IFT Student Winning ‘Tomorrow’s Tourism’ Competition’

Fiona Huang Hao, a senior student of Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT), won 'Tomorrow's Tourism' competition organized by Pacific Asia Travel Association(PATA). Fiona is currently enrolled in IFT's bachelor degree programme in Heritage Management. The competition attracted more than 30 individual and group participants from various regions and countries of the Asia Pacific region. The competition, one of the activities celebrating the 60th Anniversary of PATA, was launched last September. It challenged undergraduate students from PATA member schools to come up with new ways of measuring tourism, taking into account its wider impact on the environment and community at large. The aim was to get students to think beyond the typical success indicators of arrival figures and tourism receipts. Working on their own or in a small team, students were required to create a five-minute video presentation outlining their ideas, and accompanied by a written synopsis. In February 2011, PATA announced the 3 finalists of the competition and one of them is Fiona Huang Hao from IFT. The three finalists were invited to present their ideas to a panel of four external judges at PATA 60th Anniversary and Conference in Beijing, April 9-12, 2011, with travel and accommodation costs subsidised by PATA. The four judges included Robert Broadfoot, founder and managing director, Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, Ltd; Amitabh Kant, managing director, Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor; Ray Hammond, futurologist and Richard Quest, anchor and presenter, CNN. After a rigorous competition, Fiona Huang Hao emerged as the champion and was invited to take part in a debate with PATA life members and selected industry professionals. Meanwhile, she received a financial award for her achievement. The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a membership association acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of the Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry. In partnership with PATA's private and public sector members, it enhances the sustainable growth, value and quality of travel and tourism to, from and within the region.