ABSTRACT
Classic definitions of hospitality suggest it is a social phenomenon with roots in societies extending through thousands of years (O’Gorman, 2005). In this context, hospitality has been described as the giving of food and sometimes accommodation to people who are not normally members of the household (Telfer, 2000). The host or giver of the hospitality typically shares these things in their own home and share their own sustenance with their guest at no charge or fee. Traditionally, there are social obligations to provide hospitality to strangers or to the poor and destitute (Heal, 1990). In this sense, hospitality involves hosts sharing their home with strangers and at the same time accepting responsibility for their safety and welfare and happiness. “If this is a host's task, it is concerned with more than food, drink and shelter: it means that a host must try to cheer up a miserable guest, divert a bored one, care for a sick one” (Telfer, 2000). However, the key responsibility of the host is to ensure the safety and well-being of the guest while he or she is in the host's home.
