AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

Good Afternoon to my fellow attendees at the 2007 International Tourism. Culture and Education Forum

I am Bill McCallum – Managing Director and join owner of the Pacific International Hotel Management School  in New Zealand.

Tourism remains the world fastest growing industry and the continuing demand by tourists for the ‘best  experience and best service’  is the catalyst for motivation and development of organisations and businesses globally  in response.  It is not merely sufficient or acceptable to provide an ‘average’ product of the plastic genre – market research evidences that there is a tourist demand for platinum experiences with elements of eco tourism and cultural interaction integral components.   Along with these experiences, tourists seek evidence their chosen provider will afford them  the highest  quality service.

Tourism  has thus become market focussed.  Tourists have matured in their view and focus of expectations and are motivated by their needs.  Changes in travel patterns and market demands have placed operators under constantly increasing pressure to modify their business in response to demands and to enable the incorporation of elements of ‘new’ tourism and the consistent provision of those quality services that will attract and retain.

A quality tourism experience can only be applied where there are quality staff to engender it.  Added to this is a direct relationship between staff performance and profitability and therefore  operators have recognised that training and education  are  the means by which they will gain advantage over their competitors.     Education in tourism requires the provision of practical, high quality training opportunities across a plethora of tourism related occupations to produce highly skilled staff.

However,  while skills within any role are essential, type cast training of tourism specialists is not merely sufficient;  the efficient skilled  attendant with the expertise to undertake duties will not meet the standards.   Industry specialists will only become true professionals when they can display evidence of a complete understanding of what is required – and the catalyst for this is knowledge of product and the ability to apply this to the myriad of circumstances that will inevitably apply in response to each instance.

And what of the manner in which the skills and knowledge are themselves applied?  Undoubtedly the heart of the industry is the medium for utilising and evidencing these learned elements  AND the face of the industry – attitude -  the prime mover within the three pillar approach.

The Pacific International Hotel Management School  responds to the recommendations of its Advisory Board and tourism professionals representative of their customers and in doing so recognises the demand for professionals who display  sound skills knowledge and the right attitude in hotel management.  The focus at PIHMS is on both applied services and management aspects underpinned by research that provides a key to the future development of global tourism.

The design of the PIHMS Diploma, Degree and Post Graduate programmes enhances students’ abilities to perform job-related tasks at both operations and management level as well as an understanding of the tourism context in which the industry is situated.   PIHMS students enjoy opportunities for development and growth of both soft and hard skills vital to their professional development  via the medium of experiential learning and industry simulation.  We keep them applying, thinking, feeling, smelling and tasting hospitality while in the classroom.

Education has a critical role to play in the sustainable development of the tourism industry.  It is also faced with a variety of challenges.   Service providers in global destinations must display evidence of knowledge, skills and experience in what they offer and a clear understanding of customer needs.

Executives  and students of the worlds fastest growing industry require the highest level of experiential decision making training available in order to achieve effective outcomes in quality customer experiences.

The future of the industry is the oyster;  open it to reveal the pearl that is the wisdom of the industry - education.

Thank you Ladies & Gentlemen.