Marketing The Key West Hospitality Program

Abstract

Designing a hospitality program to meet academic standards and community needs is a great challenge. This paper explores marketing of the program at Florida Keys Community College; a school situated on an island only five miles square. Key West's raging popularity, due to its promotion of tourism, has resulted in a severe labor shortage, a critical housing need and often local resentment. Many times the program finds itself in direct competition with the very industry it serves.

Taking the approach of a competing business, the program has explored the market place and positioned itself to be sensitive, stimulating and flexible to the present and potential student.

The four-year marketing plan expresses the viewpoint that program development is not complete until it is well established as a positive part of the community and all potential markets have been fully explored, resulting, in a continuous source of new and returning students.