Prime Minister Joseph Muscat yesterday presided over an agreement between the Institute for Tourism Studies (ITS) and the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management
Muscat described the tourism sector as thriving, and said that it has excelled over the past six years. He said that the government is not only focusing on numbers, but also on quality.
“Emirates is quality. It is an established institution,” he said, stating that it is one of the top ten institutions worldwide in this field. He said that he is confident that with Emirates’ expertise, the Maltese institution can climb to further heights. He said that the foundations for this agreement were laid three years ago when he was in Dubai, and that it was a suggestion made by the Dubai government.
He described ITS as an international institution, stating that a third of students are international students.
Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi also spoke during the event, and said that Malta is working to make ITS a centre of excellence in hospitality management. He said that this partnership is more than just an alliance, and through the agreement, lecturers will also be upskilled. The agreement will also see a Masters in business administration course established.
ITS CEO Pierre Fenech expressed his pleasure with this deal, adding that ITS is investing a lot academically, focussing forging strategic alliances with foreign institutes, and adding on courses.
He said that this agreement is for an academic affiliation with one of the top rated educational institutions in the world in tourism.
He said that it will put ITS on a higher platform internationally, attracting more foreign students.
ITS also launched their full-time prospectus for the coming academic year, and also launched their new branding reflecting this agreement.
Scott Richardson, from the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, said that both institutions complement each other. He said this is not a one way partnership, but a true partnership where both will grow their institutions together.