The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within the service industry that included lodging, food and drink services, event planning, theme parks, travel agency, tourism, hotels, restaurants and bars.
According to the Cambridge Business English Dictionary the "hospitality industry" consists of hotels and food service,[1] equivalent to NAICS code 72, "Accommodation and Food Service".
In 2020, the United States Department of Labor Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) defines the hospitality industry more broadly, including:[2]
In the United States, hotels are the most popular vacation accommodation. In 2022, the worth of US Hotels & Motels industry reached up to $177.6 billion.[4]
Horeca (also HoReCa, HORECA) is the Dutch, German, Italian, Romanian and French languages term for the food service and hotel industries. The term is a syllabic abbreviation of the words Hotel/Restaurant/Café.[5][6] The term is mostly used in the Benelux countries and in Switzerland.
"Horeca" is often not a one-to-one equivalent to the term "hospitality industry" used in English, which is often used more broadly. According to the Cambridge Business English Dictionary the "hospitality industry" consists of hotels and food service,[7] equivalent to NAICS code 72, "Accommodation and Food Service". However, the United States Department of Labor Standard Industry Classification (SIC) defines the hospitality industry more broadly, as noted above.
The Dutch Uniforme Voorwaarden Horeca (UVH) is translated into English as Uniform Conditions for the Hotel and Catering Industry. This code covers hotels, bars, restaurants and related businesses in the Netherlands. Koninklijke Horeca Nederland is the Dutch trade association for the hotel and catering industry.[8]
This sector is one of the fastest growing in Europe. In 2004, more than 7.8 million people were employed[9] and the sector generated more than $338 billion turnover.[10] Jobs tend to be temporary, with irregular hours, low pay, and few career prospects. There is a high proportion of young people working in the sector. Some distribution companies use this term to define the food & beverage service trade channel or the hospitality trade.