The 2nd National Virtual Simulation Competition of Tourism Management for College Students was held from 15 to 19 May 2024 in Nanshan District of Guangzhou. This event was jointly organised by the Tourism Education Branch of China Tourism Association, the College of Tourism and Service Management at Nankai University, the Communist Youth League of China Nansha District Committee, and Guangzhou Nansha Asset Management Group Co., Ltd.
Among the thousands of participants from around the country, four teams of 16 students from the Macao University of Tourism (UTM) stood out and entered the finals. The mentors and students gathered in Nansha to explore and address the new challenges being faced by the tourism industry, providing new insights for the tourism industry of the country, as well as the cultural tourism industry in Nansha. Ultimately, the four UTM teams got the 3rd place award in the final competition. The four teams consist of Liang Haitong, Mei Yahan, Zeng Bairong, and Zeng Zhiyi guided by Dr. Hazel Xu; Chen Zekai, Guo Hongrui, Hao Han, and Zeng Yuxiang guided by Dr. Sherry Tan; Guo Entong, Huang Xiangbo, Li Xintong, and Liao Mingyang guided by Mr. Alan Cheng; Hu Sila, Wang Shangqi, Yuan Shiya, and Zhu Yinxin guided by Dr. Xiaoye Li; listed in no particular order.
This competition focused on the application of professional knowledge into the industry, which combines the online competition with hands-on experience through field research. In addition, the real-world data and information of Nansha was used in the simulation programme. The students are highly encouraged to think creatively, use their professional knowledge and innovative ideas to provide regional tourism development plans and make contributions to the national rural revitalisation project. UTM has provided great support and funds for the students throughout the competition. The accomplishments of the students also demonstrated to the nation the quality of education with the combination of theoretical knowledge and practice in teaching at UTM.
There are a total of nearly 3,000 college students from 163 universities, forming 526 teams across the country in the initial competition. The students actively participated in the first round of the competition through online platforms. After fierce competition of the first round, a total of 224 teams successfully got into the final round of the competition.
During the competition, the teams visited the “Qianfeng Water Town”, a key national rural revitalisation project, as well as various landmark buildings and well-known attractions in Nansha. They have gained an in-depth understanding of the culture and tourism industry in Nansha through the trip.
Content: Li Xiaoye, UTM Lecturer
Editor: UTM Public Relations Team




