West Virginia University Hospitality and Tourism Management students in the College of Business and Economics had the unique opportunity to experience real-world training in hotel management while helping the West Virginia Tourism Office find ways to increase business in state parks. The students analyzed revenue trends of lodging facilities in state parks across West Virginia to determine how best to regulate proper occupancy rates and pricing regimes.
The semester-long project resulted from recommendations laid out in West Virginia Forward’s findings, which encouraged utilizing the state’s unique assets to help maximize growth opportunities. West Virginia’s tourism industry already serves as a key economic driver across the state, generating more than $4 billion in direct spending, creating 45,000 jobs and welcoming some 16 million overnight visitors a year. However, though hotel occupancy rates have seen year-over-year growth the past two years, data indicated that lodging facilitates in state parks could improve the measurements of hotel occupancy rates.
Therefore, the opportunity was rife to collaborate academia, industry and government to help conduct more research that could ultimately increase annual revenue rates in state parks.
Students will be presenting their research and analyses to Tourism Commissioner Chelsea Ruby along with state park superintendents and representatives on April 24, with the goal that the data compiled will help the Commissioner implement a more regimented and data-driven process for deciding how best to yield the highest return on pricing, marketing and future investment in state parks.
“We’re here to help increase business for the state while preparing young leaders for lifetime careers in hospitality and tourism,” said Frank DeMarco, teaching associate professor of the Hospitality and Tourism Management program. “Our goal to is to blend classroom learning with tangible experiences to try to keep talent here in West Virginia while taking steps to advance the state’s economy and business opportunities. This project did just that. It gave the students an idea of how to run revenue management and calculate performance metrics in real time by working with state park representatives. All the while, they felt a sense of purpose since their work could actually help produce growth.”
Carrie Digman, a WVU senior graduating with a double major in Hospitality and Tourism Management and Accounting, worked with all the student groups on this project. She noted, “The West Virginia State Park Operations project has allowed the students to experience first-hand the true beauty of West Virginia. It has been such an exciting experience to work with each group to accomplish the goal of helping to make a small difference and move the state forward.”
DeMarco’s subsequent class efforts will build on the data compiled by students in the spring 2018 semester so that faculty and students will be able to help drive future research-based protocols crafted to increase profits and growth in West Virginia state parks.
Learn more about West Virginia Forward’s efforts.
Members of the media who would like to attend the Hospitality and Tourism class presentations or are interested in Skyping in, contact Katie Longo at 304.293.0166 or katie.longo@mail.wvu.edu.
WHAT: Hospitality and Tourism Program class presentations on state park occupancy rates
WHEN: Tuesday (April 24) , 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
WHERE: The HIT Lab, Evansdale Crossing, Room 313 (3rd floor), Morgantown.
* Reach out to Katie Longo for Skype information.
-WVU-
kl/04/23/18
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