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Be the experience behind the destination—and build the skills to design, manage and lead experiences across hospitality, tourism and events.

Turn your passion for travel, events, food, sports and guest experience into a career that shapes how people connect, explore and celebrate. Lenoir-Rhyne’s Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality & Tourism Management prepares you to lead in one of North Carolina’s fastest-growing industries.

Built on a strong business foundation, this program emphasizes hands-on, experiential learning through industry projects, site visits and internships with regional partners. Located in the heart of Western North Carolina’s thriving tourism economy — with access to destinations like Asheville, Charlotte and the Blue Ridge Mountains — you’ll gain real-world experience that connects classroom learning to career opportunities.

Program Overview

Graduates are prepared for careers in event management, hotels and resorts, tourism development, sports and entertainment, and destination marketing—equipped with the business, leadership and guest experience skills needed to succeed in a dynamic, growing industry.

Designed for real-world impact, this program blends business knowledge, hands-on learning and industry connections to prepare you for careers in hospitality and tourism.

• Hands-on learning. Internships, fieldwork and applied projects with regional partners connecting classroom learning directly to industry practice. 
• Industry-relevant curriculum. Courses in event management, lodging operations, food and beverage management, tourism and analytics are aligned with current industry needs.
• Strategic location. Based in Hickory with direct access to major tourism destinations including Asheville, Boone and Charlotte — providing a living laboratory for hands-on experience.
• Stackable credentials. Certificates and minors that build toward your degree and expand your career options.
• Career preparation. Graduate prepared to lead in a dynamic, people-centered industry with strong skills in management, service excellence and guest experience design.

Tourism is a major economic driver across North Carolina, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs and generating billions in revenue annually.

Built for Real-World Experience

You’ll build a strong foundation in business, develop specialized expertise in hospitality and tourism, and gain real-world experience that prepares you to lead in a dynamic, growing industry.

Business Foundation

Build the skills behind every successful organization with a strong foundation in accounting and finance, marketing and branding, business analytics and decision-making, management and leadership, and economics and business law, preparing you to lead and make strategic decisions across industries.

Hospitality & Tourism Preparation

Learn how to design and manage experiences through coursework in hospitality and tourism fundamentals, lodging and resort management, food and beverage operations, event management, leisure and recreation, and innovation in hospitality. Your learning culminates in a capstone project and internship, providing real-world experience and industry connection.

Accreditation

The Hospitality & Tourism Management major is accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Following the program launch and completion of required assessment data, Lenoir-Rhyne will pursue additional accreditation through the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).