UTM’s Global Centre for Tourism Education and Training offers comprehensive support to the University’s international partners – including those from Portuguese-speaking countries – as well as to partners in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area
A cornerstone of UTM’s mission has been to establish itself as a premier international hub for education and training in tourism. The creation of the Global Centre for Tourism Education and Training in 2016 was a significant stride toward this goal.
This initiative was born out of a memorandum of understanding between the Macao SAR Government and the World Tourism Organization, now known as United Nations Tourism (UN Tourism). The agreement focused on enhancing human capital in the tourism sector, and promoting sustainable tourism across the Asia-Pacific region.
The Centre offers training and education programmes in partnership with UN Tourism and other organisations, equipping tourism officials and professionals worldwide with enhanced knowledge and skills.
Notably, it supports training programmes for tourism officials from Portuguese-speaking countries, organised by the Macao Government Tourism Office and the Supporting Office to the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao).
Since its establishment, the Centre has conducted 15 programmes in collaboration with UN Tourism, attracting 375 participants, including tourism officials and industry representatives. Notably, 296 participants were from regions involved in China’s Belt and Road initiative.
The UTM unit has also hosted 23 training workshops specifically tailored for Portuguese-speaking countries, and coordinated three Executive Development Programmes for organisations worldwide. Such efforts attracted the participation of 278 trainees in total.
Overall, participants from 40 countries and regions have directly benefitted from the Centre’s training activities.
Centre Director Ms. Judy Wong Wai Teng highlights that in recent years the Centre has expanded its focus to include training and human resource development for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. This is part of UTM’s responsibility as the relying unit of the Tourism Education and Training Base for the Greater Bay Area.
“We have established several extended collaboration centres. In addition to a training base in Hengqin, we have centres in Guangzhou, Shunde, and Zhuhai, with the most recent being in Zhongshan and Shenzhen,” Ms. Wong explains. “The training we provide responds to the specific needs of these locations, aligning with the tourism education requirements of each city,” she says.
“Initially, our focus was solely on international training,” Ms. Wong continues. “Now, we also cater to the Greater Bay Area. We hope the Centre can facilitate the sharing of tourism resources between Macao, the rest of the Greater Bay Area, and our international partners.”
Ms. Wong, who has been with UTM and its predecessor, the Institute for Tourism Studies, since 2007, underscores the Centre’s role in enhancing Macao’s image globally.
“Macao has a unique geographical advantage. Supported by the motherland and engaging with the world, our Centre can promote Macao to our international partners, showcasing the development status of both Macao and the country.”
Ms. Wong sees the Centre contributing specifically to Macao’s own progress. Given that the UTM unit promotes international tourism education, it can boost the ambitions of local residents to advance their skills and knowledge, she states.
Editor: UTM Public Relations Team
