Tri-State University will continue its mission to broaden study areas to meet the needs of students by offering a new bachelor of science degree with a major in hospitality and tourism management in the fall semester.

The four-year, 124-credit program will be incorporated into the Ketner School of Business curriculum to prepare its students for the ever-growing and broad range of job opportunities in the travel and tourism industry.

According to statistics released by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), three industries will dominate the economics of the 21st century—telecommunications, information technology, and tourism.

With an estimated growth in the tourism and travel industry of 500 percent over the past 25 years, the WTTC estimates that tourists spent over $800 billion in foreign countries in tourism-related activities last year. In 1997, travel and tourism provided over 10 percent of the total world employment, with figures as high as 25 percent in areas such as the Caribbean. By now, it is estimated that over 100 million people worldwide are employed in this profession.

Job opportunities for hospitality and tourism management graduates include employment at hotels or restaurants, transportation or travel agencies, tour companies or tourist attractions, and the areas of leisure, recreation, and sport.

The program was developed after researching similar programs at schools with growing hospitality and tourism programs. The expertise of local industry experts was sought in determining courses necessary for the program. A TSU Hospitality and Tourism Advisory Board of local people in the hospitality business will be incorporated into the program as a guideline to keep in touch with industry changes. 

Health and physical education, communication, social science, computer, and mathematics and statistics courses will combine with a 34-hour business core and 33-hour hospitality and tourism management curriculum for the bachelor’s degree with the hospitality and tourism management major.

“This program will offer an opportunity for students to focus on the intricacies of the hospitality and tourism management and prepare them for numerous job opportunities available in the growing field of hospitality, travel, and tourism,” said Ketner School of Business Dean V.K. Sharma. “Our vision is to develop and offer a curriculum that will make Ketner School of Business one of the best regional schools offering a bachelor of science with hospitality and tourism management major.”