New hospitality minor to prepare UofL students for careers in tourism

University of Louisville students now have additional opportunities for industry-specific education thanks to a new minor in hospitality management offered by the UofL College of Business. The program will equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in the field of tourism and hospitality.

Louisville's tourism industry has an economic impact of $4.2 billion annually, with nearly 70,000 people in the area working in the industry. As visitor demand and the city's tourism infrastructure increase, the workforce must grow proportionately to meet guest expectations. The new minor in hospitality management is a collaborative effort of the UofL College of Business, Louisville Tourism and the Louisville Hotel Partnership.

"Collaborating with the University of Louisville marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to enhance the hospitality industry in Louisville," said Cleo Battle, president and CEO of Louisville Tourism. "By combining our resources and expertise, we aim to provide students with hands-on experience and practical insights into the travel, tourism and hospitality industries, preparing them for successful careers. In turn, this initiative will also benefit our community by fostering a well-trained workforce in a sector that continues to grow locally."

The minor, housed within the UofL College of Business and open to students in any major, will include courses on event management, hospitality operations, revenue management, sales and tourism marketing and will offer invaluable experiential learning opportunities facilitated by industry partners.

"The collaboration reflects UofL's commitment to fostering industry-relevant education and ensuring graduates are well prepared to meet the demands of the rapidly growing hospitality sector," said Ryan Quinn, chair of the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at UofL, who will oversee the new program. "This minor will provide many new career options. Whether you are a student in the College of Business or any other college on campus, if you want to go into the hospitality management industry, this minor will give you another option for your career and an 'in' to the specifics of this industry."

The Louisville Hotel Partnership is key to ensuring the program's relevancy and success. The partnership provided a $500,000 gift to UofL to help fund the development of the new minor.

"We are proud to support this innovative collaboration, which will strengthen both the hospitality sector and student opportunities. The hospitality minor will create a robust pipeline and deeper talent pool which is crucial to growing Louisville's hotel industry workforce while equipping students with lifelong skill sets that will make them more marketable upon graduation," said Eamon O'Brien, Louisville Hotel Partnership board chair and general manager of the Omni Louisville Hotel.