Department of Integrated Resort and Tourism Management of the Faculty of Business Administration of UM hosted a strategy conference and industry partner roundtable discussion on December 14 at MGM Macau. Mr. Francis Tan From MGM Macau, Mr. Raymond Voon from Galaxy Entertainment Group and Mr. Lourence Ho from Sands China Limited were invited as industry partners to participate in the meeting. Professor Li Miao, Professor Rob Law, Professor Davis Fong, and other faculty and staff members were also present to discuss the strategic development for the Department of Integrated Resort and Tourism Management. Associate Professor Amy So presided over the meeting, which focused on the mid-term and long-term strategic positioning of the department’s curriculum development, starting with the changes in the demands of course applicants and industry stakeholders for professional talent training. Later, the faculty members invited three representatives from industry partners to a conversation about curriculum development and innovation.
The guests initially discussed the issues that the local tourism and hospitality industry would face in terms of talent development over the next decade, before moving on to their aspirations for future talent. They emphasized that, in addition to professional theoretical knowledge and skills, Macau tourism and hospitality professionals should be able to master more innovative technology applications and customer communication skills in order to cope with the constantly changing industry as a result of smart technology innovation. According to industry analysts, the school’s curriculum should focus on the diversification trend of Macau’s tourism business, allowing students to widen their horizons to appreciate diverse cultures and guests with varied cultural backgrounds. As an industry practitioner, it is critical to give more internship opportunities for future talent development, as well as to actively excavate and shape high-quality comprehensive talents in practice.
As a unique course within the faculty, the Department of Integrated Resort and Tourism Management is committed to nurturing high-level professionals for the industry, and industry guests also gave positive comments to the graduates of this course in this roundtable discussion. At the same time, they expected students to pay more attention to soft skill development, absorb course nutrients with open thinking, actively improve their sense of service during the internship process, and achieve professional skills through the accumulation of theoretical knowledge and social skills. This strategy conference and industry partner roundtable discussion not only completed an in-depth analysis of the curriculum’s current status, but also provided a variety of ideas and enlightenments for the further innovation of the courses with a strategic vision, and promoted the discipline’s high-quality development.
