Exploring the Hospitality Industry - Hardcover

For courses in Introduction to Hospitality. Exploring the Hospitality Industry offers broad coverage of the hospitality industry all in an easy-to-read, conversational style. This latest text from best-selling author John Walker is less theoretical and more industry relevant than other books. It focuses not just on restaurants and hotels but on new growth areas such as event management, meeting planning, cruising, theme parks, attractions and entertainment. Each chapter features case studies, industry practitioners and corporate profiles that emphasize the real-world issues that make up this field. Reader-friendly strategies make material meaningful and involve readers as they explore the excitement and trends in this ever-growing industry. Exploring the Hospitality Industry is a "need to know" introduction to the hospitality industry that presents the exciting career opportunities in the world's largest and most dynamic industry. The broad scope of this text includes all the major industry segments in five parts: * Hospitality, Tourism, and Travel * Lodging and Cruising * Food and Beverage Service Management * Club Management, Attractions, and Recreation * Assemblies and Event Management Written in an engaging style by a long-time industry practitioner, this text draws on years of experience to give students that real-world exposure. A wide range of features help students learn about this fascinating industry: * Chapter Learning Outcomes-Designed to help students realize what they should know or be able to do as a result of reading and studying the chapter. * Focuses on Career Paths. * Real-Life Industry Examples-Drawn from the author's years of industry experience. * Corporate Profiles-Feature the corporations of excellence. * "Introducing" Profiles-Profile people at all levels of the hospitality industry. * Industry Trends-emphasize important new areas of growth in the industry. * Bolded Key Words and Concepts-Help students grasp the important terms and concepts in the hospitality industry. * Check Your Knowledge-Questions every few pages to help facilitate the learning process. * Cases-Mini case studies to utilize critical thinking skills. * Apply Your Knowledge-another opportunity to use critical thinking skills. The Companion Website goes beyond the book to help students with Web-based activities and resources for each chapter, reinforcing material and offering self-tests and links to numerous hospitality Websites.

Dr. John R. Walker, D.B.A., FMP, CHA, is the McKibbon Professor of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee. John's years of industry experience include management training at the Savoy Hotel London. This was followed by terms as food and beverage manager, assistant rooms division manager, catering managers, and general manager with Grand Metropolitan Hotels, Selsdon Park Hotel, Rank Hotels, Inter-Continental Hotels, and the Coral Reef Resort, Barbados, West Indies. He has taught at two- and four-year schools in Canada and the United States. In addition to being a hospitality management consultant and text author, he has been published in the The Cornell Hotel Restaurant Administration Quarterly and The Hospitality Educators Journal. He is a ten-time recipient of the President's Award for teaching, scholarship, and service; and he has received the Patnubay Award for exemplary professional performance through teaching and authorship of tourism and hospitality publications.