For students studying parks and recreation at ETSU, a trip to Dollywood is on the syllabus.
As a part of the Commercial Recreation and Tourism class, which is required for every parks and recreation major and serves as an introduction to the program, students are able to take a trip to Dollywood to gain insight into the industry.
Professor Jason Davis is the program coordinator for parks and recreation management and has taught the course since 2009. Davis shares that the program’s relationship with Dollywood came about organically over a decade ago.
For students interested in commercial recreation and tourism, visiting Dollywood is extremely educational, as the theme park is the number one ticketed attraction in the state of Tennessee. Additionally, Davis said that Dollywood is a huge money generator for Sevier county and the state of Tennessee.
For Davis, traveling to Dollywood is not only the highlight of the class, but also a broad spectrum learning experience.
“I want to go to the number one tourist attraction in the state of Tennessee and talk about economic value and economic impact,” said Davis.
Students also receive a behind the scenes tour of Dollywood from the director of public relations. Through the experience, students gain better insight into the different types of Commercial Recreation enterprises, as well as a general understanding of the history of Dollywood, their facilities, operations, management and marketing strategies.
The Commercial Recreation and Tourism class is offered once a year, in the fall. The annual Dollywood trip always occurs at the end of October.
While the course is a requirement for every Parks and Recreation major, Davis shares that many other ETSU students enroll in the course who aren’t within the Parks and Recreation program of study.
“We have a lot of students who take the class who are outside of the program, just to kind of gain a better understanding of what a big industry it is,” Davis mentioned.
Davis is excited to continue ETSU’s relationship with Dollywood.
“We’ve had a good relationship with Dollywood. They’re always welcoming,” said Davis.
Davis is sincerely grateful to everyone at Dollywood who makes the experience possible. He wishes to thank Pete Owens, Dollywood’s director of public relations, and ETSU alumni West Ramey, Dollywood’s assistant director of public relations.
For more information about the parks and recreation major, students are encouraged to visit the parks and recreation page on ETSU’s website: www.etsu.edu/coe/serk/undergrad/parkrecreation.php
