A special hybrid lecture series on the Future of Tourism, Megatrends, and Scanning the External Environment of Tourism was conducted by Prof. Perry Hobson, Ph.D., Director of the Academy of Tourism at Breda University, Netherlands, as part of the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management’s continuous pursuit of global academic excellence.
Spearheaded by the college’s Tourism Department through its Chairperson, Asst. Prof. Jane G. Devanadera, and the Special Topics and Issues in Tourism (STIH) Course Facilitators – Mr. Alec P. Bagcus and Mr. John Jerick C. Santos, the College welcomed Hobson together with CTHM Dean Assoc. Prof. Giezzez Giezi G. Granado, DCL, Assistant Dean Assoc. Prof. Evangeline E. Timbang, Ph.D., and International Relations Coordinator Ms. Kathrine Camille A. Nagal.
The first of the three-part learning series was conducted via Zoom Meeting on May 12, 2023, while the face-to-face meetings were respectively in the UST Central Laboratory on May 19 and 22, 2023. Tourism Management students enrolled in the STIH elective course engaged with Hobson and learned about innovative and pragmatic ways of solving problems in the tourism industry and its allied sectors; different dynamics that could be both challenges and opportunities to the development of tourism destinations; and how digital transformation can produce creative, efficient and successful customer engagements, destination management, and tourism product development.
In addition to providing support for the students, Hobson also had the opportunity to engage with the CTHM academic staff through a short hybrid session to discuss the future of Tourism, and the academe’s pivotal role in addressing the needs of future tourism professionals and the industry-at-large.
In the said learning space, both students and academics were given an avenue to understanding the challenges of the industry towards futuristic, promising, and exciting developments from the perspective of global practitioners and academics.
