There is a need for a first-class online training in tourism, hospitality and destination management which will provide flexible and affordable courses to meet the needs of millions of professionals and small businesses in the tourism industry. This is the position of the Chairman of the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center, IE University, Juan José Güemes.
Güemes, while speaking on the sideline of the recently concluded UNWTO General Assembly held in Russia advocated that tourism practitioners worldwide should tap into the provision of the first of its kind online tourism education courses to meet the needs of millions of professionals and small businesses.
“The vision of the UNWTO Secretary-General and his team, shared by IE University and the first two sponsors to join the initiative (Qatar National Tourism Council and Gino Holding) is to meet the needs of millions of professionals and small businesses by providing first-class online training in tourism, hospitality and destination management, providing flexible and affordable courses. The Tourism Online Academy is a learning platform which will provide self-paced online courses that mainly focus on concepts, areas of interest and fundamental principles related to the tourism, hospitality and destination management” he said.
Speaking further on how the training is set to benefit tourism practitioners, Guemes outlined different aspects of the training.
“A first layer will consist of a flexible online programme lasting four weeks or 10 hours, with open and free contents. Participants interested in accessing assignments, feedback and certificates, will be able to do so and tuition fees will be kept affordable. Only after the completion of the MOOC (first layer), will participants have access to a more in-depth part of the training program, with an estimated duration of about 10 weeks, in which a catalogue of multimedia tutorials, readings, videos and other learning materials such as articles, presentations and podcasts will be available. A test at the end of this layer will certify the mastery of concepts needed to be awarded a certificate” he highlighted.
Speaking further, Guemes said; ‘during the first phase of the launch of the UNWTO | IE University Online Academy we will put the platform and the two layers of the first programme into production: ‘Introduction to Tourism-Industry Management’ and ‘Fundamentals of Tourism-Industry Management’.
The success of this initiative will mainly depend on many other stakeholders in the international tourism community (destinations, companies, experts and Academic Institutions) taking effective leadership by producing new content, translating existing content and/or promoting accessibility to certifications through scholarship programmes” he added.
Guemes, who was Spain’s Secretary-General of Tourism further highlighted how far the assembly had come in almost two decades.
“The last time I attended a session of the UNWTO General Assembly, as Spain’s Secretary-General of Tourism, was in Seoul and Osaka in Sept ember 2001. That Assembly with shared hosts was held only a few days after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. The general feeling was that the excellent performance of international tourism of the previous years could be under threat. Indeed, the main outcome of that Assembly was precisely a clear and resounding message of condemnation of the attacks, expressing solidarity with the victims and their loved ones, and confidence in the resilience of the tourism sector.
18 years later: the number of international tourist arrivals has doubled this growth has particularly benefited new emerging tourist destinations and we can celebrate that the world’s first tourist destination in terms of revenues and the second biggest market in terms of expenditure, the United States of America, has moved considerably closer to rejoining UNWTO. Undoubtedly, since 2001, UNWTO has become a bigger organization, not just in terms of size but in terms of influence and significance.
At that General Assembly in Seoul and Osaka, we also agreed to hold the first General Assembly in China. Back then China was not a major player in the international tourism sector. Today, it is the world’s first outbound market and a leading international destination.
Few economic activities have experienced such rapid and inclusive growth in recent decades as tourism.
In all world regions both the number of international tourists and the income derived from them has grown steadily. This growth has been particularly important in new, emerging destinations” he reminisced.
He further highlighted the role of tourism in the distribution of wealth and the digital revolution.
“If there is one feature that distinguishes tourism from other sectors, it can distribute wealth. Tourism benefits everyone: from large international operators to small local businesses. Above all, it benefits travellers and their hosts and contributes to mutual knowledge, respect and understanding, and therefore to peace and prosperity.
Tourism is also one of the sectors that have benefited the most from the digital revolution. The internet and the universalization of connectivity have brought travellers and their destinations closer together and dramatically reduced the costs of information and intermediation. Technology has enabled the emergence of new destinations and products, connecting travellers with the same tools as the big operators, who only two decades ago had almost absolute control of the market. Technology has opened new horizons for millions of travellers and hosts.
This amazing opportunity for inclusive growth has also created new needs. Today, millions of people around the world see tourism as an opportunity to develop professionally or as a chance to grow their businesses. This calls for high-quality training, accessible and flexible training, providing the management tools required to thrive in the new digital world.
The digital revolution is also transforming the world of education. Today there is a wide range of online programmes created by almost 1,000 universities around the world, all of them accessible through a variety of generalist platforms or specialized in different verticals of knowledge. But none of these platforms is dedicated to the tourism sector, nor made for or by the world of tourism” said he.