The UK needs to attract more ethnic minorities into the hospitality industry if it is to realise its full economic potential, says a US think-tank.
"While you don't have the historic diversity problems we suffer with in the USA, it's a fact that there aren't many people of colour in senior UK roles," said Gerry Fernandez, president of the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance.
The alliance is a non-profit US organisation that helps businesses work with ethnic minorities. Fernandez set up the alliance in 1996 to give those from ethnic minority groups, such as African Americans and Hispanics, a voice. The alliance is working with hospitality operators to open up inner-city and urban locations to them in a bid to stimulate growth.
"If you want to succeed in attracting young adults from ethnic minorities into UK hospitality, you need to adopt a different approach," said Fernandez. "A Jamaican won't listen to me or you if we go into a school and say what a great career hospitality in the UK is, but they will sit up and pay attention if a Jamaican does the same."
With the current influx of eastern Europeans into Britain, he argued that equality of opportunity is increasingly important for us.
Fernandez, who was invited to the UK to attend an Arena networking event, said he had been impressed with the UK hospitality industry's unity, relative to the USA, and the fact that we had in place a minister and cultural strategies for our cities.
"I'm exploring the option of getting UK executives over to America to speak," said Fernandez. "I certainly think we can learn from each other."
Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 10 - 16 July 2003