Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) became the founding sponsor of the IE University UNWTO Tourism Online Academy, which was established following a signing ceremony in Doha.
The agreement was signed by Assistant Secretary-General of QNTC, Hassan Al Ibrahim, and Global Director of Corporate Relations at IE University, William Davila, in the presence of Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organisation of the United Nations (UNWTO), Zurab Pololikashvili.
The online platform will provide professionals with easy access to high quality education and training in travel and tourism, hospitality and destination management. The initiative will provide easily accessible and exhaustive training for people seeking a profession in the tourism sector, which provides one in ten jobs globally.
The academy will benefit from UNWTOs thorough knowledge and expertise in tourism, as well as IE University's innovative education model. Graduates will receive an IE University UNWTO Online Tourism Academy certification in Foundations of Management Applied to Tourism.
The curriculum will cover strategy management, operations management, marketing management, finance fundamentals, as well as technology and innovation management.
Al Ibrahim, said, 'Qatar is constantly striving to be at the cutting-edge of a rapidly and dynamically developing industry. As a government organisation focusing on ensuring the best possible experiences to our visitors, QNTC recognises the vital role that tourism education and training institutions play in leading the industry towards competitiveness and sustainability. And, we are pleased to support UNWTO in developing and delivering programmes that will enable professionals to meet the tourism labor market needs.
William Davila, Global Director of Corporate Relations at IE University, commented, 'IE University shapes leaders with a global vision and an entrepreneurial mindset to drive innovation and change in organisations. The Tourism Online Academy in collaboration with UNWTO, and with the support of QNTC, will create an important impact in the society, supporting the growth of the tourism industry on a global basis.
The signing of this agreement is the first step in the creation of the Tourism Online Academy. Many more steps will be taken in the coming months to provide online high-quality training for everyone in this important industry.
QNTC also announced that the UNWTO is lending its expertise to help develop the Qatar National Tourism Experience Awards programme.
The awards programme will recognise businesses, public entities, NGOs, and associations, operating both inside and outside of Qatar and across all sectors, that are directly or indirectly contributing to the delivery of exceptional experiences to Qatars visitors. Zurab Pololikashvili said that 'these awards are not an end to themselves but rather a motivation to drive excellence in tourism development.
He added that 'they will put the spotlight on best practices which will be relevant for Qatar and beyond, given the countries international relevance.
The agreements were signed during Pololikashvilis first visit to Qatar as UNWTO Secretary-General, during which he visited a number of key tourism landmarks with his delegation. Earlier in the visit QNTC signed on to support the first UNWTO Sports Tourism Start-Up Competition.