Peter Ricci
FAU’s Peter Ricci Wins 30th Annual ‘South Florida Tourism Professional of the Year’ Award
Florida Atlantic University: | October 7, 2021
Free Online Certificate During Pandemic Helped Tens of Thousands Worldwide BOCA RATON, FL – October 7, 2021 – Peter Ricci, Ed.D., director of Florida Atlantic University’s hospitality and tourism management program, was named the 30th annual South Florida Tourism Professional of the Year by the Academy of Hospitality & Tourism (AOHT). Judges were asked to consider the seven finalists’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, an area where Ricci shined. In March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, he organized a free online certificate offered by FAU’s College of Business that allowed industry professionals who were fur...
FAU Hospitality Expert: Pent-Up Demand Could Buoy Cruise Lines in 2021 but Other Segments Face Long Road Back
Florida Atlantic University | December 21, 2020
BOCA RATON, Fla. (Dec. 21, 2020) – The hospitality and tourism industry will lead Florida out of the coronavirus pandemic starting in 2021, but a full recovery likely will take years, says an industry expert within Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could relax its guidelines on cruising, whose pent-up demand is higher than most other industry segments, once about 20 million COVID-19 vaccines have been distributed, according to Peter Ricci, Ed.D, director of FAU’s Hospitality and Tourism Management program. The cruise industry has the highest guest satisfaction ratings...
Live Meetings & Events – What’s the Reality for 2021?
Florida Atlantic University | November 23, 2020
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Study: Travelers Care More About Customer Reviews Than Low Prices When Booking Hotels and Short-Term Rentals
Florida Atlantic University | November 12, 2020
BOCA RATON, Fla. (Nov. 12, 2020) – Operators of hotels and short-term rental properties looking to build back business hampered by the coronavirus pandemic shouldn’t worry about low prices as much as customer opinions, according to a new study by researchers at Florida Atlantic University and four other universities. When booking hotels and so-called peer-to-peer accommodations such as Airbnb, travelers are swayed more by customer reviews than complex discount strategies, the study found. Travelers selecting hotels tend to rely on the percentage of positive reviews, while the number of online reviews means more to people choosing Air...
FAU Expert Insists Deep Price Discounts Now Will Set Bad Precedent for Hotels After Coronavirus Crisis Ends
Florida Atlantic University | October 5, 2020
BOCA RATON, Fla. (Oct. 5, 2020) – Hoteliers are bracing for a tenuous tourist season as the fallout from the COVID-19 recession lingers, but deep discounting should not be part of the recovery playbook, said Peter Ricci, Ed.D, director of the Hospitality and Tourism Management program in Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business. Ricci contends that hotels should keep rates what they were prior to the pandemic and instead institute a bare-bones operation that includes reduced staffing and expenses with only a small percentage of rooms available to reserve. “This will maintain brand integrity and the quality expectations wi...
FAU Hospitality and Tourism Management Program Offers Lifeline to Workers Struggling During Coronavirus Pandemic
Florida Atlantic University | March 26, 2020
BOCA RATON, Fla. (March 26, 2020) – Florida Atlantic University’s nationally ranked Hospitality and Tourism Management program, within FAU’s College of Business, is offering a free certificate to industry workers and professionals who may be affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Through a series of five online sessions in April, participants can learn about the core components required for success in the industry. The sessions cover hospitality law, career competencies, marketing and revenue management, finance fundamentals and service excellence. “Hospitality will always rebound, but this is the first global crisis where every hospi...
