Mexico City, March 8, 2023.—Hospitality is one of the most important human values, and one in which the Universidad Panamericana specializes in. That is why the Panamericana was one of the host venues for the 60th EUHOFA World Congress, the International Association of Schools of Hotel Management, Hospitality, Culinary Arts, and Tourism, founded in 1955, with a presence in more than 50 countries.
60th EUHOFA World Congress
The main goal of this conference is to present the essence of hospitality and humanize it by achieving the goal we all seek: happiness. It also aims to help achieve excellence in hospitality, which leads to a superior human experience.
In attendance at the event were Lluís Serra, president of EUHOFA, and Arturo Anaya, vice president of the 60th World Congress, as well as Dr. Santiago García, president of the Universidad Panamericana.
ESDAI and Hospitality
To kick off the event, Salvador Beltrán del Río, Director of Institutional Development at the Universidad Panamericana : “It is an honor to have you here for the third session of this conference on our Mexico City campus.”
Beltrán then spoke about ESDAI and its origins: “ESDAI offers a degree program in hospitality management in Mexico, founded alongside the university and its other programs in 1969. It was created in response to the need to train professionals for service management in the hospitality industry.”
On Hospitality
Next, the Dr. Héctor Zagal, a member of the National System of Researchers (CONACYT) and professor in the Faculty of Philosophy at the Panamericana University, took the stage and spoke about the story of Ulysses and Polyphemus, in which Ulysses defines the Cyclopes as savages because, among other reasons, they lack hospitality.
After offering this brief introduction to the presence of hospitality throughout history, Zagal noted:“What characterizes the hospitable person is that they welcome the stranger and bring them into the most sacred, the most importantspace —the space of their home—where, out of generosity, they protect and care for them (…), the virtue of hospitality involves recognizing the other as a person of dignity and someone who deserves respect.”
He also spoke about hostile organizations—those based on mistrust and exploitation—and about hospitable ones: “A hospitable organization is one that strives to make relationships with suppliers and employees a space where everyone can win.”
In conclusion, Zagal discussed the challenges facing Mexico’s hospital industry, such as its outdated infrastructure—which he sees as an area for improvement—and the constant exposure to patient frustration, as well as the role of hospital administrators in overcoming these challenges: “The administrator, an expert in hospitality, must orchestrate the necessary measures to achieve this holistic well-being.”
