SHA students travel to Paris this summer to learn hospitality from the best BU today

Before the pandemic, France was the most visited country in the world, for a few obvious reasons. It has world-class museums and famous sites such as the Eiffel Tower and Versailles, its cuisine is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its famous hotels range from small boutique properties to fine lodgings. And Paris’ stellar metro and infrastructure helped it secure the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics.

But now, two and a half years after Covid-19 first hit France, the country has It is trying to revive the tourism sector, which accounted for 7.4 percent of the country’s gross domestic product in 2018. France has spent $30 billion since the outbreak. He stated that Euro is developing the tourism sector. New York Times.

All of these factors help explain why the country is an ideal environment for BU School of Hospitality Management students to learn the principles of hospitality marketing, said SHA Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs Leora Lanz (COM’87), who taught a course on the subject this summer. This summer’s BU Paris study abroad course is one of two courses—the other is a food and beverage management class—that comprise the hospitality curriculum. (The program also offers a separate writing curriculum.)

The hospitality marketing course is designed to be a fully immersive experiential learning experience, says Lanz, with less than 25 percent of the classes taking place in the actual classroom. Students took a field trip and met with representatives from the Paris 2024 Olympic Organizing Committee, the prestigious Royal Champagne Hotel. & Spa (the founder and managing partner of their parent company, SHA Advisory Board member Denis Dupre) and marketing agency Pascal Venot. Impressionist painter Claude Monet traveled to famous destinations including the home of Giverny and Disneyland Paris.

The six-week course met BU HUB’s international citizenship and cultural literacy requirements and “was an opportunity to meet and interact with people in the industry in Paris,” says Lanz, “about hospitality marketing, theories and principles, and then how to apply them.” .It took months to sort out and coordinate Lanz’s contacts, which she gained thanks to her long career in the international hospitality industry.

René Pontbriand (CAS’91), director of BU study abroad in Paris, said the program’s offerings received a record amount of demand this summer, and they had to limit the size of some programs to ensure the quality of the learning experience. In addition, she said, more young people and old people than usual were registered because they could not go abroad during the epidemic.

Students have seen first-hand the impact of Covid-19 on the hospitality industry. Hospitality locations around the world, including France, have been forced to close and labor shortages are wreaking havoc on businesses. The clientele has also changed: “Americans are probably 40 to 50 percent of the traveling consumer who comes to Paris now,” Lanz explains. Due to its lockdown, the city does not see as many travelers from Asian countries as it usually does this time of year. And styles have changed; There are many more short-term bookings available, and people are booking at the last minute. We don’t know if this is the new normal.

A large part of Lanz’s course involves introducing the students to hospitality brands they may not have heard of. On one of the tours, the class traveled the following year to the five-star hotel Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris, which has a sister location in Boston’s Copley Square. On another trip, students visited Mama Shelter Paris East, a modern three-star hotel with three other locations in Paris.

“Students have heard of Marriott and Hilton, and from a global perspective, they should also know about Raffles and Mammoth Hotels, as they are key players,” Lanz says. “It’s important to me to provide these opportunities to teach our students about new companies they’ve never heard of, about the DNA of the companies, about the brand proposition. Is it suitable for the students? Do you want to work for them? And then connect them for internships and jobs.

Another lesson focused on Disneyland Paris. In France, the main park of the Mouse House attracted more than 9.7 million visitors in 2019, more than the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower or the Palace of Versailles. The BU students met Eva Gutierrez, director of Disney Paris hotels Sequoia Lodge and Davy Crockett Ranch and a longtime Disney Cast member. Gutierrez gave the students some insight into the park’s history and discussed what it’s like to have a very American destination in a very American place and how Disney has changed its tried-and-true approach to better serve European customers. For example, the French version of the famous Space Mountain has details inspired by the science fiction novel by French author Jules Verne. After that, the group visited the main park and saw a fireworks display.

Kyle McMullin (SHA’24) had never traveled internationally before moving to Paris. The experience exceeded his expectations, he said, and he and his friends “found places to visit together, restaurants, shopping malls, entertainment venues, and historical sites” outside of the classroom. “One of my favorite group experiences is the Fête de la Musique. [World Music Day] Holiday. It had many singers, dancers and many restaurants playing music in the streets of Paris, and it was our first time to try many French dishes such as escargot and French onion soup.

Classmate Maggie Thompson (SHA’25) had to take an introductory marketing course for her major and chose to immerse herself in the city’s culture, food and tourist attractions in Paris. She enjoyed exploring the museums, parks, neighborhoods, and monuments of Paris by herself or with friends after class, and traveled to Versailles and Chantilly, among other places.

“Seeing different cultures was amazing and eye-opening and allowed me to create memories that I will never forget,” says Thompson. “Needless to say, I crossed this trip off my bucket list a lot.”