The closing ceremony for the 15th IFTM-UNWTO Training Programme was held yesterday at the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies’ (IFTM) in Pousada de Mong Ha, where certificates were awarded to participants.
The event was attended by a delegation led by United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili.
This year’s programme, themed “Leveraging the Meetings Industry and Gastronomy to Champion the Agenda of Sustainable Tourism Development”, was tailored for ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, and attracted participants including government management-level officials from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, among others, as well as industry practitioners and tertiary education professionals from the Greater Bay Area (GBA).
The six-day training programme that started on Monday is being held in conjunction with the Global Tourism Economic Forum (GTEF), with participants now set to attend a two-day training course during the forum after having taken part in discussions on various topics by IFTM scholars and local and international experts during the first three days. The last day of the programme will see participants take part in a technical tour of Macau’s integrated resorts.
Addressing yesterday’s attendees, IFTM President Fanny Vong Chuk Kwan said she was confident overall that the ongoing programme has provided participants with “an ideal setting to expand professional horizons, meet counterparts from neighbouring countries [and regions], connect with industry leaders, and establish valuable relationships”.
“I hope that today’s closing session actually marks a beginning: I hope that the meaningful conversations started here in Macau continue after you return to your home countries, and that such conversations work to promote sustainable tourism development wherever you are in the world. If that happens, the programme will have achieved its goals”, Vong pointed out during yesterday’s closing ceremony.
Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM) President Fanny Vong Chuk Kwan addresses the 15th IFTM-UNWTO Training Programme’s closing ceremony yesterday.
– Photo: Rui Pastorin
