Punta Cana Wintermester 1718
Resort Management
Tentative Dates: December 30, 2018 - January 14, 2019
HTM 3954 or HTM 5954
Three Credit Hours
The Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 3 credit hour Education Abroad Program will be held over a 15‐day period. The foundation of the course will be provided in the classroom within the Punta Cana Resort and Club and will include faculty and invited guest lectures complimented with field trips to appropriate sites. Punta Cana is one of the premier resort destination locations in the world, with an incredible diversity of resort experiences available (all inclusive, family, wedding destination, sustainable, etc.).
The program will include an overview of hospitality in the Dominican Republic with instruction on various aspects of resort management including service, sports amenities, and food and beverage operations, cruise ship operations, destination weddings, marketing, agro-tourism, and crisis management.
This course features behind-the-scenes tours of some of some of the most beautiful properties in the Dominican Republic such as Club Med, Hard Rock, Paradisus Palma Real, and Sanctuary Cap Cana.
Itinerary includes a number of half day opportunities to take in the sights, hang out on white sand beaches, golf, go to the spa, etc.
Learning Objectives:
- Review common resort design principles and practices and examine the relationship between developers, land, and golf course communities.
- Discuss the environmental impact of resort development in Punta Cana and ways in which clubs and resorts are using environmental and socially sustainable initiatives.
- Examine the burgeoning spa business and the impact it has on resort management.
- Review the uniqueness of timeshare resort operations. Explain crisis management for clubs and resorts, especially as it relates to natural disasters such as hurricanes.
- Explore the impact of the $20 Billion destination wedding industry.
Faculty Leader:
Tom Duetsch is the program leader and instructor. He is an adjunct instructor in the department of Hospitality and Tourism Management and has taught HTM 3044 (Club Management), HTM 2515 (Catering Management) and HTM 1515 (Introduction to Hospitality). He is a certified club manager through the Club Managers Association of America and has been General Manager of the Blacksburg Country Club for 17 years.
Undergraduates will receive three credits for HTM 3954. This course can also be substituted for the Area 2 and/or Area 7 requirement. Graduate students can receive three credits for HTM 5954, Study Abroad.
Note: This program is designed to provide a more economical option for students who want to study abroad and do not have time to do so during the summer.
Eligibility:
- HTM 3954: 2.3 overall GPA or instructor consent
- HTM 5954: 3.0 overall or instructor consent
Program fees are $1,845. Virginia Tech tuition, fees, and other costs are noted below. A non-refundable deposit of $500, payable online is due after acceptance into program, with the balance of program fees due October 10, 2018.
APPLY EARLY; Acceptance on first-come basis with priority given to HTM students.
Deadline for Applications: Oct. 1, 2018
| Cost | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Program Fee | $1845 | $1845 |
| Tuition & Fees - est. | $1206 | $2898 |
| Meals not provided | None | None |
| Lodging | Included | Included |
| Required Group Travel | Included | Included |
| Airfare | Estimate - $550 | Estimate - $550 |
| Passport | $135 | $135 |
| Personal & Other Expense | $20 | $20 |
| Personal Travel | Varies | Varies |
| Total | $3,756 | $5,548 |
Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis once all paperwork is completed, with priority given to HTM students. This program reached capacity with a waiting list last year. Applying early is recommended!
Go to the VT Global Education site for the program HERE and complete the application process. Click the "Apply Now" button and follow the instructions.
ELIGIBILITY
- HTM 3954: 2.3 overall GPA or instructor consent.
- HTM 5954: 3.0 overall
Students will be able to travel home from Blacksburg at the conclusion of the fall semester and enjoy the holiday. An added benefit of this study abroad is that you do not need to travel as a group and can fly from an airport of your choosing to Punta Cana. You should plan to arrive in Punta Cana no later than 6pm on December 30th.
At the airport, you will enjoy VIP Service to the Punta Cana Resort. A representative will be waiting for you as you deplane and will personally escort you through Customs, assist you in baggage claim, and provide transportation to your room on the Punta Cana Resort property.
Your departing flight can be anytime on January 14th. Again, VIP Service staff will take you from the resort to the airport, escort you through airline check-in, custom security area, and walk you to your departure gate.
Each student must have a valid passport from their home country. You can apply for a passport in Squires Student Center.
You should insure that you have the proper vaccinations for this program. This can be done through the University’s recommended travel clinic (Intravene), a county health department, or your family physician. Your family physician usually does not have the more specialized vaccines and should refer you to the county health department. You can see a list of recommended vaccinations and other health information at the CDC travel website.
These sites have additional information:
- Passports
- Visas
- General Information from the U.S. State Department
- International Travel from the U.S. State Department
- Students Abroad – U.S. State Department
- Customs Information
- Medical Information
- CDC Medical Information
- CIA Factbook (A great place for information on the countries we visit.)
- State Department Travel Alerts & Warnings
Details coming soon.
The brochure is available below.
