On 19 December 2008, the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) was awarded the Macao SAR Medal of Merit, by the Chief Executive, Mr. Edmund Ho Hau Wah, in recognition of its significant contributions in advancing the development of tourism and cultural affairs in the Macao Special Administrative Region.
The Chief Executive, Mr. Edmund Ho Hau Wah, has accorded honours and awards to 40 people and organisations in the 2008 Honours List. This year’s recipients are from all walks of life. They were picked for their notable contributions to Macao SAR and for their dedicated public and community service.
The Medal of Merit, in seven categories including Profession, Industry and Commerce, Tourism, Education, Culture, Altruism and Sport, are given to outstanding individuals and organisations that have distinguished service in promoting the development of the relevant sectors in Macao.
“The award recognises the effort of all our staff, students and alumni in pursuing and achieving IFT’s mission of developing high caliber professionals for Macao’s tourism industry. In a wider sense, it recognises our team’s persistent emphasis on quality in the plans and projects that we execute which answer the needs of the industry and the community. It also recognises our international standards and best practices. We should be very proud to receive this high-profile and Macao-wide acknowledgment. Let’s turn this pride into a strong motivation to excel further in our future path.” said Dr. Fanny Vong, the President of IFT.
IFT, since its establishment in 1995, strives ahead in its quest of learning and educational innovation, fostering professional and making contributions to the tourism development of Macao and of the Asia Pacific region. It has received various international recognitions including being the first institution to be granted the “TedQual Certification” by the United Nation World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in 2000, the PATA Gold Awards in “Education and Training” in 1997 for the bachelor degree programme design and the same award again in 2002, for having set up the “Macao Occupational Skills Recognition System” (MORS) for the local tourism and hospitality industry in collaboration with the European Union (EU).