Empowering Future Leaders of the Hospitality, Tourism, and Events Industry: VR/AR as a Core Education Tool

Project Overview

This project aims to integrate VR/AR technology into hospitality, tourism, and event management pedagogy to enhance practical application and address challenges in experiential learning. This will provide broader use for the school, including selling and sales management, financial counseling and planning, and retail management faculty and students. The project has two major applications of VR/AR, including simulating hotels, restaurants, and event spaces not easily accessible for students in West Lafayette, and allowing students to role-play management scenarios to develop soft skills and prepare for future leadership positions. The project team plans to partner with Purdue Conferences and the Union Club Hotel to create authentic and relevant educational content, along with the Envision Center.

Project Team

• Shawn Jung, Assistant Professor, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management
• Susan Gordon, Associate Professor, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management