Today was another day of spending. It started with our midterm. We had stayed at Sennott Square until midnight the night before, studying and preparing…
My case study focused on Cabalonga S.A., an eco-tourism hostel in Puerto Cayo, Ecuador, co-founded by Diego Losada-Vasquez and Maria-Elena Alvarado-Villon. The hostel emphasizes sustainability through bamboo construction, composting, and rainwater recycling, while offering guided tours to nearby ecological and archaeological sites. Despite its strong environmental mission and the growing interest in eco-tourism, the business struggles to turn a profit. The case explored whether Diego should use Cabalonga’s eco-friendly model to increase revenue and grow its appeal, especially among young American tourists. For the assessment, I completed a mini SWOT analysis, a market segmentation, and a PESTLE analysis. I finished with time to spare and feel fully confident that I earned an A+.
After the midterm, we had lunch with Bryan Schultz, the Director of Global Experiences at Pitt. We started by introducing ourselves, and once the pizza arrived, I knocked back four slices. Mr. Schultz then spoke to us about the Plus3 program. I asked him to elaborate on the Vietnam trip, and it sounded like a great opportunity. I’m definitely planning to apply for the Plus3 Vietnam program. He also mentioned that the College of Business offers over $400,000 in scholarships for study abroad programs, which makes the experience even more accessible.
After lunch, we visited the Irish Design Center. A few friends and I walked there ahead of the group because the early bird gets the early worm. When we arrived, we looked around and started a conversation with one of the owners. He mentioned that his daughter lives in Dallas, not far from where my high school is located. He also told me he graduated from Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, and I shared that my former high school dean is now the principal there…
Once the rest of the group arrived, the owners, Tom and Maura, gave us a breakdown of their business. Ninety-five percent of their inventory comes from Ireland. They source products from large trade shows across the country and ship them to the U.S. to sell. I really like this model and know it works. In Dallas, there’s a Korean clothing store called Jowa, where the owner flies to Korea, brings back large shipments of clothes, and sells them to teenagers at premium prices. Tom and Maura also shared that about 70 percent of their business takes place between Thanksgiving and Christmas, with another major spike around St. Patrick’s Day. To extend their revenue beyond those seasonal peaks, they’ve become very active in the community by hosting Irish festivals and cultural events in their store. I think using the store not just as a retail space but also as a cultural hub is a smart strategy. It’s something that shops in Carrigart could definitely adopt to encourage more consistent foot traffic throughout the year.
After the talk, I bought myself a ring with a nice discount. Unfortunately, the non-stainless steel parts already started to tarnish after a few hours of walking and sweating…
After the Irish Design Center, I stopped by Twisted Vintage across from Sennott Square and picked up a t-shirt for $10…
Then I went back to class, where Dr. Hnatkovich lectured on the troubles of Ireland. Afterward, we returned to the dorms for dinner, then headed back to Sennott Square to write our blogs.