In May, majors in Hospitality and Tourism Management, as well as other courses of study, traveled abroad with Dr. Joseph Scarcelli.
Brittany Casalvera ’25, a York College of Pennsylvania Hospitality and Tourism Management major, along with Nursing major Jordyn Evans ’25 and their fellow students followed the Portuguese chef as he discussed the fare at each market booth and offered them samples to savor. One vendor had the best greens, another the best spices.
As they reached a seafood stand, fresh-caught fish sat on ice, their bulging eyes seeming to stare out at the curious students. The chef had each student select his or her own sea bream for dinner.
At the chef’s restaurant, the students attentively watched him fillet his meaty white fish while they went to work on their own, scraping the scales, going behind the gills to remove the head, slitting the belly, and gutting the fish.
“Every single one had to go through and do it,” says Joseph Scarcelli, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management, who organized and led the trip in May. “They all put in 100% effort.”
Where cuisine meets culture
While Jordyn found filleting her sea bream the most challenging part of her 10-day experience abroad, the cooking classes were a highlight of the trip.
“In America, we’re not as connected to the original source of our food,” she says. “I was shocked at how pure everything tasted. It has inspired me to go to the farmers market instead of the grocery store.”
For Dr. Scarcelli, the culinary experiences are his favorite part of the Hospitality and Tourism Management trip he organizes each year as part of his “International Cuisine and Culture” course. In the class, students learned about not only Portuguese cuisine but the history and traditions behind the food. The course also aimed to develop students’ cross-cultural awareness and understanding of global hospitality norms through hands-on experiences such as cooking classes, pottery throwing, and visits to local markets, farms, and factories.
Managing a sense of identity
Dr. Scarcelli, who joined York College in 2015, has a knack for choosing diverse locations for his annual trips. This year, he selected Portugal for its burgeoning tourism industry and unique cultural identity.
“Portugal is a quickly rising tourist destination,” he says. “I wanted to get there before it got overly touristy. It’s a good case study for my major as far as how a country adapts to a rising tourism industry while managing its sense of identity.”
The students, who came from interdisciplinary academic backgrounds, began their adventure with excitement and curiosity. For many, such as Brittany, it was an opportunity to see the hospitality industry from a global point of view.
“Different cultures have different ways that they define hospitality,” she says. “It gave me a whole new perspective on how hospitality can be perceived internationally.”
Beyond the visits to the markets and cooking classes, Dr. Scarcelli planned activities to provide a holistic learning experience. Students visited a sheep-milk cheese production facility, took pottery lessons, and spent time in urban and farming communities. The point, says Dr. Scarcelli, is to immerse the group into the culture.
Historical and cultural insights
Students also visited the historic University of Coimbra, the oldest university in the country and one of the oldest in the world. They learned how the school has survived for centuries. They stepped into a world that felt much like a real-life Hogwarts as newly graduated Coimbra students walked about town in their academic regalia after commencement.
A visit to the Chapel of Bones in Évora left a lasting impression on Brittany.
“Standing in that room surrounded by real bones gave such a surreal feeling,” she says. “The energy in there was just completely different from the rest of the places we visited.”
While the trip went smoothly for the most part, the students faced challenges, particularly the language barrier. During a visit to Porto, the group struggled to find restaurants with menus in English. Jordyn regretted not investing more time in learning basic Portuguese.
The experience opened her eyes to some of her subconscious assumptions as an American–that a menu would be available in English or someone would be nearby who could interpret it. As a Nursing major, she believes having a more open, compassionate mindset will help her better understand her future patients.
“For service majors like Nursing, Education, Hospitality, a trip like this can be especially important,” she says. Being immersed in a culture that is not your own and seeing how they live, that alone is so important in a future career.”
Preparing for their careers
Dr. Scarcelli believes that international experiences such as this provide students with skills that will benefit their careers and make them not only more compassionate but more marketable. He encourages York College students to get as much international experience as possible and to build cultural awareness and intercultural competency.
Brittany believes the trip has made her more aware of cultural differences, which is crucial for a career in hospitality management.
“Our industry deals with people from all over the world. Understanding that is essential,” she says.
Dr. Scarcelli is planning a Sport Management trip to London in Spring 2025, with an aim to help students analyze cross-cultural management practices in the sport and entertainment industries. He intends to cover topics such as historical origins, sociocultural dimensions, governance, marketing strategies, and fan behavior.
For those considering such trips, Brittany and Jordyn have only positive things to say.
“I absolutely recommend this trip to other students,” Brittany says. “It’s a great opportunity to experience another culture.”
In Dr. Scarcelli’s ideal situation, students would take an international short-term trip in their first or second year, expand that to a semester abroad opportunity their second or third year, and finish their undergraduate degree studies with a work-abroad opportunity through York College.
“Get out there. Go somewhere, and often,” he says. “It’s going to help you develop as a person. It’s going to help your professional development and hopefully spark interest in being a constant traveler.”
As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, experiences such as these are more valuable than ever, Dr. Scarcelli says. They equip students with the cultural competencies needed to succeed in their careers and beyond, whether in hospitality, nursing, or any other field.
