Customer service

This course introduces students to the concept of service as a critical component of a hospitality or tourism business. Students analyze both good and poor customer service in a variety of contexts and through various methods. Students explore communication skills and strategies, and they use a problem-solving perspective to understand barriers to communication and good service. They learn various means of measuring the quality of service and explore careers that focus on customer service.

Geography and World Cultures

This course introduces students to the importance of geography in the hospitality and tourism industry through the study of travel or “destination” geography. It introduces students to the concepts and vocabulary of geography as they explore the world’s geographic regions, focusing on factors that create desirable travel destinations: weather/climate, physical features, cultural elements, and historical interest. Students apply their understanding of these factors to a detailed analysis of one country from a travel geography standpoint.

Hospitality Marketing

Hospitality Marketing introduces students to the objectives, strategies, and tools that are important to marketing in the hospitality industry, expanding on topics introduced in Principles of Hospitality and Tourism. Students learn about each phase of marketing and the wide range of options that all marketing managers and business owners consider as they create, or revise, marketing plans. Students also explore career opportunities in the field of hospitality marketing.

Principles of Hospitality and Tourism

This is the first course students take in the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism and provides an overview of the current hospitality and tourism industry. Students learn about the history of the industry, explore traveler motivation and consumer needs, the industry’s economic and environmental impacts, domestic and international travel, and sales in tourism. Finally, students explore careers in the hospitality and tourism industry.

Sports, Entertainment, and Event Planning

This course introduces students to the skills and knowledge required in the event planning profession. After studying the steps involved in planning a special event, students learn about event planning in sports. They then examine the unique requirements of event planning in entertainment and the performing arts. Students gain valuable experience in project management that can be applied to any career path. They also examine careers in the field of event planning.

Sustainable Tourism

This course introduces students to the profound changes taking place worldwide in the tourism industry. Students examine the environmental and socioeconomic impacts and interrelationships of tourism, as well as the transition to a greener tourism economy. They explore the ramifications of tourism development in terms of increased sustainability, profitability, and benefits to the surrounding communities, and they examine ecotourism as a model for sustainability. Finally, students explore careers in the field of sustainable tourism.