The Macao University of Tourism (UTM) places emphasis on nurturing students' abilities in critical thinking, analysis, and problem-solving, encouraging them to embrace challenges and prepare for the future. As part of this ethos, UTM hosted the 9th annual Tourism Education Student Summit at the Mong-Há Campus. This event serves as a forum for exceptional students to showcase their graduation theses and research findings to industry professionals, fostering discussions on tourism and hospitality trends in Macao and the Greater Bay Area.
The theme of this year's Summit, "Tourism Recovery and Resilience: Overcoming Challenges, Embracing Opportunities," underscores the pivotal moment the industry faces in the aftermath of the pandemic. The 45 selected outstanding student theses to be presented at the Summit cover a wide array of research topics, spanning from hotel and event management to cultural heritage and tourism marketing, as well as technology and innovation. This diverse range of subjects showcases the students' academic depth and breadth. Moreover, this year's event extends its invitation to students from other cities within the Greater Bay Area, including the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, Guangdong University of Finance & Economics in Guangzhou, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in Zhongshan, and Zhuhai College of Science and Technology in Zhuhai.
Dr. Fanny Vong, Rector of UTM, shared in the opening remarks that the tourism industry is still in the stage of recovery, and that it is imperative for stakeholders to come together to strengthen the tourism sector’s ability, capitalise on emerging opportunities and withstand future shocks. The summit exemplifies the shared dedication to nurturing the next generation of tourism professionals and fostering strong academic-industry partnerships, and it aims to provide suggestions for challenges encountered in industry development.
The Summit is honored to host two distinguished keynote speakers: Dr. Nicholas Thomas, Associate Professor at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Mr. Joseph Liu, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Corporate Brand & Marketing at SJM Resorts, S.A. They will offer insights into the evolving trends and talent requirements within the hospitality and tourism sectors.
Throughout the summit, academics and industry experts engage in questioning and providing feedback on students' theses, fostering deeper exploration of their ideas. Following rigorous assessment by the Scientific Committee, exceptional papers are chosen, and the recipients are honored with the Best Paper Awards, acknowledging their remarkable academic achievements.
