Macao University of Tourism (UTM), as a benchmark institution in the field of tourism education, has an internship network covering 32 countries and regions, as well as over 900 partner companies in the tourism and service industries. Leveraging its rich global internship resources and high-quality academic instruction, UTM offers students a solid pathway into the industry.
Alyssa Chen Xinxin, a third-year bachelor degree’s student in Tourism Business Management, interned at the Zhongshan Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau. During her internship, she was responsible for proofreading the English version of tourism brochures, writing travel posts, and editing and publishing content on Douyin and WeChat Video Accounts. Alyssa found that the knowledge she acquired in UTM courses closely aligned with her internship tasks, and cities in the Greater Bay Area highly recognise the quality of UTM’s professional tourism education.
She stated that the systematically taught professional knowledge in UTM courses – such as attraction promotion, specialty food recommendations, and planning efficient travel routes to increase tourist flow – was fully applied in her promotional work during the internship. Notably, UTM places great emphasis on cultivating students’ bilingual proficiency in Chinese and English. Being responsible for proofreading the English version of the promotional brochures, she leveraged her solid language skills to ensure content accuracy, earning recognition from both colleagues and supervisors.
Although she chose to intern in her hometown, UTM’s diverse and abundant internship opportunities had already broadened her perspective on the industry. During her time at UTM, the university also organised visits to hotels in Macao, allowing students to gain a better understanding of industry operations. This not only enriched her knowledge of the sector but also exposed her to the potential for the tourism industry’s diverse development, thus laying a solid foundation for her future career.
Wells Lei Hio Cheng, a third-year bachelor’s degree student in Hotel Management, is currently completing an internship in the Operations Department at Wynn Palace. He stated that, although it was his first experience with hotel back-of-house operations, the knowledge and skills he acquired at UTM helped him quickly adapt to the pace of work.
Wells said that the theoretical knowledge and transferable skills he gained at UTM were fully tested and applied during this internship. Not only did this experience enhance his professional abilities, but it also strengthened his determination to pursue a career in the hotel industry. He recalled that during on-campus practical training in his first year, he gained a preliminary understanding of front-line hotel departments while he had limited exposure to back-of-house operations. This internship gave him a comprehensive understanding of the hotel industry, complementing his on-campus practical experience and further confirming that this is a field he is genuinely interested in, where he plans to continue his career development.
Wingsley Chan Cho Weng, a second-year master’s degree student in Digital Marketing and Analytics, recently completed an internship in the E-commerce Department at Sands China Limited. She feels that UTM’s philosophy of integrating theoretical knowledge with practical experience not only provides abundant internship resources but also guides students to apply what they have learned to real-world scenarios.
Wingsley completed her undergraduate studies at UTM in Tourism Retail and Marketing Management (now known as Marketing and Brand Management). After gaining industry experience, she returned to her alma mater to pursue a master’s degree. UTM attaches great importance to practical experience, posting internship opportunities provided by partner companies on its dedicated internship recruitment platform. Through this channel, she secured an internship, where her main responsibilities were data analysis, administrative support, and market research. The knowledge and skills she acquired at UTM – including data analysis, market research, software operation, and AI application theory – were fully applied during her internship.
Having completed her internship, she believes that internships not only help students adapt to the pace of the workplace but also clarify their strengths and career direction. Many graduates have successfully transitioned from students to professionals through UTM’s internship platform, with some even securing full-time positions.
Noki Liu Ziyu, a second-year master’s degree student in International Food and Beverage Management, recently completed an internship at Galaxy Entertainment Group. During his internship, many colleagues praised the high standard of professional teaching at UTM, and UTM’s brand recognition, supported by the presence of numerous alumni at the group, significantly enhances students’ career prospects.
During his internship, Noki was responsible for various service tasks. The professional knowledge he acquired in UTM courses, along with practical insights shared by his professors, provided him with a solid foundation and the confidence to handle his work. The practical service skills he learned in class enabled him to meet guests’ needs and deliver attentive, personalized service.
He also mentioned that UTM organises Career Day every year and shares a wealth of high-quality job opportunities with students through emails and its dedicated website. He secured his internship through UTM’s Career Day, establishing direct connections with companies. He also received internship offers from several well-known hotels, ultimately selecting Raffles, which best aligned with his career goals. This internship experience enabled him to successfully translate classroom knowledge into practical work skills and solidified his career direction in the food and beverage and hospitality sectors.
UTM has a dedicated internship information platform, which aggregates information on positions, salaries, and required skills from numerous companies, greatly facilitating students’ search for internships. This clearly reflects UTM’s philosophy of simultaneously emphasising academic learning and practical experience in education and talent development.