A new report from the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, one of the nation’s top hospitality schools, determined the total economic impact of its alumni on Central Florida surpassed $531 million from 2000 to 2012. During that period, more than 5,000 students earned a degree either at the undergraduate or graduate level.
“These findings confirm the significance and relevance of hospitality education in these challenging economic times,” said Dr. Abraham Pizam, dean of the Rosen College of Hospitality Management. “The fact that Rosen College students and graduates have made such an incredible, financial impact on this region cements our important role in Central Florida’s continued growth and prosperity.”
Rosen College also supplies a valuable labor source to the local market in the form of interns. The report’s findings estimate their total economic value at $17.19 million for 2012 based on an average of 25.1 work hours per week. Rosen College’s total economic contribution in terms of wages and spillover effects in 2012, including graduates and interns, amounted to $69.3 million.
Rosen College attributes the report’s figures to a number of factors, including 3,465 graduates and interns working locally in 2012, more than 5,000 degrees awarded since 2000 and the corresponding economic contribution of its alumni to the Central Florida area.
To request the full report or schedule an interview with Dr. Pizam, contact Kathy Dorf at 407-903-8151 or katherine.dorf@ucf.edu [1].