Community, Commercial & Tourism Emphasis

The unique combination of community and commercial recreation as a PRM emphasis reflects the continued merger of these two areas in the profession. Municipal recreation departments continue to adapt to the financial realities of tight budgets by generating more of their annual budgets through fees and charges. The fact that leisure spending exceeds $726 billion dollars a year indicates its importance to the national economy. This emphasis is designed to enhance the students preparation in community recreation programming, tourism and business. Students selecting this emphasis are preparing for careers with municipal, country, state and federal community based recreation services, travel and tourism organizations, convention and visitors bureaus, recreational retail or manufacturing or starting their own leisure service business. 

Students within this emphasis will have the ability to:

• Create, organize, identify sponsors, market, implement and evaluate large community events
• Describe the fundamental concepts and principles of ecotourism and sustainable development as it relates to transportation, lodging and cultural impacts.
• Use accounting and budgeting practices to prepare, analyze and interpret financial statements
• Respond to budgetary constraints while achieving the positive guest outcomes
• Develop, use and evaluate appropriate and effective strategies to address cultural differences, values and expectations in the planning and implementation of recreation programming.
• Plan, design and operate recreation facilities and adjoining areas to increase tourism, commercial, and community benefits
• Design programming in a manner that best promotes cultural and environmental awareness.

Parks and Recreation Management faculty contact for this emphasis is Dr. Charles Hammersley