The Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT)’s life experience programme, “IFT Student For A Day” was held on 27 February and 6 March, 2010 at the IFT Amphitheatre. This year IFT proudly invited Macao Hotel Association represented by Mr. Samuel Yeung, General Manger of Hotel Lisboa to share his experience of working in hospitality and service industry. The programme allowed the graduating students to find out more about IFT’s facilities, study environment and degree programmes through activities such as experience sharing and campus visit. The programme was arranged on two consecutive Saturdays this year. The response was amazing with around 650 graduating students joining the programme from 18 local secondary schools.
What makes this life experience programme unique is that the whole event, from planning to actual operations, are all coordinated by IFT students. Same as previous years, over 70 students from the 1st and 2nd year of the Tourism Event Management major, together with other volunteers and staff took part in different roles to welcome their guests, present them the Institute and show them around the campus. They were dedicated to give all visitors an unforgettable day! IFT believes in obtaining a balance between theory and practice. The event has not only given the students a good opportunity for team building and put what they have learnt in practice, but also a chance to share their life at IFT with the graduates-to-be.
At the event, IFT students, professors and graduates shared their experience, in a lively manner, with the visitors and showed them the importance of the tourism industry to Macao. A presentation was given, covering the structure of the Institute, various programmes, teaching facilities and the different awards that IFT has received. The one thing that had given most visitors the deepest impression must be the assorted “work stations” set up at the training units and classrooms. While showing the basic operations in the hospitality and service industry, visitors could also take part in the tasks and experience that learning can be fun!
Hospitality and service industry has become the No. 1 business in Macao. IFT, thus, was specially founded by the Macao SAR government to provide tertiary education in tourism, hospitality and event management. It later became the first United Nation World Tourism Organization UNWTO TedQual certified institution in tourism education by UNWTO Themis Foundation. On top of showing the graduating students Macao’s tourism industry, the campus and programmes, “IFT Student For A Day” acquainted them the fact that the tourism education institute in Macao, founded locally, has received worldwide recognition. IFT may or may not be their choice but they can always be proud of their city for reaching world-class education standard.
IFT welcomes you all to join us. Let’s fly high with the tourism industry!