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“We are planning substantial changes in tourism education”<\/p>\n
A university graduate and expert in the tourism sector, the new Deputy Minister of Tourism, Mr. Manos Consolas, speaks to GR Traveller about the object he is in charge of
\nand knows well, tourism education. He told us about the changes that are being prepared to produce substantial and specialised knowledge. To prepare high quality staff, ready to fill new and well-paid jobs in tourism.<\/p>\n
What is your “vision” for tourism education in the next four years?<\/strong><\/p>\n Our goal is the total overthrow of the current static and outdated model of tourism education. The Prime Minister himself has set as an immediate priority the upgrading of tourism education at all levels. The spearhead is the creation of a university-level educational institution specialising in tourism, but also the substantial changes that will be made at other levels, as well as in vocational education, training and research. All of the above will be the subject of a new framework law on tourism education to be promoted in consultation with the Ministry of Education and in wide consultation with tourism stakeholders.<\/p>\n What key changes or reforms will you promote for the Ministry’s tourism schools to achieve their upgrading?<\/strong><\/p>\n There is a problem of fragmentation in tourism vocational education and training. Some public Institutes of Education and Training (IEK) are supervised by the Ministry of Education and some by the Ministry of Tourism, while there are also the schools of the OAED. In other words, there are three institutions that will have to be coordinated in order to follow a single design and programme, while there are also private IEKs. This must change. We need integrated planning, new specialisations and subjects. For example, the disciplines cannot be limited to hospitality and catering specialities, while there is a demand in the market for specialities such as Revenue manager, Digital Marketeer (due to the “explosion” of online bookings) and Congress & events management (a speciality that focuses on the organisation of conferences and events). There will be a change in the curricula of the ASTE, with new specialties that will correspond to the modern trends in tourism and the market, but also with the possibility of integration of graduates Will additional departments be created or will others be reopened to cover other areas of the industry and if so which ones?<\/strong><\/p>\n I think that logic and reality itself dictate the necessary changes, but also the matching of specialisations with the needs of the market. This will be preceded by a study of the current situation in universities (TEI and former TEI) and vocational schools of the public and private sector in tourism education. The existing needs in terms of specialisations and fields of knowledge, as well as the number of graduates that the market can absorb on an annual basis, must then be identified. Our aim is to connect tourism education with the market and business in terms of the future.<\/p>\n Will there be changes to the curriculum and what innovations do you plan to introduce?<\/strong><\/p>\n As I mentioned before, these changes are de facto imposed, but also innovations that are not limited to the practical training of students, but also to research. All this will be the subject of study by the Tourism Education Council – which we will set up immediately – and by a new framework law on tourism education. An important innovation will of course be the foreign language sections.<\/p>\n What would you say to young people to pursue a career in tourism?<\/strong><\/p>\n I would tell them that tourism will be the most dynamically growing sector of the Greek economy in the coming years, while investment interest is increasing. This means that new jobs and new skills are created. Our responsibility is to shape the new framework of tourism education that will provide specialised knowledge and produce high quality tourism executives. With new jobs and, above all, well-paid jobs.<\/p>\n You have mentioned in your previous statements about the creation of departments to attract students from abroad. How do you plan to implement it?<\/strong><\/p>\n Let me remind you that in December 2014, with an amendment submitted to the Parliament, the establishment of English-language departments of tourism and maritime studies at the Universities of Crete and the Aegean (with Rhodes as the seat of the Department of Tourism Studies), which would be addressed to foreign students with tuition fees. The government of Mr. Tsipras thwarted this development. Interview with Panagiota Surtzi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" “We are planning substantial changes in tourism education” A university graduate and expert in the tourism sector, the new Deputy Minister of Tourism, Mr. Manos Consolas, speaks to GR Traveller about the object he is in charge of and knows well, tourism education. 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\nstudents of ASTE in postgraduate programmes.<\/p>\n
\nIn tourism, however, there is no room for idealism. In order for Greece to become a centre of tourism education in the wider Mediterranean region, we must learn lessons
\nfrom best practices in other countries, such as Cyprus. I believe that the establishment of foreign language departments of tourism studies at all levels should proceed.<\/p>\n