MORNING HEADLINES | The College of Charleston earlier this month debuted the Michael and Amy Bennett School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, sponsored by and named for, you guessed it, Bennett Hospitality owners Michael and Amy Bennett.
“Thanks to the Bennett family’s generous donation, we can expand our research, teaching and service to our community,” Hunter Kim, founding director of the new school, told the Charleston City Paper.
The school is the first named school at the college. However, there are other academic centers named after people, such as the Joseph P. Riley Jr. Center for Livable Communities named after a former Charleston Mayor and the Avery Research Center, which is named for the Rev. Charles Avery.
Kim said the new school opened a new chapter for hospitality and tourism education.
“Our newly-named School of Hospitality presents a valuable opportunity to think strategically and collaboratively about the future of hospitality and tourism education and how we can build an even stronger future together with our community,” Kim said. “Most importantly, I am confident that our team will continue to work together … always for our students, our industry partners and our community.”
Several Bennett family members have graduated from College of Charleston, most notably Amy Bennett (1982) and son Jack Bennett (2016), leading the family to give back to the downtown college.
According to Kim, as of fall 2025, the college had 208 students studying hospitality and tourism, including 152 majors, 56 concentrations and 60 minors in the subject. This is an almost 25% increase in majors since 2023, when the college had around 180 students with the major, minor or concentration.
According to Explore Charleston, the tourism industry in Charleston had a record-breaking year in 2024, grossing a total economic impact of $14.03 billion. —Alyssa McDowell
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