Utah’s Carbon High School participates in Hospitality & Tourism Career Program

Thursday, March 23, 2023

Carbon High School (CHS) is a participant in the Hospitality and Tourism Career and Technical Education (CTE) Program. The Utah Tourism Industry Association (UTIA) and the Utah Board of Education collaborated to develop this course. It will teach high school students the fundamentals of the tourism industry while also preparing them for future opportunities.

Students will study about a variety of sectors, including the economic, environmental, social, and cultural consequences of tourism, lodging and hotel operations, food and beverage, and much more.

A benefit of the course is that four industry guest speakers will be asked to speak about their experiences. Mandi Bryner brought Carbon County Tourism Specialist Tina Grange to her classroom last week to speak with her students about tourism.

Grange spoke with the students about the purpose of tourism, how money works in communities, and the opportunities that arise from tourism and economic growth. The students discovered how the Carbon Corridor brand contributes to Carbon County’s objective of economically sustainable and integrated tourism. The brand is inspired by the region’s rich history, stunning terrain, and diverse attractions and activities.

Grange described to the students how the focus shifted from Castle Country to the Carbon Corridor, and how a secret shopping trip by Roger Brooks played a significant part in that. Grange also spoke with the students on the numerous outdoor activities available.

She reminded the students that the visitor’s centre has been re-located to the Prehistoric Museum and is open to give resources to tourists visiting the region. The Carbon Corridor is dedicated to providing a base camp for adventure in Southeast Utah for both locals and tourists.

Grange also discussed how tourism may benefit any town. It was defined as a healthy and vital element of a sustainable economy that generates cash for the county without harming citizens’ quality of life.

After that, the students learned about the Carbon County Tourism Tax Advisory Board, including who serves on the board and how it functions. Grange explained the Transient Room Tax (TRT) and how much of the money goes to certain parts of the community.

According to Cicily Kind, Program Manager for the Utah Tourism Industry Association (UTIA), the UTIA has developed a comprehensive tourism and hospitality course that is available through the Utah School Board of Education to educate high school students the fundamentals of the sector.

“This course includes over a dozen lesson plans for teachers covering the basics of the tourism and hospitality industry, and provides real-world learning opportunities through in-class industry guest speakers, student attendance at the annual Utah Tourism Conference, a nationally-accredited certification course, and more,” said Kind.

She went on to say that in recent years, this course has been taught to hundreds of kids in Utah’s high schools. UTIA is now excited to be collaborating with Ms. Shih and Ms. Bryner at Carbon High School. This is a free programme offered to Utah’s public high schools since the costs are paid by a grant.

« Back to Page