[Newsweek] Why Gen Z Is Choosing Staycations: Insights from Makarand Mody
Makarand Mody, Associate Professor at Boston University School of Hospitality Administration, is featured in a recent Newsweek article examining how Generation Z is approaching travel decisions. Mody explains that while Gen Z travelers often aspire to international travel, many are choosing domestic trips as a practical response to financial pressures. Rather than signaling a shift […]
[BU Today] Building the Future of Hospitality Real Estate
Kaushik Vardharajan, Associate Professor of the Practice at Boston University School of Hospitality Administration, was featured in a recent BU Today article highlighting the School’s innovative Master of Science in Hospitality Real Estate program. The program prepares students to understand the financial, development, and investment decisions behind hospitality properties. As director of the program, Professor […]
[New Publication] Understanding Lodging REIT Vulnerability Through Event Study Analysis
Apostolos Ampountolas, Ph.D., has published “Market Volatility and Lodging REIT Performance: An Event Study Analysis” in Tourism Analysis. The study examines how the COVID-19 pandemic affected 18 publicly traded lodging REITs using an event study approach and the Fama–French five-factor model. Results show significant negative cumulative abnormal returns following the World Health Organization’s pandemic declaration, […]
[New Publication] Airbnb’s IPO Impact on Hospitality Stocks
Apostolos Ampountolas, Ph.D., has published a new article in the International Journal of Hospitality Management titled “Disruption in hospitality: Spillover effects of Airbnb’s IPO on hotel and casino stocks.” The study investigates how Airbnb’s initial public offering influenced the stock performance of traditional hospitality firms. Using a Structural Vector Auto-Regression (SVAR) model and daily stock […]
SHA Professor Makarand Mody Receives 2026 Shipley Academic Innovation Award
Boston University has announced the recipients of the 2026 Shipley Academic Innovation Awards, which recognize faculty-led initiatives that leverage artificial intelligence to reimagine teaching and learning. Among this year’s honorees is SHA Professor Makarand Mody, recognized for Hospitality as Experience Innovation in the Age of AI: Integrating Generative AI into Human-Centered Design in the Experience […]
[BU Today] SHA Students Partner with Museum of Ice Cream for Hands-on Learning Experience
Boston University’s summer courses cover a wide variety of topics: art, mathematics, history, and…ice cream? For one School of Hospitality Administration class, that was exactly the assignment. This summer, students enrolled in Introduction to Customer Experience Management partnered with the Museum of Ice Cream (MOIC) in Boston’s Seaport. Read More By: Alene Bouranova Date: August 15, 2025 […]
[Boston.com] Should the tipped minimum wage be abolished? Lawmakers hear from advocates, servers on proposed ballot question.
State lawmakers heard arguments for and against a proposed ballot question to raise the minimum wage for tipped workers Tuesday — a measure some say would mean less money for workers and others say would protect workers’ rights. One Fair Wage, a national coalition, is sponsoring a proposed ballot question to raise the current $6.75 wage […]
Real estate investment trusts during market shocks: Impact and resilience
Dr. Apostolos Ampountolas, SHA Assistant Professor of Hospitality Finance, recently published an article in the Tourism Economics Journal that examined five real estate investment trusts (REITs) market indices’ responses to market shock from the initial COVID-19 pandemic announcement using an event study design. This study advances our understanding of pandemic-related market crashes and how COVID-19 affected […]
[Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Cases] Professor Leora Halpern Lanz Shares her Perspective on Extended Stay America: HR Success amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
A labor of love. What began in 2020 has finally been published for educational purposes: “Extended Stay America: HR Success amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.” For educators, the case and the teaching notes are available via membership access to ICHRIE in the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Cases. This case study can be leveraged for use […]
[Elsevier] Dr. Makarand Mody, Ph.D., Publishes an Article Exploring Effects of Airbnb on Non-hosting Residents
Dr. Makarand Mody, Ph.D., recently published an article in the Tourism Management Perspectives journal exploring the effects of Airbnb on non-hosting residents. The article, “Does Airbnb impact non-hosting Residents’ quality of life? Comparing media discourse with empirical evidence,” shows that despite the media’s portrayal of Airbnb disrupting residents’ quality of life, non-hosting residents tend to […]