TODA and USJ honor 39 graduates in first sustainable tourism program

The graduation ceremony for the Diploma in Sustainable Tourism Practices Program was held last week, with 39 graduates who completed the program both offline and online simultaneously.

The program, organized by the International Tourism Professionals Development Association Macao (TODA) and the University of Saint Joseph Macao (USJ), celebrated 23 graduates from Macau and 16 from Mozambique, Cabo Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe.

Florence Ian, president and founder of TODA, noted how Macau is the ideal place for professional tourism development: “Macau already has the talents, the experienced people. And then we also have all the world-class facilities in Macau.”

She continued, “So then this is the perfect place for Macau to be the tourism professional training center for China as a whole, for the Greater Bay Area, for China, and also for the region. I think Macau has the people, the facilities, and the reputation. And not only talking about the new buildings and new integrated resorts, Macau is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.”

Speaking on the outcome of the program, she stated that with technology now, there are “no borders.”

“We conduct the program online and concurrently, simultaneously. So we have students, including 11 graduates from Mozambique, three graduates from Cabo Verde, and two graduates from São Tomé and Príncipe. They attended classes from their home countries, and here we have 23 local students at USJ.”

Speaking on the sidelines of the ceremony, Rutger Verschuren, area vice president of Artyzen Hospitality Group, spoke on how this program could influence tourism planning in the Greater Bay Area and Macau.

“I think it’s very important that all those related to tourism understand that the impact of tourism can be negative if you don’t look after it properly […] because if Macau does not look after the environment, or ensure proper governance and social conditions, Macau would just go down the drain.”

Speaking on the difference between Macau and Hengqin’s capability of hosting outdoor tourism attractions, he said it is possible to do so more extensively in the neighboring city.

“I think Macau is very much indoors and built-up, and in activities for tourists, we lack the space to go and have theme parks. So, of course, Hengqin is three times larger than Macau. There’s a lot of potential to have more outdoor activities.”

“Macau-Hengqin is one destination. There are two regions, one destination, and there’s a seamless connection – not only of people, but also of money, data, and goods,” he added.

Both attendees stated how technology has pushed Macau’s tourism practices to be borderless, with students from this dedicated program being able to earn their diplomas from their homes in Lusophone countries simultaneously with locals in Macau.

Ricaela Diputado