The Macao SAR Government is committed to developing the educational tour sector as part of its push to promote the city’s appropriate economic diversification. Advancing such a sector is also seen as a way to stimulate the market-orientated outlook – as well as the internationalisation – of local higher education institutions. UTM is therefore expanding its offering of innovative educational tours, covering a variety of themes and fields. The University’s effort regarding diversified experiences aims to position Macao as a leading provider of educational tours, attracting young students and their parents to visit for the purposes of exchange, learning, and training. Ultimately, UTM’s educational tours also aim to contribute to enhancing Macao’s attractiveness for young people as a place to come to for higher education
Educational tours have emerged as a popular educational tool in recent years in the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao. School summer holidays can provide an ideal opportunity for teachers and non-tertiary students to participate in these tours, enjoying distinctive educational experiences that allow such pupils to explore possible academic paths.
This summer, UTM has been hosting various educational tours involving groups from different regions. The tours add rich exploratory experiences that support the teaching process, allowing tour participants to step out of the classroom and witness firsthand a number of sites around Macao. This approach aims to promote effectively the combination of knowledge acquisition and practical experience, helping participants achieve deeper educational and personal growth.
One group visiting UTM this summer for an educational tour came from Hong Kong’s Rosaryhill Secondary School. The more than 100-strong group included teachers and students. The visitors toured the UTM campus and teaching facilities and, under the guidance of an UTM instructor, learned about the roots and flavours of Macanese cuisine, part of the National List of Representative Elements of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Additionally, the group visited the world heritage sites in the city, led by professional docents.
A key feature of educational tours is their emphasis on personalised experiences. Participating students from Hong Kong’s Rosaryhill Secondary School revealed that the UTM tour provided them with a unique perspective on Macanese cuisine, helping them better understand the blending of Chinese and Western cultures in Macao, and allowing them truly to experience the unique features of the city.
The leader of the group, Mr. Stanley Leung, comments: “UTM and the Macao Government Tourism Office have done significant publicity in Hong Kong about educational tours, and we found the concept very appealing. So, we contacted UTM, and they facilitated this tour.”
He adds: “We can learn about Macao’s food and attractions online in Hong Kong, but no matter how much we read and watch, there is nothing better than experiencing the real thing. This is what we hope to bring to students through this type of tour.”
UTM’s educational tours also cater to families. In March, a parent-child delegation from Hong Kong’s Chinese YMCA Primary School engaged in hands-on activities, allowing the group to learn about Macao’s food culture by making popular classic local desserts such as serradura and chocolate pine nut biscuits. The latter activity, according to participants, provided them with a deeper experience of Macao’s gastronomic culture.
Diverse and tailored tours
The quality of education provided by UTM – particularly in the field of tourism studies – is internationally recognised, and renowned within and beyond the region. In addition to its degree programmes and other tertiary education-level offerings, UTM – via the Institute of Executive and Professional Development (IEPD) – is dedicated to providing a diverse range of professional, vocational, and continuing education courses, many leading to internationally recognised certifications. UTM makes these courses available to the local community, as well as to professionals from the mainland, Hong Kong, and beyond.
UTM – via its predecessor institution, the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies – first got involved in the Hong Kong and Macao Mainland Youth Study Tour Alliance in 2023. The Alliance aims to contribute to the development of educational tours within Greater China. Through the IEPD, formerly known as the School of Continuing Education, UTM has been hosting numerous educational tours, further enhancing its reputation in this area.
Dr. Cindia Lam Ching Chi, Dean of the IEPD, states that educational tours are devised according to three target group categories: students, teachers, and high-level management executives.
In 2023, about 40 educational tour groups were hosted, engaging hundreds of participants. This year, up to early July, the IEPD had already conducted over 20 tours of this kind.
The educational tours offered by the IEPD to date have covered a wide range of topics. Dr. Lam notes that these are tailored to the specific needs and interests of each group of participants. The goal, she says, is to combine education and travel, creating a fun and enriching experience.
She adds: “The length of our educational tours can range from one day to one month, meaning it’s flexible.”
Dr. Lam further notes: “In terms of themes, in addition to more familiar topics such as hospitality, tourism, catering, and events, we can also arrange programmes in other fields, including the arts, information technologies, high-end services, Sino-Portuguese relations, and even finance.”
Educational tours are not only for young students, Dr. Lam stresses. In recent times, UTM has become a popular destination for educational tours targeting leaders and management executives at corporate or institutional level, coming from different places. At UTM, they find programmes tailored to their respective needs, she adds.
This May, a tour was organised for Fujian province’s China Strait Talent Market Shishi Working Department, a body related to recruitment and human resources. Through lectures delivered by the UTM team, group discussions, and site visits, participants gained insights into cultural tourism trends, business management topics, and service concepts. Feedback collected from those attending the programme indicated that the experiential classes, hotel inspections, and wine-tasting sessions were seen as innovative ways of learning about new subjects.
While the reputation of UTM was initially built on the quality of its educational offerings in tourism studies, Dr. Lam highlights that the University’s scope is now much broader. She notes that UTM has established an extensive network of partners throughout Macao and across various sectors, ensuring that its educational tours can provide valuable practical insights in different fields.
“Take modern finance as an example,” she says. “In addition to teaching theoretical knowledge, we also take participants to visit some financial institutions to observe how their back-of-house facilities operate. This is an exceptional opportunity.”
Sustainable development of educational tours
To promote the sustainable development of the educational tour sector, UTM has been offering educational tour instructor training to teachers, tour guides, and the general public. These courses are conducted in partnership with various entities, including the Education and Youth Development Bureau, the Macao Government Tourism Office, and the Labour Affairs Bureau. The training adheres to the principles of the Macao Occupational Skills Recognition System (MORS).
In alignment with the Macao SAR Government’s policy goals for the educational tour sector, Dr. Lam states that UTM is working to enhance relevant standards in this field. “UTM has qualified instructors, and its team possesses the skills needed in vocational training,” she says.
“We will continue to optimise and improve standardised models applicable to educational tours. With a standardised model in place, others can follow it, achieving the expected results of an educational tour.”
UTM aims to make use of its strengths in education and training, in order to promote the development of educational tours in various ways. This aligns with Macao’s “1+4” economic diversification strategy, promoting synergies between “tourism + education”, and fostering a market-orientated outlook and the internationalisation of the local higher education sector.
Editor: UTM Public Relations Team
