About

The Hospitality and Tourism Management Program is conveniently located in South Florida, a mecca for hospitality and tourism within the #1 most visited state in the United States. The Hospitality and Tourism Management Program strives to provide a premier educational experience to our hardworking students, who are looking to make a greater impact in their respective fields. Please read more about the Mission of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program as well as the Director's Welcome Message - both are below.

Mission Statement

Our Mission…

The Mission of the FAU Hospitality and Tourism Management Program is to be the absolute best college program of its kind at preparing leaders and executives for the hospitality and tourism industry businesses operating in the 21st Century.

To accomplish this mission, the program incorporates extremely high rigor in its curriculum ‐ both in terms of general business coursework (management, marketing, finance, accounting, etc.) supplemented with a strong core of hospitality business coursework (i.e., guest service, revenue management, hospitality law, operations).

Upon graduation, our graduates demonstrate employer‐desired proficiency in:

• Oral and Written Communications
• Application of Critical Thinking Skills
• Hospitality‐specific Content Knowledge

Director's Welcome

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program at Florida Atlantic University!

As one of the fastest-growing majors at FAU, the Program includes undergraduate for-credit certificates in Hospitality and Tourism Management, Event Management, Casino and Gaming Management, and Club Management.

The program also offers Executive Education (non-credit) certificates, including the Executive Certificate in Hospitality and Tourism Essentials and the Executive Certificate in Event Management.

Our faculty members all have experience in the hospitality industry and are experts across various sectors, including hotels, resorts, private country clubs, restaurants, law, marketing, and finance. Most have held high-level or executive positions within the industry and are recognized leaders in both academia and hospitality.

Florida welcomed 143.3 million visitors in calendar year 2025: another record-setting performance for the Sunshine State. In the fourth quarter of 2025, an estimated 33.5 million visitors traveled to the state, making it the highest fourth quarter visitation on record.

Preliminary estimates show that domestic travelers accounted for 91.5 percent of all visitors in 2025, with 131.1 million Americans traveling to Florida. Overseas visitation reached 9.3 million, while Canadian visitation totaled 2.9 million, consistent with historical trends where Canadian travel represents approximately two percent of total visitation. Florida also experienced continued growth from key international markets, with strong increases from Latin American countries such as Brazil and Argentina, as well as European markets including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands. Brazil is now the second-largest international source of visitors to the state. VISIT FLORIDA remains focused on expanding international visitation through strategic marketing efforts.

Florida continues to be the #1 domestic travel destination in the United States and a top choice for international visitors.

GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS ANNOUNCES ANOTHER RECORD-BREAKING YEAR FOR FLORIDA TOURISM: FLORIDA WELCOMES 143.3 MILLION VISITORS IN 2025

The hospitality industry is the number one private employer in the state of Florida – if your goal is to find a rewarding and fun career upon graduation, you’ve come to the right place! We welcome you to explore our web site, converse with our faculty, and reach out to our program director. Please email us at hospitality@fau.edu or phone us at 561-297-3666.

Cheers!

Dr. Peter Ricci, EdD

CHA, CHSE, CRME, CHIA, CHRM, HIFIA, CHBA, CHDM

Director, Hospitality and Tourism Management Program