On the occasion of the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Institute of Tourism Studies in Malta and the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, Tourism Minister Dr Edward Zammit Lewis said that this MoU endorsement is in line with the principal objective of transforming the Institute into a centre of excellence in vocational education and training within the tourism and hospitality sector. The collaboration will see ITS and EAHM work closely together towards enhancing the academic programmes offered by the Institute as it elevates the level of its course to Bachelors and Masters Degrees.

"Malta's tourism competitiveness can only be sustained if growth is accompanied by the development of, and investment in, human resources. To this end, we have been engaging all related stakeholders to secure their commitment towards measures designed to enhance the working conditions and the professional quality of the tourism workforce," emphasised Dr Zammit Lewis.

Minister Zammit Lewis explained that while considerations such as employment generation and remuneration rates are at the top of the agenda; career development, entry qualifications and continuous personal development are of utmost importance.

"This will allow us to bridge the gap between the mentality of just having a job in tourism and the delivery of excellence in hospitality by those who believe that this sector offers them a professional career," the minister continued.

The EAHM is the leading provider of hospitality education in the Middle East and is fully licensed by the UAE's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The Academy is located in Dubai, just opposite the world's only seven-star hotel the Burj Al Arab, and is part of the international luxury hotel chain The Jumeirah Group. As an educational institution, EAHM is internationally recognised for its hospitality management degree programmes while it is also accredited by the United Kingdom's Institute of Hospitality and the THE-ICE in Australia. It is renowned internationally for its academic strength in the field of hospitality management, especially at Masters Level.

The Minister for Tourism said that this collaboration is another step forward. The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management will assist with setting up this new vocational hub by providing quality assurance to current ITS study programmes while assisting in the introduction of new, internationally accredited, degree level and post-graduate programmes in the tourism sector besides the development of new vocational qualifications and professional development courses.

Moreover, the collaboration with the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management will also give the opportunity to the ITS academic staff to further their own training, skills and knowledge, through capacity building programmes that will allow them to grow both professionally and personally.

Dr Zammit Lewis explained that the proposals outlined in the MoU will see, among other, EAHM assisting ITS in developing into a leading, internationally-recognised university-level institution. Through this collaboration ITS will be providing degree level and post-graduate level qualifications to both local students as well as international students. This will be achieved by providing cross exposure in hotels, also for the institute's teachers and instructors.

Furthermore, the EAHM will also act as an external examiner, overviewing the relevance and quality of the curriculum and its delivery through teaching and learning. The MoU will also see ITS deliver EAHM's MBA, using the facilities provided at the new campus and engage with the regional industry in order to develop relevant vocational qualifications and professional development courses.