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Opportunities in a Resort Management Career the Billion Dollar Tourism Industry

Tourism and commercial recreation is over anconvention management, meeting planning,
$800 billion industry in the United States.marketing of leisure services, and the legal
Globally, tourism accounts for approximatelyaspects of recreation and tourism. The
12% of the Gross Domestic Product, employingprogram requires both field experience and a
10% of the worldwide labor force. It isprofessional  internship.
estimated that by the year 2020, more than
half of all employed people in the world willCareers Specific to the Bachelor's Degree are
be involved directly or indirectly with theconvention and visitors bureau management,
tourism industry. In the United States,convention services manager, special event
travel-related tourism is the first, secondcoordinator, meeting/conference planner, tour
or  third  largest  employer  in  32  states.operations management, on-site meeting
manager, travel agent trainee, cruise
Resort hotels and motels offer luxurioushospitality, hotel management trainee, resort
surroundings with a variety of recreationalrecreation management, tour coordinator,
facilities, such as swimming pools, golfnatural or cultural tour guide, and park
courses, tennis courts, game rooms, andmanager.
health spas, as well as planned social
activities and entertainment. ResortsWith preparation in tourism management,
typically are located in vacationindividuals have skills related to management
destinations or near natural settings, suchand leadership which would contribute to any
as mountains, the seashore, theme parks, ortype of position sought in the tourism
other attractions. As a result, the businessindustry. The tourism industry is within the
of many resorts fluctuates with the season.top three industries of most countries in the
Some resort hotels and motels provideworld and provides numerous career
additional convention and conferenceopportunities at a variety of levels of
facilities to encourage customers to combineservice,  production  and  management.
business with pleasure. During the off
season, many of these establishments solicitAfter finding employment, proving oneself
conventions, sales meetings, and incentivecapable and making contacts in the industry,
tours to fill their otherwise empty rooms;a person finds that a wide variety of
some  resorts  even close for the off-season.advanced career opportunities present
themselves.
A hospitality management career is
high-energy and social. You'll meetThe Bachelor of Science in Hospitality
interesting people and work in some of theManagement requires a minimum of 120 units
most beautiful places on earth - anywherefor graduation. This interdisciplinary
there is a need for resort or hotelprogram prepares students for careers in the
management.hospitality industry and includes basic core
courses and an area of concentration. The
The skills and knowledge developed in thisareas of concentration are Commercial
field of study are leadership, marketing,Recreation and Resort Management from the
qualitative skills, research and evaluation,College of Health and Human Services; Hotel
programming (recreation, leisure andManagement from the College of Business; and
meetings), planning and policy, legalRestaurant and Institutional Foodservice
aspects,  and  communications.Management from the College of Health and
Human Services. The core curriculum is housed
Most hotel, motel, and resort desk clerksin the Department of Hospitality Management,
receive orientation and training on the job.College  of  Business.
Orientation may include an explanation of the
job duties and information about theThe Concentration in Commercial Recreation
establishment, such as the arrangement ofand Resort Management prepares graduates to
sleeping rooms, availability of additionalbe entrepreneurs, managers, planners, and
services, such as a business or fitnessprogram supervisors in the commercial
center, and location of guest facilities,recreation, travel tourism, and resort
such as ice and vending machines, restaurantsmanagement career areas. The goals are to
and other nearby retail stores. New employeesassist students to acquire knowledge, skills,
learn job tasks through on-the-job trainingpractical experience, and job placement in
under the guidance of a supervisor or anleisure  and  travel  related  businesses.
experienced desk clerk. They often receive
additional training on interpersonal orStudents learn about the travel and tourism
customer service skills and on how to use thesystem, economic and social impacts of
computerized reservation, room assignment,tourism, resort development and marketing,
and billing systems and equipment. Desktourist motivations, special events
clerks typically continue to receivemanagement, theme parks, transportation used
instruction on new procedures and on companyby travelers, ecotourism, incentive travel,
policies  after  their initial training ends.tour company operations and sales, spas,
conference and meeting planning, destination
Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks dealmarketing,  and  cultural  tourism.
directly with the public, so a professional
appearance and a pleasant personality areThe Concentration in Hotel Management
important. A clear speaking voice and fluencyprepares students to manage and operate
in English also are essential, because thesehotels, motels, and other lodging business.
employees talk directly with hotel guests andMajor management functions include various
the public and frequently use the telephoneaspects of accounting and cost controls,
or public-address systems. Good spelling andsales and marketing, property management, and
computer literacy are needed, because most ofuse of hospitality management information
the work involves use of a computer. Insystems. Emphasis is placed on problem
addition, speaking a foreign languagesolving situations and case studies to
fluently is increasingly helpful, because ofsupport the didactic approach to instruction.
the growing international clientele of many
properties.The Concentration in Restaurant and
Institutional Foodservice Management prepares
Resort managers experience the pressures ofstudents for management positions in various
coordinating a wide range of activities. Atbranches of the food service industry. The
larger hotels, they also carry the burden ofgoal is to develop restaurant and
managing a large staff and finding a way toinstitutional foodservice managers who
satisfy guest needs while maintainingcombine knowledge and skills in business,
positive attitudes and employee morale.food production, and services in the
Conventions and large groups of tourists mayfoodservice  industry.
present unusual problems or require extended
work  hours.Completion of the core and concentration
courses provides students with theoretical
The recreation department's major in tourismknowledge for successful attainment of
management prepares students to work in suchtop-level management positions in the
diverse sectors of the travel and tourismprofessions of hotel management, restaurant
industry as tour operations, resortand institutional foodservice management, or
management, convention management, meetingcommercial recreation and resort management.
planning, and commercial recreationThe curriculum combines strengths in
management. It includes courses in managementmanagement with technical skills and
of park and recreation facilities, tourism,internship opportunities in each area.
tourism systems planning, resource tourism,



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