The hospitality and tourism industry is booming, employing more than 300 million people worldwide and contributing trillions of dollars each year to the global economy, with a record $11 trillion predicted for 2024.
The University of South Carolina has prepared many industry leaders, with more following in their footsteps in each graduating class.
“Hospitality is such a diverse industry from operations to development to destination management,” said International Society of Hospitality Consultants CEO Andrea Belfanti, a South Carolina hospitality management alumna. “There are a lot of careers that allow you to travel all over the world and make a lot of money.”
South Carolina’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management combines classroom instruction from world-renowned faculty with a matchless menu of experiential learning opportunities. Students annually work at some of golf’s biggest tournaments, including the Masters Tournament and the Players Championship, memorable experiences that also open career doors.
“I know I wouldn’t have had those opportunities if I hadn’t come to South Carolina,” said alumna Tatiana Lippold, now assistant clubhouse manager at the prestigious Alotian Club. “I realized the people in this industry are a whole lot like me. We have similar goals, similar passions for service and excellence, and it feels like home.”
Hands-on experience
Food and beverage management will always be a major part of the hospitality and tourism industries, and South Carolina students are well prepared for careers in that area. Students gain experience operating a full-service restaurant on campus and learn about food production in the state-of-the-art Marriott Culinary Lab. New in 2024 is the Beverage Education Lab.
“It provides a realistic and customized environment to deliver curriculum, demonstrations, and events in an engaging way and for a wide range of audiences,” said School of Hospitality and Tourism Management director Sandy Strick. “This facility is designed to be an epicenter of beverage management excellence for both students and professionals, impacting education and industry advancement across the state and region.”
The vast field of hospitality and tourism management includes many careers students are unaware of before beginning their education at South Carolina. Caroline Aase graduated in May 2024 and stepped into a career with one of the world’s biggest hotel/resort companies, IHG. Her analyst role is part of the transactions and asset management portion of the industry, focused on buying and selling hotels and franchises.
“South Carolina is the reason I’m at IHG today,” Aase says. “As a student, I had the opportunity to tour IHG’s regional headquarters in Atlanta and network with leaders. When I was looking for a job my senior year, I was able to reach out to those connections and find an opportunity that was perfect for my goals.”
The opportunities never stop coming for University of South Carolina students and alumni. The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management is consistently ranked number one in the Southeastern Conference and among the nation’s best.
Click here to learn more about USC’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management
