Hospitality and Tourism: Traveling the Globe

 Hospitality and Tourism: Traveling the Globe
  • Recommended Grade Level: 9-12
  • Course Credits: 0.5
  • Course Price: $299.00

Course Overview:

Where is your dream travel destination? Now imagine working there! You’ll be introduced to a thriving industry that caters to the needs of travelers through managing hotels, restaurants, cruise ships, resorts, theme parks, and any other kind of hospitality you can imagine. Operating busy tourist locations, creating marketing around leisure and travel, spotting trends, and planning events are just a few of the key aspects you will explore within this exciting field.

Required Materials:

Physical

  • audio recording device (like a cell phone)
  • video recording device (a camera phone, computer camera, or other kind of device capable of recording video and audio)
  • various props from around the house for videos

Software

  • slide presentation software
  • word processing software
  • online file storage like Google Drive

Other

  • friend or family member volunteer

Syllabus:

Unit 1: Introduction to Hospitality & Tourism

Ask anyone what is on their bucket list and nine times out of ten they’ll say where they want to travel. It’s no secret that the hospitality and tourism field can take you around the world, if that’s your thing. Let’s jump right in and get familiar with the hospitality and tourism industry and the various types of businesses within it. Who knows—this may just be the starting point for your career!

What will you learn in this unit?

  • Assess why many people are attracted to careers in the hospitality and tourism industry
  • Define the parameters and characteristics of the hospitality and tourism industry
  • Examine the areas of business that make up the hospitality and tourism industry
  • Trace the development of the hospitality and tourism industry
  • Discuss the importance of service and the guest cycle in the industry
  • Identify and discuss several current trends affecting the hospitality and tourism industry

Unit 2: Careers in the Hospitality and Tourism Field

Do you think you’d like to work in the hospitality and tourism industry? Well, you’re in the right place! Let’s explore some of the job opportunities and career paths available in hospitality and tourism businesses. When you think you’ve found the right fit for you, you’ll probably realize that even the most dedicated professionals in any field have to balance their personal life with their professional passions, and often face a learning curve when it comes to actually getting a job. Don’t worry—we’ll walk through all of these details. You bring the passion and we’ll bring the know-how to get you where you want to be: dream job.

What will you learn in this unit?

  • Define career paths and discuss how these affect the hospitality industry.
  • Discuss the personal characteristics required in hospitality industry employees.
  • Identify and discuss some of the career options in the hospitality and tourism industry.
  • Examine the advantages and disadvantages of working in the hospitality industry.
  • Discuss job benefit mixes and their role in the hospitality industry.

Unit 3: Hotels

Lodging is one of the earliest-known sectors of the hospitality and tourism industry. From ancient societies to modern times, people have needed places to stay and sleep when they are away from home. There is so much to explore with the hotel sector of the hospitality and tourism industry. Not sure what type of hotel job you’d enjoy the most? Exploring some of the most common hotel departments and what they are responsible for in hotel operations might help expand your horizon. Once you’ve landed a gig in the lodging industry, this information will help you climb the career ladder quickly.

What will you learn in this unit?

  • Describe different types of hotels, ownership structures, and the advantages and disadvantages of each
  • Examine how most hotels are organized in terms of staff members
  • Identify the tasks and responsibilities of departments such as housekeeping, security, and the front office
  • Explore how room counts are generated and how payment services are now being handled by enhanced technology
  • Discuss the practice of overbooking and its possible consequences
  • Compare three types of marketing channels and examples of each in connection with hotels

Unit 4: Restaurants and Foodservice

Convenience has become a hallmark of the modern world. Within the hospitality industry, nowhere is this truer than with restaurants and other foodservice businesses. More than ever, people are eating outside their homes, whether this involves a short trip to a restaurant down the street or as part of a longer trip outside of someone’s local area. This seems commonplace to us, but less than 75 years ago, in the 1950s, only 25 percent of a person’s meals were consumed outside of the home. Before this, eating at restaurants was even lesson common. Today, one-third of us eat out daily! Because it is a booming industry, the restaurant sector requires a huge workforce. Those considering entering this field, even temporarily, will need to examine various aspects of the restaurant and foodservices sector of the hospitality and tourism industry.

What will you learn in this unit?

  • Describe different types of food-related businesses.
  • Define and understand the front of the house versus the back of the house.
  • Discuss the functions of the front and back of the house.
  • Examine the importance of menus in the operation of a restaurant.
  • Consider how managed services differ from restaurants.

Unit 5: Tourism and Travel Planning

Since ancient times, people have been interested in seeing the world around them. Although our methods for travel have changed dramatically since then, many people still travel far away from their homes to see new places and experience different cultures. Of course, the choices they make along the way are still heavily influenced by their own backgrounds, wants, and needs. From planning to preparation and on to the final destination, the impact of tourism is one that can be seen around the globe.

What will you learn in this unit?

  • Define tourism and identify the different types/aspects of tourism
  • Explain the impact of tourism on a local, national, and global level
  • Examine some of the factors that influence tourism decisions
  • Discuss ecotourism and its place in the tourism industry
  • Evaluate travel websites and different career positions in tourism promotion

Unit 6: Event Planning and Conventions/Exhibitions

Everyone likes to have a good time, but what about being the person behind all the action? If you like to help people make tough choices, organize, and are dedicated to customer service, this sector might be a good fit. Event planners and event managers are integral parts of the event business, helping to ensure that the gatherings they oversee run smoothly. However, these are careers in the hospitality and tourism industry that are often overlooked. Let’s take a peek!

What will you learn in this unit?

  • Identify and compare some of the different types of meetings and events
  • Summarize career areas in the field of event planning and the difference between an event planner and event manager
  • Explain some of the steps in planning an event
  • Describe some of the steps in marketing an event
  • Discuss some of the tasks involved in managing an event

Unit 7: Theme Parks and Recreation

How do you unwind and relax? For some people, vacationing is all about the thrill of exploration and adventures. For others, it is a way to help cope with the modern stressors that we face in areas like the workplace and school. Let’s focus now on the recreation and leisure sector of the hospitality and tourism industry. There are many facets to businesses that fall into these categories, such as government-sponsored, non-profit, and commercial recreation sites. Many, like amusement parks, have rich and fascinating histories. While all management roles include responsibilities and challenges that can lead to success or failure, knowing what recreation management positions entail is essential.

What will you learn in this unit?

  • Explain leisure and recreation and their place in modern society
  • Compare for-profit and non-profit recreation sites
  • Identify types of government-sponsored, non-profit, and commercial recreation
  • Summarize the history of amusement and theme parks
  • Discuss the role and responsibilities of amusement and theme park managers

Unit 8: Cruise Ships and Resorts

In some areas of the hospitality and tourism industry, guests are “captive” in the sense that they spend a great deal of their vacation on the premises of the hospitality and tourism business. Two examples of this are cruise ships and resorts. Both cater to a complete vacation experience for guests that can't otherwise be replicated—long gone are the days of one-size-fits-all vacations. This has resulted in changes and challenges for owners, staff, and guests alike. Working through these challenges will allow the cruise and resort sectors to grow and grow, possibly bypassing all other areas of the hospitality and tourism industry.

What will you learn in this unit?

  • Summarize the similarities and differences between cruise ships and ocean liners
  • Compare and contrast different types of cruise ships and what they offer
  • Understand cruise ship terminology and cabin choices
  • Explain some of the changes and challenges cruise ships are facing
  • Identify and describe some different types of resorts
  • Discuss how resorts are handling common issues and challenges

Awards, Approvals, and Accreditation