HSP 3005 - Tourism: The Business of Hospitality and Travel

Credits: 4

The course is designed to provide an overview and understanding of the tourism industry, the world’s largest industry, to provide an understanding of the inner workings of the various branches of the industry, and the current and future opportunities for employment in the tourism industry. The course looks at the tourism industry through the lens of business, specifically by considering the management, marketing, and finance issues, most important to industry members. The role of intermediaries, technology, transportation modes, accommodations, cruise lines, destinations, attractions, and food and beverage operations are all covered in detail. As the importance of the industry has continued to grow, the course highlights the importance of the economic, political, environmental, and social/cultural impacts of tourism and the critical issues of sustainability. Major topics to be covered include: the traveling public and tourism promoters, tourism service suppliers, the hospitality environment and the components of the travel product - the suppliers and sellers-and the interrelationship between each. The course covers major historical changes in the development of modern tourism, describing the operating structure, day-to-day activities, job positions in the different segments of the tourism industry, and periodicals and reference materials used by the travel industry.