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FROM STAFF REPORTS
JOHNSON CITY —Registration is now open for the Hospitality and Tourism Management Certification Program, a partnership with the East Tennessee State University Office of Professional Development and Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association (NETTA). The certification is a regional first, having grown over the past two years to include more than two dozen graduates.
Classes will be held each Tuesday, Aug. 17-Nov. 16, from 6-9 p.m., at the Hands On! Discovery Center, located in Gray at the ETSU Natural History Museum and Gray Fossil Site. Registration is required.
Certification is for anyone interested in expanding their skills and knowledge for personal and/or professional development. This includes tourism and hospitality professionals who would like to hone their skills in management, public relations, current technology and social trends, or graduate students who want to augment their programs of study with an invaluable skill set.
The program prepares graduates for entry or advanced promotion into a range of management positions in culinary, food and beverage, lodging, attraction, and tourism-related industries. It is intended for those who desire skills that are needed in the workforce at large.
Tourism in Northeast Tennessee employs approximately 7,000 people and generates more than $911 million in direct visitor spending, more than $194 million in payroll, and more than $27 million in local sales tax receipts annually.
During the course of the program, designed with strong emphasis on applied skills, students will learn regional and international facets of hospitality and tourism, with topics ranging from marketing, finance, safety, strategy, and employee management in local tourism. Students will have access to industry leaders, as well as experienced ETSU faculty and staff.
The certificate in hospitality and tourism management requires the completion of two six-week sessions offered during the fall semester. Topics will include customer service, employee and event management, public relations, sustainability, revenue management, and leadership.
“Tourism is the second largest industry and a major employer in our area,” said Alicia Phelps, NETTA executive director. “An investment in the local workforce through continued education will further strengthen the hospitality and tourism industry, which plays such a large role as an economic driver in Northeast Tennessee. We’re elated to partner with ETSU by offering this program. We have a strong force of experts and internationally known entities in our area, and the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association is able to pull from those partners as designated speakers for topics within the certification.”
NETTA is a non-profit tourism agency serving Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties, as well as portions of Southwest Virginia.
For class schedule, cost and enrollment, visit NortheastTennessee.org/HTC or call the ETSU Office of Professional Development at 423-439-8084.