)

Celtic cultures[edit]

Celtic societies also valued the concept of hospitality, especially in terms of protection. A host who granted a person’s request for refuge was expected not only to provide food and shelter for his/her guest, but to make sure they did not come to harm while under their care.^[26]

Current usage[edit]

In the West today hospitality is rarely a matter of protection and survival and is more associated with etiquette and entertainment. However, it still involves showing respect for one’s guests, providing for their needs, and treating them as equals. Cultures and subcultures vary in the extent to which one is expected to show hospitality to strangers, as opposed to personal friends or members of one’s ingroup.

Anthropology of hospitality[edit]

Jacques Derrida offers a model to understand hospitality that divides unconditional hospitality from conditional hospitality. Over the centuries, philosophers have devoted considerable attention to the problem of hospitality. To Derrida, there is an implicit hostility in hospitality, as it requires treating a person as a stranger, distancing them from oneself; Derrida labels this intrinsic conflict with the portmanteau «hostipitality».^[27] However, hospitality offers a paradoxical situation (like language), since the inclusion of those who are welcomed in the sacred law of hospitality implies that others will be rejected. Julia Kristeva alerts readers to the dangers of «perverse hospitality», which consists of taking advantage of the vulnerability of aliens to dispossess them.^[28] Hospitality serves to reduce the tension in the process of host–guest encounters, producing a liminal zone that combines curiosity about others and fear of strangers.^[29] In general terms, the meaning of hospitality centres on the belief that strangers should be assisted and protected while traveling.^[30] However, not all voices are in agreement with this concept. Anthony Pagden describes how the concept of hospitality was historically manipulated to legitimate the conquest of the Americas by imposing the right of free transit, which was conducive to the formation of the modern nation state. This suggests that hospitality is a political institution, which can be ideologically deformed to oppress others.^[31]

See also[edit]

• Asylum (antiquity)
• Bread and salt
• Hospitality service
• Hospitality management studies
• Hospitality law
• Hospitium
• Hotel manager
• Maître d’hôtel
• Nanawatai
• Reciprocal altruism
• Reciprocity (social psychology)
• Reciprocity (cultural anthropology)
• Sanctuary

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• Danny Meyer (2006) Setting the Table : The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business
• Christine Jaszay (2006). Ethical Decision-Making in the Hospitality Industry
• Karen Lieberman & Bruce Nissen (2006). Ethics in the Hospitality And Tourism Industry
• Rosaleen Duffy and Mick Smith. The Ethics of Tourism Development
• Conrad Lashley and Alison Morrison. In Search of Hospitality
• Hospitality: A Social Lens by Conrad Lashley and Alison Morrison
• The Great Good Place by Ray Oldenburg
• Customer Service and the Luxury Guest by Paul Ruffino
• Fustel de Coulanges. The Ancient City: Religion, Laws, and Institutions of Greece and Rome
• Bolchazy. Hospitality in Antiquity: Livy’s Concept of Its Humanizing Force
• Jacques Derrida (2000). Of Hospitality. Trans. Rachel Bowlby. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
• James A. W. Heffernan (2014). Hospitality and Treachery in Western Literature. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
• Steve Reece (1993). The Stranger’s Welcome: Oral Theory and the Aesthetics of the Homeric Hospitality Scene. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press.
• Mireille Rosello (2001). Postcolonial Hospitality. The Immigrant as Guest. Stanford University Press.
• Clifford J. Routes (1999). Travel and Translation in the Late Twentieth Century. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
• John B. Switzer (2007). «Hospitality» in Encyclopedia of Love in World Religions. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
• Immanuel Velikovsky (1982). Mankind in Amnesia. Garden City, New York: Doubleday.
• Christian Hänggi (2009). Hospitality in the Age of Media Representation. New York/Dresden: Atropos Press.
• Thomas Claviez, ed. (2013). The Conditions of Hospitality: Ethics, Politics, and Aesthetics on the Threshold of the Possible. Bronx: Fordham University Press.

In the world of business or economics, the hospitality sector includes companies that provide food, drink, and accommodation, such as bars, restaurants, and hotels. When talking about how many people work in hotels, bars, and restaurants, an economist might say: “In that country, thirteen million people work in the hospitality sector.”

We also use the term when talking about the entertainment, food, drink, etc., that companies provide business partners and guests.

In general English, hospitality may refer to the act of being welcoming, friendly, and helpful to guests, visitors, travelers, and strangers in general.

The Cambridge Dictionary has the following definitions of the term:

“1. The act of being friendly and welcoming to guests and visitors. 2. Food, drink, entertainment, etc. that an organization provides for guests or business partners. 3. The group of businesses such as hotels, bars, and restaurants that provide food, drink, or a place to sleep.

This article focuses on the meaning of the term in a business or economics context.

The hospitality industry (sector)

Food, drinks, and lodgings

The hospitality sector, which is part of the services industry, comprises a broad category of fields. These fields include food, drink, theme parks, event planning, camps and RV (recreational vehicle) parks, and lodging (accommodation). Bars, cafes, restaurants, hotels, inns, bed and breakfasts, and motels are all part of the hospitality industry.

Transportation

Companies involved in transportation, including travel agencies, tour operators, ticket offices (selling travel tickets), and carpool services are also part of this sector.

Pleasure, luxury, enjoyment

Put simply, the hospitality industry comprises a group of services and business linked to customer satisfaction and leisure. It focuses on the ideas of enjoyment, experiences, comfort, luxury, and pleasure, rather than basic necessities.

The hospitality vs. travel industries

These two industries are closely associated, and often overlap in their features and functions. However, there are some slight differences.

The travel industry caters for people who are traveling away from home, usually for a relatively short period. The hospitality industry, on the other hand, caters for anybody who goes out to eat, drink, and enjoy their free time. These consumers may either be locals or people from far away.

Even hotels may sometimes provide accomodation for locals. For example, if major plumbing or construction work needs to be done in their homes, they may choose move out for a few days or weeks.

Etymology of hospitality

Etymology is all about finding where words come from, i.e., their origins. It also includes the study of how words evolved over time.

French and Latin origin

According to etymonline.com, the term first emerged in the English language in the late fourteenth century, with the meaning “act of being hospitable.” It came from the Old French word Ospitalité, which meant “hospital, hospitality,” which originated from the Latin word Hospitalitem, which meant “friendliness to guests.” The word Hospes is Latin for “guest, host.”

Corporate hospitality

When it comes to impressing current clients and prospects, corporate hospitality is a powerful marketing weapon. A prospect is somebody or a company who we believe could well turn into a client.

If you book a first class, luxury package with super food, drink, and excellent entertainment, your guests will be impressed by how much you value them.

In our of our previous articles, Edward Bishop wrote:

“When it comes to impressing potential clients, there’s no substitute for a corporate hospitality event. Book a luxury package with excellent entertainment, food and drink and accommodation and your client will be in no doubt about how highly you value them.”

This article discusses the history of the hospitality industry and how did we reach this phase of hospitality. Here we take a sneak peek at the historical background of the hospitality industry.

Sounds boring, eh! Let’s make it a bit interesting.

Let’s throw in a few exclusive pictures for you and let’s try and make you feel nostalgic while going down memory lane of the hospitality industry.

So, let’s discuss the history of the hospitality industry in a nutshell.

Let’s now embark on a quick tour of the history of the hospitality industry.

1. Early Hospitality / Ancient Hospitality

From the evolution of the hospitality industry to the current tech-oriented hospitality world. Let’s explore the journey.

Some of the ancient hospitality customs can still give goosebumps to all hospitality professionals and travellers.

The ancient hospitality customs remind us of what the hospitality industry is all about.

To answer the question that what is the hospitality industry, we would also need to dwell on the historical background of the hospitality industry.

The industry itself dates back to the ancient Greek times and even before that.

In this epoch, the hoteliers were always hospitable as they felt it was in accordance with their well-being and those of others.

• It was around 40 BC according to experts when hospitality services for social and religious gatherings were quite a common phenomenon.
• It was about this time that Greeks came up with thermal baths that were designed for recuperation and relaxation.
• These thermal baths are said to be the origin of what we know as modern-day Spa.
• Then came the Romans who provided accommodation for travellers on government premises. Here, comfort and entertainment were the names of the game.

There are enough pieces of evidence now that the historical background of the hospitality industry will pull us back to prehistoric times.

When the Romans used to travel, they sought pleasure leading to the development of early inns.

Before we move to the next era, let’s raise a question first.

What is hospitality industry?

Did you ever think what is the origin of the word ‘hospitality’?

This is one of the basic questions we overlook at times while discussing the hospitality industry or its history and background.

We have been using it ever since it came across without much of a thought on its origin.

Who cares as far as we know what it is all about. Isn’t it?

But, for those who would like to know the meaning of hospitality, the word hospitality is an adaptation of a French word.

The French word ‘hospice’ has been adapted to form the word ‘hospitality’ that means taking care of the travellers.

The original word is still retained by a lot of organisations especially care organisations and hospitals around the globe.

It still carries the inherent message of ‘love and care’ through the word hospitality.

In this section, we have tried to dwell into the history of the hospitality industry in order to understand the hospitality industry of today.

If you are looking specifically for the history of the hotel industry, please check our article on History of the Hotel Industry.

Here, in this article, we intend to drive you down memory lane by looking at the historical background of the hospitality industry overall.

2. Medieval Period for the hospitality industry

This was one of the most interesting parts of the evolution of the hospitality industry.

• This was the era that started with English travel and excursions when they built inns as their private residences.
• The nobility used to stay in the monasteries.
• In 1282 in Florence Italy, the great innkeepers integrated an association with the aim of turning hospitality into a business in its own right. They had to garner a permit to import and sell wine which later led to the spread of hospitality elsewhere.
• Then came into existence the caravanserais. These provided resting destinations for the caravans along Middle Eastern routes along with the monasteries and abbeys.

These places became the first establishment to offer refuge to travellers.

The Persians along the caravan route developed inns and post houses.

These were used to provide accommodations and nourishment to both soldiers and couriers.

By Marco Polo’s time of his journey to the Far East, he estimated that there were 10,000 such post houses located 25 miles apart.

Marco Polo, the great traveller, described them as “suitable for a King” hence giving a great significance to always making your visitor want more after your service.

Marco Polo initiated through his memoirs what we know as travel diaries of today.

His book helped a lot of others to explore the world.

This gave rise to what we know as modern-day customer service as an essence of hospitality.

Hospitality at its core is about taking care, pampering and helping others.

We can define the hospitality industry as a broad range of fields within the service sector.

The services revolve around lodging, theme parks, transportation, cruise lines, event planning and a plethora of other services geared towards comfort and serving others.

One of our earlier posts discusses in detail about the various sectors of the hospitality industry.

3. The New World of hospitality- Renaissance and the French Revolution

The French Revolution marked the early beginning of the hospitality we know today.

• It was the period of the 16^th century when the demand of the inns and taverns increased multiple folds.
• The first hospitality establishment as a hotel was built around this time. It was named Hotel de Henry or Hotel de Salm and was built around 1788 (names have changed over the years).
• However, the first hotel tag goes to Koshu Nishiyama Hotel in Japan which is said to be over 1300 years old. The hotel is still accepting guest and is run by the same family for several generations.
• Like England and New York made taverns, Pennsylvania made inns, and the Southern colonies formed ordinaries.
• Then came the era of Chefs like Escoffier and M.Boulanger who took the culinary standards to altogether a different level.

These hotels created the trend and world followed the model and started creating eateries and places to rest and sleep.

The French Revolution changed the features of culinary and future of the hospitality industry.

4. Nineteenth-Century and twentieth-century for hospitality and tourism

We saw the beginning of luxury Hotels and resorts from the nineteenth century.

London had its hotel named as Savoy Hotel and New York had Delmonico. These created stellar luxury and service standards.

What followed was a flurry of great hotels, a lot of which are still creating new standards of hospitality.

The aspects and features of the hospitality industry have undergone a massive transformation over time since the Colonial Period.

There were two world wars that disrupted the growth of hospitality in the twentieth century.

What ensued after the world wars was the growth in dark tourism or ‘Thanatourism’.

History of Hospitality industry also shows us some of the darker sides as the industry goes on to absorb all shades of tourism.

The hospitality industry as an organised industry was formed in the 1950s or 1960s when a proper structure was formed.

And, travellers always sought hospitable places to kick back and relax, away from all the hustle and bustle of everyday routine.

The industrial revolution, which began in the 1970s, facilitated the construction of hotels in Europe, England, and America.

The French and Italian veterans followed this trend of constructing hotels.

Here’s a look at the Meadow’s club built in the early 1930s as the first Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

5. Modern Hospitality industry

The current modern hospitality industry is a mammoth sector raking in trillions of US dollars in revenue each year.

Although most modern hotels feature clients` experience and conveniences such as television, minibars, and en-suite showers, they fulfil the same purpose as ancient inns but with improved services.

Current hospitality unit contains multiple groups.

Examples are facility maintenance and direct operations contributed by servers, housekeepers, kitchen, workers, bartenders, management, marketing, human resource, and tour guides just to mention a few.

The character of every hotelier should not only be impressive but should also surpass the expectations of the customer.

And that isn’t all – utmost professionalism, excellent interpersonal skills, and organisation are also called for.

That’s the message that the history of the hospitality industry still gives to the current hoteliers.

Nowadays, architects, engineers, designers, developers, and managers are conscious of the taste of the guest according to their wishes.

Today’s hoteliers analyse new trends to define better criteria and provide modern standards to improve the quality of life in hotels.

The industry has developed a lot. Casual dining has seen growth, as well as the chain of hotels, has increased. With brands like Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, Starwood, Ritz etc. the hospitality industry seems to be doing quite well.

Thousands of hotel rooms are in pipeline and transportation for travel has taken a leap into the future.

The tourism industry has a new era of better growth and innovation.

With the future growth in the vicinity and greater interest of people in travelling, the future of hospitality industry looks bright.

Looking at the definition of the Hospitality industry in layman’s terms we can relate the following big categories in this industry.

• Tourism,
• Food services,
• And recreational services.

The hospitality industry can help tourists and visitors. Their services may include the;

• Meals,
• Accommodations,
• Personal services,
• And travelling for the tourists as well as the residents.

Now there are increased goals and objectives that are met by the industry to become dynamic in today’s cut-throat competition.

The hospitality industry has some prominent time periods in which it has taken a new challenge every time to serve the nations and the global travel community.

While it is easy to assume that hospitality as a norm always existed, what we discussed in this post is the establishment and growth of what we know as the hospitality industry of today.

We all love to travel around the world. Our world has scenic places in abundance.

However, would it not have been difficult to travel if there were no places to stay or nothing to eat?

Think of travelling the Negev Desert in Israel and you find a McDonald’s exactly when you needed a gulp of chilled coke with some fries giving your calorie calculator a break.

Or, think of visiting a remote location of Greenland with enthralling natural beauty all around.

But, you need something to munch as your tummy refuses to hold on any further.

And, you find a McDonald’s right there. What a relief, isn’t it?

Indeed, the hospitality industry has been the unifying force making our world a global village.

It is this industry that keeps on inspiring us to travel more and unite with different cultures.

Keep travelling guys as we are all nomads from the heart and soul.

But, we take an opportunity to thank through this article, the hospitality industry and all those who are involved in this industry for making this world a more beautiful place to live and travel.

Conclusion

The story would not be complete without mentioning the contribution of hospitality professionals who make this industry special.

The hospitality industry is all about their employees. They are the internal customers after all.

While the world is shifting to machines, hospitality industry ensures that we keep appreciating nature and human.

The workforce is the enabler that provides the real business to the industry and services to remember.

The beauty of the hospitality industry is that they can employ anyone.

Yes, you got that right, the hospitality world accepts and invites people from all industries, countries, races and genders with varied experience.

The positions can be different, and they may include executive managers, cooks, cleaning staff, gardening, security, waiters, bellhops, guest staffs, and every other position you might think of.

So, here you go. A quick journey to the history of the hospitality industry.

The current hospitality industry has mobile check-ins, robot butlers, face screening, chatbots and more.

But, whenever inspiration is needed to remember what hospitality is all about, we can take that from the illustrious history of hospitality.