The new academic year 2015/16 began with a warm welcome of 416 students joining the IFT family. To mark the commencement of this school year and to gain a better understanding of the tourism industry, the Institute has the honour to invite Ms. Helena Fernandes, Director of Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), who was joined by IFT’s President and Head of Technical and Academic Support Division, to host a sharing session to share their experiences and insightful perspectives on Macao’s tourism development with the new students.

Dr. Fanny Vong, President of IFT emphasised the importance of fostering high standard of personal qualities throughout students’ studies in IFT. Tourism and service industry is a people-oriented business which is full of ‘human touch points’. Therefore, the industry requires individuals with self-cultivation, positive attitude, proper grooming and attire, professional ethics as ‘just right’ services can create memorable experience to customers. IFT always focuses on nurturing students within these parameters to prepare them for future challenges in this dynamic industry.

The event ended with an interactive Q&A session with guest speakers, where students enthusiastically asked questions regarding the future of Macao’s tourism industry, Macao SAR Government’s strategy on further developing the tourism and gaming industry, as well as career planning and choices.

IFT regularly invites well-known scholars, industry leaders and managers to host seminars or to share their experiences with students, bringing best practices and updated trends of the industry to the study environment.