Now housed on the University of Central Florida's main campus in east Orlando, the program has surged from 75 undergraduate students three years ago to 850 today, Pizam says, and is expected to hit 1,000 by 2005. That figure will put the Rosen school behind the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, which has 2,000 students, and the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management at the University of Houston, with 1,200 students.
The Rosen school's 92,000-sq.-ft. building is scheduled for completion in November, along with living quarters for 400 students. Unlike other U.S. hospitality schools, Pizam says, the Rosen school will be made up almost entirely of full-time students.
The school is named after Orlando hotelier Harris Rosen, who donated $18.2 million for the project.
Flawed Strategy?
Hotels that have lowered room rates in the wake of the terrorist attacks and the economic downturn might want to change their strategy. According to a recent study on room rates by Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, deep discounts do not improve sales or increase demand. In fact, lower rates can actually cause further damage to a hotel's revenue. Travelers are not changing their plans based on discounts, the study found. So the hotel's existing customers are taking advantage of the lower prices, which leaves the hotel with less money than it would have made if it had left rates alone.
Theme Parks
Kent Buescher, president and CEO of Wild Adventures in Georgia, has expressed interest in buying Cypress Gardens, which closed April 13. The state is also exploring the possibility of buying at least part of the park, using funds from the $3-billion Florida Forever program. ... At other theme parks: SeaWorld has launched its 5-acre Waterfront expansion. ... Universal Studios Florida has welcomed new attractions Jimmy Neutron and Shrek. ... Disney has announced plans to open a Mission: Space ride in October in Epcot and an Expedition Everest roller coaster in 2006 in Animal Kingdom.
Comings and Goings
Orlando hotelier David Gabri has purchased Associated Luxury Hotels, a 17-year-old consortium that provides sales and marketing for upper-tier hotels in the U.S. and Bermuda. The organization plans to target the business travel market, which has been hard hit since Sept. 11, 2001. ... The new $16-million Emerald Coast Conference Center, which opened in April, is now the largest meeting facility in northwest Florida at 70,000 square feet. ... The Seminole Okalee Indian Village and Museum in Fort Lauderdale has closed and will reopen in March 2004 as part of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Resort in Hollywood. The $410-million project also includes a Hard Rock complex set to open next spring in Tampa.
A State of Leisure
Leisure travelers rank Florida as the nation's No. 1 destination for comfort level and attractiveness, according to a recent survey by the Travel Industry Association of America. Specifically, Orlando and Kissimmee-St. Cloud topped the state's destinations in the survey, which also concluded that 71% of all U.S. travelers have no interest this year in heading overseas. The findings are good news for Visit Florida, the state's tourism marketing corporation, which is targeting visitors who choose to drive into the state with special promotions such as the new "Travel on a Tankful" self-directed tours recently added to www.flausa.com.
Cleanest U.S. Cities
Orlando also was named one of the nation's "Cleanest Cities" in Travel and Leisure Magazine's recent America Online survey, coming in fifth behind Portland, Ore.; Minneapolis-St. Paul; Honolulu; and San Diego. Among other factors, the survey looked at quality of shopping, night life and public transportation as well as attractiveness and friendliness of the locals. Finishing last in the list of 25 major U.S. destinations: New Orleans.
Reinventing Yourself
Sarasota and Gainesville are among "The 15 Best Places to Reinvent Your Life," according to a study by the American Association of Retired Persons. Sarasota came in fourth behind Loveland/Fort Collins, Colo.; Bellingham, Wash.; and Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, N.C.; while Gainesville ranked No. 11. The cities were chosen based on availability of jobs, affordable housing, culture and entertainment, access to outdoor recreation, safety, colleges and universities, sense of community, proximity to healthcare, public schools and ease of getting around.
Accolades
The child-friendly trademarked Kidsuites at Holiday Inn Family Resort in Orlando has won Nick Jr. magazine's national 2003 Playful Travel Award for Most Appealing Kids' Rooms. Amenities in the suites include semi-private children's rooms with kid-size furniture, bright colors, Nintendo 64, CD/cassette players, VCRs, cable TV and bunk beds. ... Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina has won highest honors from Marriott International for the second year in a row, splitting the 2002 Hotel of the Year award with the Renaissance Worthington in Fort Worth, Texas.
Visit Florida
Visit Florida may have a new leader after all. Interim President Frank "Bud" Nocera has been given a preliminary nod to step into the role permanently, but the board must approve the move this month.
International Visits
Florida hosted more international visitors than any other state in 2001, according to a recent report by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The breakdown:
Percentage of international visitors to U.S. statesStatePercentageFlorida??24%New York23California22Hawaii10
Most international tourists came from Canada, followed by the United Kingdom, Venezuela, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and Spain.