Developing skilled personnel and niche tourism areas
IN Malaysia tourism is big business. Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC) Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi, in a Press conference earlier this year, stated that the tourism sector contributed RM84.1 billion to the national economy last year, up by 2.4 per cent compared to RM82.2 billion the previous year.
The country registered 25.8 million tourist arrivals, placing it among the major tourism destinations of the world.
With 2020 announced as Visit Malaysia Year, the tourism industry has again taken centre stage as a national mission and a major catalyst to ensure Malaysia remains competitive. Visit Malaysia 2020 is targeted to bring in 30 million international tourists and RM100 billion in tourist receipts to the country.
Professor Marcus Lee Stephenson, dean of the School of Hospitality at Sunway University, said tourism in Malaysia is geographically, ecologically, culturally and socially diverse.
“The tourism industry in Malaysia reflects the manifold nature of the destination. The country is appealing as it is composed of more than 1,000 islands and has a variety of marine parks, and varied landscapes — both natural and built environments.
“The destination has an incredible mix of ultramodern places to visit and traditional places too. Therefore, culture and heritage tourism products alongside the sun, sand and sea tourism products bode well for an advancing tourism industry as an all-appealing destination,” he added.
For tourism to flourish, investments in the construction
MARCUS LEE STEPHENSON of hotels and tourism resorts and in the expansion of the events industry have also seen growth. So too educational programmes in hospitality, events and tourism management, mirroring the expansion of the tourism industry.
Professor Dr Sallehuddin Zahari, dean of the Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Puncak Alam, noted that the positive development of the tourism industry in the country not only generates employment opportunities but also promisingly and continuously expands tourism study programmes at higher education institutions.
However, there are gaps between tertiary education institutions’ output and industry needs that have yet to be bridged. and management.
“As the industry evolves, the programmes place concerted emphasis on innovation, technical skills development and enhancement, and deep awareness of emerging trends from a global viewpoint, aligned with the changing and complex needs of the industry,” said Stephenson.
Sunway University students are able to experience world-class facilities which include a mock hotel suite and reception area, beverage laboratory, event studio, and cuisine, pastry and demo kitchens.
“The school has a partnership with Sunway Resort Hotel and Spa for internship opportunities and research collaborations. It has also established a close partnership with Le Cordon Bleu International, which certifies the school’s programmes and we organise regional and domestic field trips, as well as other relevant industry activities,” he said.
At Berjaya University College (BUC), its Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism takes the experiential learning approach.
BUC chief executive and vicechancellor Emeritus Professor Walter Wong said the Berjaya Immersion Methodology ensures that exposure to real-world industry practices and professionals is prioritised as a key learning method.
“From sessions with internationally renowned guest lecturers to participating in events and tourism-related organisations, our students are awarded the privilege to learn hands-on in exclusive environments for optimum personal development in their craft.
“We send students overseas to join competitions where they learn by doing, transform the way they think and gain the confidence to display their skills in public. This experience helps them to stand out from the crowd and be competitive in a proactive way.”
The tourism management programme at UiTM’s Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management emphasises specialised areas through its individual courses or subjects such as customer service, tour planning and design, tour guiding skills, air fares and ticketing, health and wellness tourism, heritage tourism, Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions, and park and leisure management.