UNWTO Secretary general pitches for introduction of tourism as a subject in schools across the globe
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvil. He made the comments at the «Global Education Forum» during the 25th General Assembly of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) here which concluded on Saturday.
The Secretary General also said countries like India which are expanding their tourism sector massively need to invest in tourism academies and hospitality schools.
«Education is crucial for the future of the tourism industry, enabling sustainable development and inclusive growth. Students must learn tourism as a subject in schools just like geography, physics and mathematics...there is an urgent need. Uzbekistan has become the first country where kids in high school learn the subject and it is a very big step.
»I hated many subjects like biology and those kind of things when I was a kid, but tourism will be acceptable and interesting for everyone. So our problem is to create as many educational centres as we can, in all regions worldwide," he said in his address.
«Countries are growing their tourism sector, establishing a lot of partnerships but not concrete schools where kids can come and learn about a lot of things.
For example India, the country needs at least maybe 100 schools. They are building 67 airports imagine at least 100 tourism schools can be easily opened but we need people we need professors, content and products to learn,» he added.
The UNWTO Secretary-General said during an analysis they found that there aren't many dedicated tourism academies and not enough focus on teaching the subject.
