Over 80% increase in new full-time students studying with ITS Malta

On Friday, 20 September, the Institute of Tourism Studies opened the academic year with a Freshers’ party and an opening ceremony to welcome its new and returning students. This year, the institute has welcomed over 80% more new students when compared to students from previous academic years.

This increase in new applications may be seen in all the various courses offered by the Institute, which range from foundation to bachelor’s degree level. The applications will remain open a week after the MATSEC results are issued, and thus, the percentage increase is expected to grow even further.

The highest increase in applications received were for the Higher National Diploma in Tour Guiding, the Bachelor in Culinary Arts which is offered in collaboration with the Institute Paul Bocuse in Lyon, France, Certificate in Travel and Tourism and the Bachelor in International Hospitality Management which is offered in collaboration with the Haaga Helia University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki, Finland. This academic year, 25% of students are international students from 38 different nationalities.

Earlier this year, the ITS also launched its first ever master’s degree programme, an MBA in International Hospitality Management in academic affiliation with the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management. The first cohort, which will run as from this coming week, will welcome a full cohort of 25 students.

Apart from these full-time students, the ITS will also be training over 250 individuals on part-time and tailored basis in just the first two months of the academic year. The institute will be offering various part-time courses throughout the rest of the academic year and already has a commitment to train over 350 in 2020.

In the previous year, the ITS trained over 700 individuals on a part-time or a tailored basis and envisions on having these numbers increase significantly in the upcoming year. Most of the individuals who are enrolling for these courses are already working in the industry. These are either booking these courses solely or else their employer is providing these courses for them. This training is aimed at strengthening the workers skills, to further enhance the quality of the tourism and hospitality industry.

Pierre Fenech, ITS CEO, stated that ITS will continue on strengthening its relationship with its strategic international partners. ITS’s objective now is to take the Institute to the next level, transforming the Institute into a centre of excellence in vocational education and training within the tourism and hospitality sector for the local industry, but also for the wider Mediterranean region.

ITS chairman Carlo Micallef said that he was very happy to welcome new and returning students to the 2019/2020 academic year, a year that promises to be a memorable one for the Institute as a significant increase in the number of Maltese and foreign students has been achieved, exciting new courses at different levels are being launched and ITS has re-established itself as a key stakeholder in Malta’s tourism industry. Mr. Micallef also thanked ITS management and staff for their dedication and wished them a rewarding and successful year ahead.

Minister for Tourism Konrad Mizzi welcomed the increase in the number of students and interest by students to follow a career in the hospitality and tourism industry.

Mizzi said that the vision 2025 for tourism and improved product offering requires significant investment in human resources. This vision guided ITS to also offer the MBA in International Hospitality in collaboration with Emirates Academy and other partnerships with world class institutions.