The Global Centre for Tourism Education and Training of the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM) successfully hosted a training workshop for the tourism officials from the Portuguese-speaking countries, as part of an initiative by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), on 3 and 4 July 2023 on the theme “Capacity Building for Sustainable Tourism Planning, Food & Beverage and Events”.

This was the fifth year that IFTM participated in the annual training initiative between Macao Government Tourism Office and the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and the Portuguese-Speaking Countries, a body also known as Forum Macao, for officials from tourism offices of Portuguese-speaking countries. Seven officials from Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Portugal and São Tomé and Príncipe attended the two-day training workshop at IFTM.

During the training workshop, Mr. João Carlos Telo Mexia, Architect of Municipal Affairs Bureau introduced the historical development and sustainable tourism planning in Macao. Prof. Wilco Chan and Mr. Hugo Robarts Bandeira from IFTM provided an overview of the regional cuisines and food trends in China, as well as the application and importance of wine studies to the hospitality industry and the social implications of serving and tasting wine. In addition, Galaxy Entertainment Group (“GEG”) supported the training workshop by hosting related participants to visit the Galaxy International Convention Center and Galaxy Arena, as well as Galaxy Macau™ integrated resort. GEG also arranged representatives from its MICE Department to introduce to the participants the newly-developed and current MICE facilities in Portuguese, in hopes of helping them to acquire insights on the latest development of Macao’s tourism industry and the convention and exhibition industry.

The Global Centre for Tourism Education and Training Centre was set up in 2016 with the objective to enhance human capital for the tourism industry and the promotion of sustainable tourism. The Centre has hosted more than 41 programmes, including 14 in collaboration with UNWTO, 23 for the Portuguese-Speaking Countries, and 4 Executive Development Programmes and other training activities, with around 639 participants from 40 countries and regions who have been involved in the Centre’s training activities.