& Q A

The effects of the pandemic have yet to be fully determined, including the return to office working. As mental health becomes more important, the lines between business travel and leisure travel will become blurrier. Experiences and lifestyle design were already becoming more important pre-pandemic and I believe they will be even more important going forward.

In the next 10-15 years there will continue to be an emphasis on local and unique experiences as people travel. The globalization of travel, not just to major current tourist destinations, but to more remote and authentic locales will explode, especially as the middle class grows in China and India. Technology innovations will also greatly impact housekeeping, front desk, engineering, food and beverage, and almost every element of the hotel experience. With the continued focus on technology, innovation will, paradoxically (or maybe not so paradoxically), create an even stronger customer desire for hotels and hospitality to provide opportunities for connections, relationships and purpose.

Question: How would you sum up your experience in hospitality? Are there any favorite moments or key takeaways you want to share?

My favorite moments, specifically related to our lodging real estate courses, often occur with the BOV project in our valuation course; I love when a student’s valuation of a hotel matches the transaction price! I also love hearing about my former students getting promoted. We have numerous alumni in the lodging real estate industry and it’s exciting to see former students grow in their field.

I truly enjoy bringing in alumni for my course. It’s exciting to see a student who “gets it” and wants to be on the real estate side, and our alumni are a key part of that experience. Our alumni come in and speak about their careers, their experience and how they ended up in their current positions. The stories are inspiring, and it’s great to know that we, at Fritz, do our best to help students land jobs and build

Hospitality is, by far, the best world in the industry, and it all starts with how positive the typical