IFT & UNWTO Organise Training Programme for Fifth Time

The Institute for Tourism Studies' (IFT) Global Centre for Tourism Education and Training organised an eight-day training programme titled 'Capacity Building for Destination Marketing & Tourism Development' from 24^th to 31^st May. It is the fifth time this training has been held by the Centre and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Some 19 representatives from 'Belt and Road' Initiative countries and regions - namely, Myanmar, Pakistan and Mainland China, as well as the Macao SAR - and UNWTO participated in the programme. On the morning of 31^st May the faculty and participants of the training programme had a meeting with the Macao SAR Government Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam.

The training programme included lectures, case studies, experience sharing, presentations and site visits, in which lectures were delivered by IFT professors and scholars. During the programme, participants also visited the World Heritage Sites of the Historic Centre of Macao as well as other city attractions to understand the planning and management of tourism facilities in Macao.

In addition, they paid a visit to integrated resort MGM Cotai, where the Vice President of Customer Relationship Marketing of MGM, Frederica Fok, and the Vice President of Brand & Advertising of MGM, Catarina Lio, delivered a talk on the theme of destination marketing and branding strategies of MGM.

In October 2015, the Macao SAR Government and UNWTO signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Macao to facilitate Macao as an international tourism training hub. The Global Centre - officially established by IFT in 2016 - has organised a number of training and education programmes for tourism officials and industry representatives from various countries and regions in collaboration with UNWTO.