Press Release

Institute for Tourism StudiesMacao is a city with a unique culture and history which blends the East and the West. As a result of the five-hundred-year Sino-Portuguese Friendship, the culture of Macanese community has shaped the city and become one of the most significant parts of Macao’s culture. There are ten intangible cultural heritages in Macao including the Macanese Theatre (Theatre in Patuá), Macanese Gastronomy, Feast of the Drunken Dragon, Na Tcha Belief and Customs, Mazu (A Ma) Belief and Customs have been successfully retained and demonstrated. Therefore, it is very likely that the society of Macao will pay more attention to discover and maintain other local uniqueness, enabling the residents and tourists to understand more about Macao.

Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) always strives to provide excellent tourism higher education, which attains international standard for local and overseas students. Besides, IFT plays an active role in promoting the culture and delicacies of Macao, and encourage students to learn and promote the traditional history with the attitudes of innovation and continuous improvement. To develop and promote Macanese cuisine, IFT had made contributions including: published cookbooks of Macanese Cuisine and Portuguese Cuisine, organised Macanese Food Promotion Week, conducted a joint cooperation with well-known Macanese chef Graça Pacheco Jorge for the TV programme “Macau, an Oriental Passion”, which was produced by the Portuguese Television RTP2; encouraged students to co-organise Macao Macanese Cooking Competition and Young Macanese Cooking Competition, and serves Macanese and Portuguese Cuisines at IFT Educational Restaurant. In addition, IFT invited Macanese “Old Friend Band” to perform for its Friday Macanese buffet dinner at IFT Educational Restaurant. The members of the Band had been invited to join various overseas promotion events organised by Macao Government Tourism Office and to promote the unique culture of Macao on local and overseas TV programmes.

On the other hand, IFT offers short term Macanese cooking courses to stimulate the cooking interest of the general public and to arouse their awareness to Macanese cuisne and local culinary culture. Besides, IFT launched the Culinary Arts Management Degree Programme in 2011/12 academic year, aiming to cultivate food and beverage professionals to meet the human resources demand of high-end food and beverage professionals. IFT will continue to support and cope with the reserve and develpment of local culture.

Public Relations
Institute for Tourism Studies