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Alpine Success Story | Philippe Charalambopoulos - BA(Hons) International Hospitality & Tourism Management

Philippe Charalambopoulos

BA(Hons) International Hospitality & Tourism Management 

Hospitality Management was not my first choice but it was my final one. I had already attended two other colleges with completely different majors, environmental sciences in the US and music production in the UK. Besides being an avid music lover, I had a passion to work with the people and help the environment. I experienced this first hand when I volunteered in various countries both in South East Asia and in East Africa. For me this was an education, something you can never learn in a classroom but only through experiences, mistakes that in the end become life lessons. I learnt more from poor local farmers than my environmental science professor could ever teach me in class. Working more with the local communities in each country, I fell in love with volunteering and at a younger age, hoped I could do this for the rest of my life. Reality, however, hit me hard and I knew volunteering would not be sustainable for me in the long run. Returning to Athens from Kenya, I made a vow that I will return and continue to help these people whenever I have the chance. Now, I had to think what career path I wanted to follow. I would have never thought hospitality, until my mother and a few friends suggested the idea to me and informed me there was an excellent college for that, right in my home city, Glyfada!

Success Story *Sami Bentahila

Sami Bentahila, UK and Morocco

Diploma in Culinary Arts 2012, BA in International Food and Beverage Management 2015

Now working as chef-de-partie at Barnsley House Hotel and Spa in the Cotswolds, England

My name is Sami Bentahila. I started out studying hospitality management in Switzerland, but after doing an internship in kitchen in Brussels, I realized that culinary arts was what I really wanted to do. The Swiss university did not offer a speciality in this, so I moved to Alpine Center and I never regretted it.  What was good was that at the same time we did lots of practical work and also the background subjects needed for management. The place is not too big, very friendly, and of course in a great location.  I learned so much, but at the same time had lots of fun and made many good friends. The internships I did in Mykonos and Antwerp were a great chance to see different places and work in different environments.

Since leaving Alpine I have worked in several fine dining restaurants in France and the UK. At present I am at Barnsley House Hotel and Spa in the Cotswolds, England. It was selected by Condé Nast as one of their 100 top hotels in the world in 2016.  The hotel has a huge garden producing all the fruit, veg, herbs, etc for the restaurant, so I have really learned the value of seasonal local ingredients.  The work is very tough,with long hours and a lot of stress, but I get so much satisfaction when I know I have created a really good dish, especially when customers send their compliments. It also keeps you very fit! 

You need patience, stamina and determination for this career, but if this is your thing, you will just keep going pursuing your dream… If this kind of work appeals to you, Alpine Center is a good place to start!

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Testimonial * Erikos Kranidiotis

Erikos Kranidiotis, Hotel Management (1998)

Expert Solution Consultant, Misys

"I truly believe the skills and knowledge I gained at Alpine set the foundations for my future development".

After graduating from Alpine in 1998 I completed a Bachelors Degree in Hospitality Management and a Masters Degree in International Business Administration from Bournemouth University in the UK. I worked for five years in JP Morgan Bank in the Investment Banking Operations division. There I worked in several different departments including a Team Leader role for the Client Operations team.

I returned to Greece to complete my Military service and worked for a year at Mytilineos Holdings in the Treasury department. For the past seven and a half years I work for Misys as an Expert Solution Consultant providing Banking software solutions in the Treasury & Capital Markets sector. Both project and support related activities for our clients who are major banks in Greece and around the world. In my free time I enjoy Scuba Diving and I am a Divemaster with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors.

 

Although my career path changed after I graduated from University, I truly believe the skills and knowledge I gained at Alpine set the foundations for my future development. Helping me achieve my goals and being able to collaborate cross functionally with people from different cultures and backgrounds. What we do in most jobs is offer services, both to our clients externally and to our colleagues internally. There is no better way to learn the Service Industries than at Alpine.

Company I work for:

Since 1979 Misys provides financial services software to more than 2000 customers across 130 countries in Retail Banking, Treasury & Capital Markets, Enterprise Risk, Buy-Side, Lending, Corporate Banking, Investment Management, Financial Software, Transaction Banking, and Risk Management. Used by some of the world’s leading global financial institutions, including 47 of the world’s 50 largest banks.

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Wellness Tourism and the Hospitality Industry

The tourism industry is thriving. Therefore, it seems there has never been a more exciting time to enter this market for a rewarding career in this industry. The hospitality sector is expanding and with it the list of vocations is growing too.  Training in this area can cover a huge range of fields, as evidenced by the variety of courses offered by the Alpine Center. There is much more expansion on just the standard ‘travel & tourism’ courses.

How is the industry shifting?

Despite the recent stretch on the economy, it seems the hospitality and tourism industry is still booming. This could be because the industry is meeting the needs of the evolving consumer demands. With the recent fascination and drive on healthy living, it seems that there has been a development in something now widely known as ‘wellness tourism.’ According to statistics produced by the Global Wellness Tourism Economy report this trend is now worth $US438.6 billion dollars and is set to continue growing.

What is Wellness Tourism?

Wellness tourism is any trip or holiday that results in taking direct action to be beneficial to the health and well-being of the traveller. This includes yoga retreats in Turkey, and fasting at an ashram in India. It could also be anything from a fitness boot camp in Ibiza, to a juice fasting cleanse in Nicaragua. There are so many niche markets cropping up, in order to cater to everyone’s needs. This is a new breed of travel, and it is big business. It is no longer just about boozy week-long holidays where the person returns with burnt skin and a damaged liver. Wellness tourism is about enhancing someone’s life whilst on holiday, so they return feeling refreshed and revitalised.

The Global Wellness Tourism Report indicates that some of the associations with Wellness Travel are authentic experiences, disease prevention and management, relaxation and healthy living. This is the opposite end of the spectrum to a typical lads’ holiday, which constitutes ‘unwell travel’ and includes some of the factors, such as excessive drinking, travel stress, unhealthy eating and lack of sleep.

How the Tourist Industry Can Support the Increase in Wellness Tourism

It is important for businesses in this industry to understand that there is a shift in this area, and that wellness tourism is a growing sector. It helps businesses to be flexible. It doesn’t matter if your business is not a yoga retreat, or a health spa. It is about tailoring your trip to meet all customers’ needs, and recognising that catering for wellness tourism could increase your customer base.  It is helpful to see what kinds of services your business can offer in addition to what you already cover. Could your business focus on health cuisine? Maybe you are a ski lodge; could you extend your customer base and products by adding a spa? Could you continue developing your menu to a high standard to attract different clientele? Could you personalise your customer experience a little more, by offering tips about the holiday, sent by email beforehand, or offer an online resource such as Iglu Ski’s dedicated "first ski trip checklist" . This gives your guests a little added service to show them you care, even before they arrive. You have the opportunity to tempt them with your nutritious menu and pampering services.

How Businesses can Meet these Demands

A study from the Global Wellness Tourism report showed that lodgings alone amounted to $93.4 billion dollars of the global market, with food and beverages contributing to about $71.9 billion. The report suggested that people interested in wellness tourism were typically middle aged, wealthy, educated and from western backgrounds.

People are becoming more refined in their choices, they want to eat at quality restaurants, they wish to visit spas and health resorts, and they want to incorporate sports and activities such as yoga and skiing into their vacations. That is why it is essential to have high class professionally trained staff working at your business. The experience begins the moment the customer steps from their front door to begin their journey to their travel destination.

Therefore, it isn’t all about changing the entire structure of the business, simply building on what is already there. In most cases, the trend can be accommodated by the business, which enhances the customer stay and adds value to the business.

by Melissa Moram 

exclusively for Alpine Center