IFT organises training and education programmes in collaboration with UNWTO via the newly established Global Centre for Tourism Education and Training of IFT. These courses would seek to enhance the human capital of the Asia Pacific tourism sector and promote sustainable tourism in the region. The Centre would also provide training to officials and industry representatives from the local industry as well as Portuguese-speaking countries, contributing to the Government’s goal of building Macao into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, and a Commercial and Trade Cooperation Service Platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries (“One Centre, One Platform” initiative).

Representatives of tourism-related bodies from Asia-Pacific countries and regions attend the course – “Tourism Capacity Building for Government and Public Officials” – organised by the Institute, in partnership with UNWTO from 14-21 November. Participants in the course include: 2 representatives from the Macao Government Tourism Office, 2 representatives from the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), including the Representative of East-Timor in Forum Macao, and  17 participants come from Afghanistan, Bhutan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran, Mongolia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and Mainland China. This is the second time IFT partnered with UNWTO to offer such type of professional training course.

Overseas participants attending professional training courses at IFT would be able to learn new, tourism-related, management strategies and practices, as well as gain valuable insights from observing Macao’s tourism industry. It is hoped the knowledge acquired during the courses could be useful for overseas participants in the development of the tourism and hospitality industries in their respective countries and regions. In addition, representatives from Macao – and from elsewhere – could benefit from the experience-sharing process when meeting the other participants on this particular course, and on future courses.

The Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao (IFT) was established in 1995, and offers the most extensive range of tourism and hospitality-related bachelor degree programmes in Macao. Annually, approximately 20,000 participants attend its vocational and professional training courses. IFT collaborates with 101 universities and tourism organisations around the world, and has strong links with 500 leading tourism and hospitality corporations worldwide that provide internship opportunities to IFT students. IFT was the first institution to be accredited by the UNWTO.TedQual Certification System for tourism education, and now has 8 bachelor degree programmes with this certification. Currently, the Institute has the greatest number of bachelor degree programmes certified under that system of any tertiary education establishment worldwide. IFT has received the Medal of Merit in Tourism from the Macao SAR Government, and has twice won the Gold Award in ‘Education and Training’ from PATA.

Link to the IFT Press Release: Here

Contacts:

Institute for Tourism Studies

Tel: (853) 28561252

Fax: (853) 28519058

www.ift.edu.mo

On November 14 the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Dr. Tam Chon Weng, and his delegation toured the new Taipa Campus of the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT). The delegation – accompanied by IFT President, Dr. Fanny Vong, IFT Vice-President Ms. Florence Ian, and the Director of the IFT Tourism and Hotel School, Ms. Diamantina Coimbra – visited the teaching facilities at the Forward Building and the student accommodation at the East Asia Hall.

Dr. Vong explained to Dr. Tam and his delegation the numerous adaptations and facility upgrades completed by IFT at the Taipa Campus since October 2015, when the Macao SAR Government granted the Institute use of the site. She added that the new campus had become fully operational at the beginning of academic year 2016/17: students from some of the IFT bachelor degree and diploma programmes were now having classes there. In addition, Dr. Vong mentioned that student accommodation at the East Asia Hall – for IFT’s international and exchange students – was already in use. Dr. Vong noted it featured many student leisure facilities and areas for student extracurricular activities, the aim being to enrich college life.

During the coming two years, IFT plans to continue the adaptation and renovation works at the Taipa Campus. The programme of works, designed in such a way as to avoid disrupting academic activities at the campus, includes conversion of the building previously used as staff quarters by the University of Macau – when the University was based on the site – into a new IFT training hotel. This facility will provide fresh opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience of the tourism industry.

During the visit, Dr. Tam acknowledged the good job done by IFT in renovating the facilities at its new campus. He noted that the Institute had been able to put the site into use quickly, thereby improving IFT’s overall teaching and learning environment.

Dr. Tam also recognised IFT’s efforts in enhancing its international position in the field of tourism education, and in enlarging the network linking the Institute to universities and tourism organisations around the world. The Secretary praised the deepening of IFT’s collaboration with several high-profile international bodies, including: the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO); the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). Dr. Tam additionally noted that IFT had been increasing the number of overseas organisations with which it has partnerships in order to facilitate international exchange courses.

The Secretary said the Macao Government would support the Institute to organise training and education programmes in collaboration with UNWTO via the newly established Global Centre for Tourism Education and Training, under IFT. These courses would seek to enhance the human capital of the Asia Pacific tourism sector and promote sustainable tourism in the region. He added that the Centre would also provide training to officials and industry representatives from Portuguese-speaking countries, contributing to the Government’s goal of building Macao into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, and a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries (“One Centre, One Platform” initiative).

During the visit to IFT’s Taipa Campus, Dr. Tam and his delegation met representatives of tourism-related bodies from Asia-Pacific countries and regions that were attending a professional training programme at IFT. The course – “Tourism Capacity Building for Government and Public Officials” – has been organised by the Institute, in partnership with UNWTO.

Participants in the course include: 2 representatives from the Macao Government Tourism Office; and 2 representatives from the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), including the Representative of East-Timor in Forum Macao. The remaining 17 participants come from: Afghanistan, Bhutan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran, Mongolia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and Mainland China. This is the second time IFT has partnered with UNWTO to offer such type of professional training course.

During his exchanges with the course participants and lecturers, Dr. Tam said he anticipated that overseas participants attending professional training courses at IFT would be able to learn new, tourism-related, management strategies and practices, as well as gain valuable insights from observing Macao’s tourism industry. He hoped the knowledge acquired during the courses could be useful for overseas participants in the development of the tourism and hospitality industries in their respective countries and regions. In addition, representatives from Macao – and from elsewhere – could benefit from the experience-sharing process when meeting the other participants on this particular course, and on future courses, Dr. Tam added.

The Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao (IFT) was established in 1995, and offers the most extensive range of tourism and hospitality-related bachelor degree programmes in Macao. Annually, approximately 20,000 participants attend its vocational and professional training courses. IFT collaborates with 101 universities and tourism organisations around the world, and has strong links with 500 leading tourism and hospitality corporations worldwide that provide internship opportunities to IFT students. IFT was the first institution to be accredited by the UNWTO.TedQual Certification System for tourism education, and now has 8 bachelor degree programmes with this certification. Currently, the Institute has the greatest number of bachelor degree programmes certified under that system of any tertiary education establishment worldwide. IFT has received the Medal of Merit in Tourism from the Macao SAR Government, and has twice won the Gold Award in ‘Education and Training’ from PATA.

Link to the IFT Press Release: Here

Contacts:

Institute for Tourism Studies

Tel: (853) 28561252

Fax: (853) 28519058

www.ift.edu.mo

The GTEF 2016, in its fifth year, held in Macao from 15 to 16 October, received due recognition by being endorsed by the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. Mr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of UNWTO and Honorary Chairman of GTEF made the keynote address. The two-day event gathered over 120 ministerial officials, leaders of globally corporations, as well as experts and scholars. This edition was attended by over 1,000 delegates from many countries and cities around the world, including delegations from the Forum’s partner country, France and partner city, Beijing Municipality.

The UNWTO/GTERC Asian Tourism Trends, 2016 edition, was presented at the GTEF by Mr. Xu Jing, Executive Secretary and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, UNWTO. For the third year, UNWTO and GTERC joined forces in the research to identify the latest tourism trends in Asia. This year, the annual report was specially designed to align with the theme of GTEF 2016, featuring special chapters that focused on travel trends and investment driven by the growing “consumer class” and the millennial travelers.

With 279 million arrivals, nearly one-fourth of the world’s total international tourists in 2015, Asia and the Pacific is the second most visited region in the world. With a 5% growth rate, above the 4.3% global average, Asia and the Pacific continues to consolidate its position as one of the fastest growing regions in the world that is expected to increase its share of global tourism to 30% in 2030, accounting for an estimated 535 million international arrivals. The region is also a booming source market, with China being the largest outbound market in the world. The rapid economic progress of the Asia Pacific region with an increase of over 5% in the GDP has led to an affluent middle-class possessing disposable income that has fuelled tourism growth. The changes in travel trends have been further influenced by the technological revolution and its ensuing impacts through the ascendancy of the social media, the sharing economy and other influences that have a bearing on transport such fuel efficient carriers. These changes, especially as seen by the emergence of low cost carriers (LCCs) have democratized travel making it more affordable to a greater section of the general population, particularly the “consumer class” and the young, tech-savvy millenniums.

The “consumer class” and the millennials continue to dominate outbound and domestic tourism in Asia where 80% of all travel is intra-regional. On the other hand the prospects for other regions to profit from this boon are extremely bright as evidenced by the growth and affluence of China which has become the main source market to many destinations, including European countries. A further feature of this new trend is the emergence of the frequent independent travelers (FIT) who are not bound by the traditional package tours preferred by Asian travelers in the past but opt to organize their trips personally. This has other implications on the hospitality industry, for example through the onset of the sharing economy.

The growth sustained by the “consumer class” and millennials provide both opportunities and challenges to the region in transportation, infrastructure, accommodation, and human resources: these aspects are further analyzed in the relevant chapters devoted to infrastructure and investment. Tourism infrastructure and investment is also closely related to China’s “one belt one road” policy that is influencing the Asia and Pacific region and also countries of Central and Eastern Europe, notably Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, duly highlighted in the report. Based on UNWTO growth forecasts, arrivals to these countries will increase appreciably by 2030. While air travel is important and in general accounts for almost two thirds of international tourist arrivals to Asia and the Pacific region, including the above category of countries, China’s “belt and road” initiative “could provide a powerful boost to the development of tourism in the region by reducing reliance on air travel, travel costs, and providing access to new destinations” states the report.

The other major element highlighted in the study pertains to investment in tourism human capital development in Asia and the Pacific region. One of the major challenges that the Asia and the Pacific region is bound to face in the light of the rapid development in tourism is the shortfall in “human capital” required to cater to the growing demand. This is an issue related to policy and planning that covers intangible elements such as education, training of staff and community development which are hard to quantify but are nevertheless vital for a healthy tourism sector. “Further investment in human capital issues is widely recognized as critical to the success of tourism in Asia and Pacific and will ensure that destinations remain competitive and sustainable” states the report. Public-private partnerships and stakeholder support and management are recognized as indispensable elements in the future to manage growth and sustain tourism targets.

Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Wanda Corazon Tulfo-Teo and United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary General Taleb Rifai signed the agreement on the Philippines’ hosting of the 6^th International Conference on Tourism Statistics on 21-24 June 2017.

Expected to participate are representatives from 163 member countries and territories and more than 500 Affiliate Members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations, and local tourism authorities.

Secretary Teo said, “This is another very important milestone for the Philippines as this strengthens the country’s position as a preferred MICE destination, with 2017 commemorating the holding of numerous high-impact international events such as the Miss Universe Pageant, ASEAN 2017, Madrid Fusion Manila, and many others. More importantly, these activities help stimulate other ancillary components which yield greater opportunities for employment and revenues for government and the private sector.”  

DOT Secretary Wanda Corazon Tulfo-Teo with UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai

The conference is in response to the UNWTO's wish for the conduct of an expert forum to measure sustainable tourism especially as it coincides with the United Nation's International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development next year.

The signing was done at the sidelines of this year's World Travel Mart (WTM) in London on 7 November 2016.

Contact:

EVELYN A. MACAYAYONG

Office of Public Affairs and Advocacy

Phone: +63 9178736084

Email: eamacayayong@tourism.gov.ph