We live in interesting times. Whether a blessing or a curse (according to the famous Chinese proverb), in any case, we need to be flexible and quickly adapt to the new realities. The Covid-19 pandemic significantly enhanced the process of technology integration and the introduction of new standards and procedures.
On the 18th November 2021 the NTG Alliance hosted the online conference ‘Next Tourism Generation: Building a skilled workforce’. This conference was broken into four main modules, upskilling and reskilling in tourism and hospitality, addressing skills needs with innovative collaboration, integrating new skills into industry and education curricula and envisioning a skills partnership in the tourism sector.
Concetta D’Emma, (39 years old, born and living in Italy) is Founder of the Unconventional Hospitality project, and works also as an International Speaker, Author, Challenger & Business Coach, Food & Green Marketing Strategy Expert, and Press & Public Relationships for GWTO (Global Wine Tourism Organization).
After graduating in tourism sciences and -completing a Masters degree in tourism management, she realized that she needed to work – at a deeper level with people, not just to give them “technical” skills. This is the way she has found to improve the hospitality industry and this is why over the years she has also become a Mental Coach.
Adventure Tours UK was set up by a team of outdoor enthusiasts who wanted to share our home nation with others. We’re passionate about adventure and so want to make booking an adventure holiday a stress-free experience for others like us who love to travel and explore new places. For those who want to get out and experience something different, we strive to give people an authentic taste of the UK. We create world-class holidays and make them easy to book, wherever in the world you are.
Travel and tourism have been among the sectors hardest hit by Covid-19. In Italy, the pandemic has impacted a sector that was already suffering from the effects of ineffective public management and decades of structural delays, despite tourism being one of the domestic economy’s strategic assets, representing 13% of GDP and the highest number of employees in Europe.
The post-Covid relaunch therefore constitutes a unique opportunity to – compensate for the losses of 2020 but also to overcome previous limits and delays, – creating a sector that could constitute the country’s “fuel” to be more efficient. All this could be achieved through public policies aimed at digitization and training.
In this Blog, key NTG partner, TU Dublin, School of Hospitality Management and Tourism, explores accessibility, inclusion, best practice and skill requirements in tourism destinations. Paudie Healy, CEO of Universal Access Ireland, shares his insights and experiences of best practices in the sector.
Sandra Bertholet (43 years old, born and living in Luxembourg) has been working in tourism and hospitality since 2001. After graduating from the Hotel management school in Diekirch, Luxembourg (in 1997) with a diploma as “Hôtelier- Restaurateur” and several traineeships in Luxembourg, Switzerland and Austria she continued her studies in Krems / Donau in Austria at the International Management Center (IMC Krems) with a master degree in Tourism Management and Leisure Time economics; specialization topic: “Sustainable tourism development in rural areas”
Her global vision of the tourism planning, having worked at a senior level in the private and public sector, as well as -being closely involved with the associative network follows.
Covid-19 has had a profound impact on the tourism sector globally. The past year will – long be remembered for the far-reaching consequences of the pandemic and the detrimental affect it has had on individuals, health, lifestyles, organizations and economies to name but a few.
As businesses start to build back from the disruption caused by Covid-19, they will need to ensure their people have the skills needed to support safe reopening and to emerge stronger from the crisis.
The Next Tourism Generation (NTG) competition invited young people from Wales with aspirations to work in tourism to come forward with their ideas for the future of the industry. Those winners were announced by BBC presenter Huw Stephens at the NTG 2021 virtual awards ceremony and skills symposium.