FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2007

CONTACT: Steve Dolan
(619) 594-5664
sdolan@mail.sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO, Wednesday, March 28, 2007 -With weather that most cities in the United States can only dream about most times of the year, San Diego continues to be a national leader in the hospitality and tourism industries.

Tourism is our region's third-largest industry, following the manufacturing and military industries. There were 27.2 million visitors to San Diego County in 2005, including 15.9 million overnight visitors, according to the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau (ConVis).

ConVis reports that visitor spending was an estimated $5.8 billion dollars in the county, a 4.9 percent increase over the previous year. The San Diego Convention Center hosted 54 out-of-town conventions and trade shows, with a total estimated attendance of 470,950. These events brought in $462 million in direct spending by convention delegates.

With hospitality and tourism being such a major player in the region, San Diego State University's College of Extended Studies has responded by establishing Professional Certificate programs in Hospitality, Casino Gaming, The Business of Wine, and Meeting and Event Planning.

Instructors in all hospitality programs at SDSU's College of Extended Studies have the highest level of expertise, knowledge, and skills in the industry. Well-known Southern California professionals teach different aspects of the Hospitality, The Business of Wine, Casino Gaming, and Meeting and Event Planning programs.

This curriculum complements SDSU's previous program that includes a four-year interdisciplinary degree, a research institute, and continuing professional development in hospitality and tourism management. That program draws from SDSU's College of Business Administration and College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts.

The certificate program in The Business of Wine derives from the fact that the wine business continues to boom in our state.

California wine shipments posted record growth again in 2005, according to figures released by wine industry consultant Jon Fredrikson in the Gomberg-Fredrikson Report. According to the report, California wine shipments to the U.S. market grew to a record high of 441 million gallons.

The Professional Certificate in Casino Gaming, which is offered both in the classroom and online, will place individuals in another thriving field. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, California's casino gaming industry is a $7 billion annual business.

SDSU is also rolling out its Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming in the fall 2007 semester, which is the first for-degree program ever in tribal gaming. It focuses on research, policy studies, and education related to the area of tribal gaming management. The institute is geared to studying tribal gaming within the broader industry of hospitality and tourism management.

SDSU's College of Extended Studies is partnering with Meeting Professionals International (MPI) to present the very popular Professional Certificate in Meeting and Event Planning. Classes in this program will be offered beginning in the fall 2007 semester.