Category Archives: Office of Tourism Analysis

Business Students Make Breakthrough With Charleston DUI Study

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In Charleston, South Carolina, cases of DUI-related incidents are increasing with the city’s eminent dining scenery and nightlife.

CofC School of Business students Jillian Wilkie and Crystal Lindner conducted research on DUI arrests to help the hospitality industry.

From left to right: Jillian Wilkie (Hospitality and Tourism Management major), Crystal Lindner (Business Administration major)

Over the summer, with the support and funding from the School of Business Office of Tourism Analysis, Steve Litvin, professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management and student researchers, Jillian Wilkie and Crystal Lindner, a study for the Charleston Police Department was conducted to find out if restaurants and bars were contributing to the city’s DUI problem. The discoveries they made were shocking.

The research is based on the pre-pandemic level of Charleston’s traffic activities, with a compiled record of 370 DUI arrests and adjudications over a 14-month period. Here is what the research team learned:

  • A third of the DUI arrest suspects worked in the hospitality industry.
  • 62% of intoxicated drivers come from commercial establishments.
  • Among the arrest records, only about half specified the bar or restaurant the suspect patronized.

Like many College of Charleston School of Business classes, Professor Litvin’s students spend each semester brainstorming solutions to current industry challenges. This past Fall, the ongoing issue of alcohol-impaired driving continued into the classroom, where student teams formed to make recommendations to tackle the issue.

Full article on The College TODAY: DUI Study Turns Students Into Road Scholars

BBC News Highlights Hospitality Professor’s Analysis of Airbnb Impact on Communities

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Guttentag

With its renowned location in one of the top tourist destinations in the world, the College of Charleston School of Business reinforces its unique position as a leader in the exploration and examination of the tourism industry.

Daniel Guttentag, professor of hospitality and tourism management and director of the Office of Tourism Analysis, recently discussed the impact of peer-to-peer rental giant Airbnb on residents with BBC News. Read the full story >>

“While Airbnb opens up some neighborhoods to more tourists, it has sometimes proved unpopular with existing residents,” says Guttentag.

In his review of several studies specific to Airbnb, Guttentag found that the short-term lettings have both positive and negative effects on communities. These effects include increased profitability for property owners; the expansion of tourism into different parts of a city; and higher rents for adjacent properties.

Guttentag has been at the School of Business since 2017. His research interests include peer-to-peer lodging, volunteer tourism, market segmentation and casino gambling behavior. Under his direction, the Office of Tourism Analysis advises Charleston’s travel industry by providing key tourism data to decision-makers and stakeholders in the city.