Macao University of Tourism

Macao University of Tourism

澳門旅遊大學 Universidade de Turismo de Macau
Former names	Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (–2024)
Type	Public
Established	1995; 29 years ago (1995)
President	Fanny Vong, Ph.D
Location	Macau , China
Affiliations	GHMUA
Website	www.utm.edu.mo
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	澳門旅遊大學
Traditional Chinese	澳门旅游大学
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Àomén Lǚyóu Dàxué

The Macao University of Tourism (UTM), formerly the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM), is a public university in Macau, China. The university offers degree and professional training in a wide range of tourism-related disciplines such as hospitality, tourism business, heritage, events, retail and marketing, leisure and entertainment, sports and recreation, creative and cultural studies, and culinary arts.^[1]

UTM is committed to providing students with quality higher education in tourism. In recent years, UTM has continued to improve its teaching and research standards and has developed into a tertiary institution offering Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degree programmes.

History[edit]

The institution was in 1995 as the Institute for Tourism Studies (Chinese: 旅遊學院; Portuguese: Instituto de Formação Turística).^[2] Fanny Vong has been the president of the institution since 2001.^[3]

The institution adopted its current designation of Macao University of Tourism on 1 April 2024.^[4]

Bachelor of Science in Tourism Business Management (TBM) is one of the first two degree programmes launched by UTM in 1995. Bachelor of Science in Heritage Management (renamed to Bachelor of Science in Cultural and Heritage Management in 2021) started in the year of 2005.

Faculty[edit]

UTM currently has two academic units that provides degree programmes, including the Faculty of Innovative Hospitality Management (FIHM) and the Faculty of Creative Tourism and Intelligent Technologies (FCTIT). Before the establishment of the two academic units, all degree programmes of UTM were put under the unit of Tourism College (TC). On 7 August 2019, a new Charter became effective, which introduced important changes to the institution's organisational structure, composition of various bodies and their powers and functions. In compliance with the Charter, TC was split into two units.

Faculty of Innovative Hospitality Management (FIHM)[edit]

The Faculty of Innovative Hospitality Management (FIHM), formerly known as School of Hospitality Management (SHM), offers 3 bachelor's degree programmes in English and 2 bachelor's degree programmes in Chinese, each with a duration of 4 years.

1. Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management (Chinese & English)
2. Bachelor of Science in Tourism Event Management (Chinese & English)
3. Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts Management (English)

Faculty of Creative Tourism and Intelligent Technologies (FCTIT)[edit]

The Faculty of Creative Tourism and Intelligent Technologies (FCTIT), formerly known as School of Tourism Management (STM), is currently one of the two academic units that provides degree programmes at UTM.

Critical thinking, teamwork, and integration of theory and practice are advocated throughout the course of studies at FCTIT. To facilitate the achievement of various learning outcomes, FCTIT makes endless efforts to broaden its academic and industry partnership networks, and abundant opportunities are available for students to do field trips, exchange studies, and internships within and outside Macao. Practical learning also can be conducted on-campus at three custom-built labs - Heritage Documentation Lab, iRetail Lab and Ideation Lab.

FCTIT offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes:

1. Bachelor of Science in Cultural and Heritage Management
2. Bachelor of Science in Tourism Business Management
3. Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Brand Management (* Revised programme to be launched in academic year 2024/2025.)
4. Bachelor of Science in International Business and Innovative Communication (**New programme to be launched in academic year 2024/2025)
5. Master of Science in International Tourism Management
6. Master of Science in Smart Technologies in Hospitality and Tourism*
7. Master of Science in Digital Marketing and Analytics*

Training units[edit]

Pousada de Mong-Há (Educational Hotel)[edit]

“Pousada” is a Portuguese word meaning “a place of blessed repose”. The Pousada de Mong-Há is a place where history itself has created an atmosphere of romance, allowing guests to indulge in excess in one of Macao's most tranquil settings and UTM students to excel in a place with character and human warmth.

Pousada de Mong-Há is one of the training units of UTM. Students serve with passion, personalised and professional attitude, striving to create an unforgettable staying experience and memories to all the travelers around the world. With all the valuable training opportunities, students are well prepared to be the future leaders in the tourism and hospitality industry.

Educational Restaurant[edit]

The Educational Restaurant is another training unit for UTM’s bachelor degree students, especially those specialised in hotel management, event management and culinary arts management. UTM encourages Macao’s future hoteliers to put theories into practice and trains them up to provide quality service to guests in reality. The Educational Restaurant is one of the best venues on campus for students’ practice. It offers a unique selection of traditional Macanese and Portuguese dishes with a modern flair that are not to be found elsewhere. It strive to offer an unforgettable quintessential experience of flavours and aromas that have been beautifully created by our F&B Department as well as our students who assist the operations. The restaurant has also been recommended by Michelin Guide ‘Bib Gourmand’ and received the Certificate of Excellence from Tripadvisor.

In 2021, the UTM Educational Restaurant became the first in Macao to be awarded MICHELIN Green Star and retains the Green star every year until now.

Other units[edit]

Institute of Executive and Professional Development (IEPD)[edit]

The Institute of Executive and Professional Development (IEPD), formly named as the School of Continuing Education, was established in 1981 as a training department under the Macau Tourism Bureau. With societal development, IEPD training programs now cover nine core areas of the tourism industry, offering about 800 certificate courses, professional training, continuing education, and educational tour activities annually, benefiting local residents, businesses, government agencies, and academic groups, private and state-owned enterprises from the Greater Bay Area and other Mainland China provinces.

The institute's training and internationally recognized certificate courses aim to help working professionals enhance their knowledge and skills, thereby increasing their competitiveness in the job market. Since 2001, IEPD has initiated the "Macau Occupational Skills Recognition System (MORS)," establishing a leading vocational skills certification system. Through years of active deepening and strategic expansion, in 2021, the institute collaborated with the Guangdong Provincial Vocational Skills Service Guidance Center and the Macau SAR Government Labor Affairs Bureau to incorporate "MORS" into the "one test, multiple certifications" skill talent cultivation and evaluation project within the Guangdong-Macau cooperation framework. This further improved the quality and impact of tourism industry talent, offering greater opportunities for cross-regional employment in the Greater Bay Area and successfully promoting the MORS brand on a broader stage.

Through continuous research and innovation, IEPD also integrates professional vocational skills into secondary and university curricula, aiming to cultivate talents with international perspectives and high professional qualifications. The institute works closely with the industry, regularly hosting specialized lectures and workshops to provide the public and students with opportunities to deeply understand the latest industry trends and gain practical experience.

Years of relentless effort and outstanding performance have established the Institute of Executive and Professional Development (IEPD) as a leader in the vocational training field in Macau and Mainland China. Its status is recognized not only in Macau but also in the Greater Bay Area and provinces across Mainland China, where it enjoys a high reputation.

Course categories:

• Hospitality
• Food and Beverage
• Heritage and Tourism
• Retail
• Events
• Business Management
• Creative Studies and IT
• Health and Wellness
• Language and Culture

International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research[edit]

The International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research (ICTHR) is the policy research and industry development unit of the Macao University of Tourism (UTM). The Centre serves as a management and public policy think tank and a knowledge provider for tourism and hospitality-related research. Funding for our activities comes solely from UTM and the Macao SAR Government.

The Centre identify and initiate research projects critical to the Centre’s mission, conduct theoretical and applied research grounded on practical relevance, and communicate effective tourism planning, development and management practices based on sound theories and principles.

Activities include conducting policy and policy-review studies (commissioned or otherwise), monitoring and evaluation studies, polling and opinion surveys, support for academic research; communication via organizing seminars, workshops and conferences, publication, communication and dissemination of research findings, as well as research design and administration.

Global Centre for Tourism Education and Training[edit]

The Macao SAR Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in 2015 (Currently known as UN Tourism), aiming to further cooperate in the cultivation of tourism talents and the promotion of sustainable development of the tourism industry. In 2016, Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (Currently known as Macao University of Tourism) established the Global Centre for Tourism Education and Training to carry out cooperative projects with the UN Tourism to enhance the quality of human capital and increase the competitiveness of tourism destinations, particularly in the Asia Pacific Region.

According to the training and technical assistance needs of its member states, the  UN Tourism provides the Centre with a list of nominated participants, for the Centre to arrange training and suitable activities. As of Sept 2023 the Centre has organised 15 training programmes in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization, with a total of 375 tourism officials and industry representatives participating, among which 296 participants were from countries and regions along the “Belt and Road”.

In addition, the Centre has also provided training to 278 government representatives and industry professionals from Mainland China, Macao SAR, as well as the Portuguese-speaking countries.

Overall, a total of 653 participants from 40 countries and regions have attended the Centre’s training activities.

Centre for Education Quality Management[edit]

The aims of Centre for Education Quality Management are:

• to enhance teaching quality
• to provide faculty with convenient access to resources
• to promote effective use of high-quality resources (for teaching, learning, and research)
• to address DSEDJ and UKQAA recommendations to maintain international accreditation and continuously improve teaching and learning experience at UTM.

Campus[edit]

The Campus of UTM can be divided into the main campus and the Taipa campus.

Main Campus[edit]

• Inspiration Building (啟思樓)
• Pousada de Mong-Há (望廈賓館)
• Team Building (協力樓)
• Educational Restaurant (教學餐廳)

Taipa Campus[edit]

• Forward Building (展望樓)
• East Asia Hall (東亞樓)
  • It is a student dormitory
• Silver Jubilee Building (銀禧樓)
  • under construction
• SQ Building (SQ大樓)
  • under construction

Programmes[edit]

Degree / diploma programmes[edit]

UTM offers a total of 18 degree / diploma programmes in the academic year 2023/2024:

3+1 Dual bachelor's degree / certificate programmes[edit]

UTM has formed a partnership with the Swiss Education Group, one of the world's top tourism and hospitality education providers, to offer dual bachelor degree, double award and Diploma/certificate programmes. It will enable UTM students to progress to a Study Abroad or 3+1 progression at one of the SEG schools.

Participating Institutions[edit]

• Swiss Hotel Management School (SHMS)
• César Ritz Colleges Switzerland (CRCS)
• Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland (CAAS)
• Hotel Institute Montreux (HIM)

UTM undergraduate students can choose the following 3+1 dual degree or award programmes:

1+1 Dual master's degree programmes[edit]

In early 2023, UTM signed an “1+1” dual master's programme cooperation agreement with the University of Queensland (UQ), in offering a dual master's programme. Through the joint programme, eligible students from UTM are given the opportunity to transfer credits and complete UQ Master of Tourism, Hotel and Event Management degree (MTHEM) while simultaneously completing UTM master's degree, in as short as two years.

The 1+1 Dual Masters Programme applies to the following UTM programmes:

• Master of Philosophy in International Hospitality and Tourism Management (specialisation in Tourism Management)
• Master of Philosophy in International Hospitality and Tourism Management (specialisation in Hospitality Management)
• Master of Science in International Tourism Management
• Master of Science in International Hospitality Management

In the same year, UTM signed a cooperation agreement with the University of Surrey (UOS), a prestigious university in the United Kingdom, in offering a  "1+1" dual master's degree programme, available for UTM master's students enrolled in the following programmes: 

• Master of Science in International Tourism Management
• Master of Science in International Hospitality Management
• Master of Science in International Food and Beverage Management
• Master of Science in International Gastronomy Management
• Master of Science in Smart Technologies in Hospitality and Tourism
• Master of Science in Digital Marketing and Analytics
• Master of Philosophy in International Hospitality and Tourism Management (specialisations in Tourism Management; Hospitality Management; Food and Beverage Management; Gastronomy Management; and Smart Technologies)

See also[edit]

• List of universities and colleges in Macau

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Official website