MISSION, Texas - The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has a fairly new degree program specifically designed for the flourishing hospitality and tourism industry that is so prevalent in the region.
The degree program began in 2019 and has continued to grow since. UTRGV Founding Director and Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management A.J. Singh spoke about the program in depth during a Buenas Tardes Luncheon hosted by the Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce. The event was titled State of Hospitality & Tourism.
UTRGV’s bachelor’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management prepares students to enter the hospitality sector with an in-depth understanding of how to operate and manage in the areas hospitality and tourism with globally competitive skills top hospitality and tourism businesses are looking for.
Singh was approached by the university to start this new program.
“Our program is actually part of the college of business,” he said during the luncheon. “We are the newest major. We started in 2019 with zero students.”
The program is being positioned a business program, Singh added. Students of this program graduate with in-demand skills in business management, hospitality law, marketing, lodging, and hospitality strategic management.
“So, we are here to serve as a resource for the community, work in operations, and support the community with continuing education” he said.
The program has steadily grown to about 100 students and there are also students who are minoring in hospitality/tourism, he added.
“We’re slowly growing,” he said.
The Hospitality and Tourism Management program is the first within the entire UT system, Singh added.
“Very wisely they put it in the quality business because ultimately hospitality/tourism is a business like any other business. So, the foundation is still marketing, finance, accounting, all those things that you need and then you get specialty training for running hotels, restaurants or clubs and casinos or pubs,” he said.
“Our program right now has three specializations,” he said, and they are the hotel business, food and beverage, and meeting and event planning, which is one of the fastest growing areas in hospitality.”
A new hospitality field that the program is exploring is Healthcare Hospitality. Still in its infancy, this area of hospitality is going to be added to the program at a later time, he added.
“Right now, our focus is really regional because there’s just a lot of schools right here. So, our outreach for the time being has been regional,” he said. “But we do have events around the state. So, we work very closely with the Texas Restaurant Association, the Texas Hotel Association.”
In order to get more students interested in the program and to know there is a place in the Valley where they can pursue the hospitality industry, the university is currently partnering with schools in the area, hosting events such as Aloha Adventures funded by Region One Education Service Area and attended recently by over 200 high school students, Singh added. The day-long event had many different speakers representing the various industries.
“We’re positioning ourselves as a business program with hospitality because any service business, I think, our hospitality students would be prepared to take on that role,” he said. “For the time being, I think there’s enough (opportunities) right here.”
