IFTM kicks off the 15th training programme in collaboration with UNWTO Leveraging the Meetings Industry and Gastronomy to Champion the Agenda of Sustainable Tourism Development

MACAU, September 18 - The Global Centre of Tourism Education and Training of the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM), in collaboration with United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), successfully kicked off her 15th training programme “Leveraging the Meetings Industry and Gastronomy to Champion the Agenda of Sustainable Tourism Development” on 18 September 2023 at MGM COTAI. This is the 1^st face-to-face training after the pandemic.

This programme, tailored to the ASEAN countries’ sub-regional context, aims to provide participants with an in-depth understanding of the meetings industry and gastronomy tourism, to promote sustainable planning practices and facilitate destination branding.  Participants of this programme are the government managerial officials from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam, as well as industry practitioners and tertiary educators from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

During the opening ceremony, Dr Fanny Vong, President of IFTM, highlighted that Macau has not only gained a recognition as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, but was honoured with the title of “Best Convention City in Asia” this year, making the city an ideal location for this training.  The training programme was a valuable opportunity for participants to enhance strategic skills in the field of tourism, and to cultivate a strong network of regional contacts.

Mr Harry Hwang, Director, Regional Department for Asia and the Pacific of UNWTO and Mr Jason Wang, Chief Operating Officer of Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) also attended the opening ceremony and wished the training a complete success.

Sponsored by MGM, this six-day programme is held in conjunction with the Global Tourism Economic Forum.  Participants will engage in discussions on various topics led by scholars from IFTM and invited local and international experts.  Topics such as the “Role of meetings industry” and “Vision of gastronomy tourism” will be addressed based on the development trend regionally and globally in the first 3 days, to be followed by a 2-day training in GTEF which focuses on China, so that participants can update the emerging trends in the China-led inbound and outbound tourism market.  Technical tours will be arranged on the last day in the integrated resorts, looking into the latest construction and innovative technology projects in the meetings industry.

The Global Centre of Tourism Education and Training Centre was set up in 2016 following a memorandum of understanding signed between the Macao SAR Government and UNWTO. The agreement covered topics including the enhancement of human capital for the tourism industry and the promotion of sustainable tourism.