Global Travel & Tourism Partnership student conference in Dubai
Winning GTTP students presented research findings on how to build a resilient workforce for a sustainable future in Travel & Tourism at the annual Student Travel Research Conference, which this year was held at the Holiday Inn, Dubai, UAE.
More that 1,000 schools globally participated in the event, now in its 24th year. A pair of winning students from each participating county were invited to attend the global conference and present their research to a global audience including students, teachers, directors, and representatives of our global partners.
Irish student presenters interacting with the audience
The conference was generously supported by IHG Hotels & Resorts, and included an event to introduce young people to a range of exciting career opportunities in T&T. Representatives from dnata, Amadeus, Marriott International, IHG Hotels, and Dubai Tourism College were available to discuss career opportunities with students.
Anne Lotter, Executive Director at GTTP said: “I was so encouraged by the passion and enthusiasm shown by our students and speakers. The teams diverse and interesting research highlighted what our students are looking for when considering T&T as a career, including how sustainable a company is, how to become better tourists, and the importance of using social media channels to communicate to the youth. Our annual conference is a showcase for students to highlight the tourism in their countries, and as importantly, meet and mix with students from around the globe.”
South African students presenting
Catherine Dalton, Chief Sustainability Officer at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “We want to give back to and support the communities we serve, and skills training is a key component to that. Partnering with charity organisations is one of the ways we help people learn important skills that will help shape and grow their careers. The hospitality industry is a great place to work, with a wealth of incredible opportunities and we know IHG has a role to play in developing the next generation of talent, so we’re pleased to support GTTP with their annual competition once again.”
Students were invited to take a ‘behind the scenes’ tour of the Holiday Inn, learn from Amadeus about the future of travel tech, visit the trade floor to speak to businesses about a career in the sector and hear from IHG about their Skills Academy which is helping to inspire the next generation hospitality professionals.
Exchanging cultural tokens
Marriott International sponsored a Gala Dinner for the teams on the final day of the conference, hosted at the beautiful Marriott Al Jadaf in Dubai, where students, teachers and directors enjoyed a celebratory dinner.