The Tourism Society - People in all the right places

Tourism Academics & Employers Conferences 2009
Organised in Joint Collaboration by ABTA, the ITT and the Tourism Society
Sponsored by Thomas Cook

Following on from two successful conferences in 2008, the 2009 Tourism Industry and Academics conference on 1 June in London offers the travel industry and tourism academics the chance to influence course content and to discuss the knowledge and skills graduates need to enter the travel and tourism industry.

The conference is a collaboration between ABTA – The Travel Association, The Tourism Society and The Institute for Travel and Tourism (ITT). The theme this year is Overcoming Employment Challenges in Tourism and focuses on apprentices, college and university graduates who all offer employers valuable skills and knowledge.

The conference includes speakers from the travel recruitment sector who will share their knowledge of how the industry is changing and what this means for practitioners in terms of the type of skills the industry need now and in the future. Graduate and academics will hear about an industry programme aimed at linking travel and tourism graduates directly with potential employers. Delegates will also hear from recent tourism graduates and find out whether the skills they graduated with equipped them well for a career in travel and tourism.

Jayne Webb Head of Human Resources at The Co-operative Travel Group, which won the Springboard ‘Best Employer Award’ in 2008: “The Co-operative Group has a very highly regarded graduate placement programme and we have over 600 staff studying towards travel and tourism related NVQs. To date we have not specifically looked to recruit travel and tourism graduates and this conference will give us the opportunity to discuss the skills we require at all levels and find out more about what is on offer from tourism academics in both further and higher education.”

Many tourism graduates work for local and regional travel organisations and as the Olympics in 2012 draw closer, keynote speaker Bernard Donoghue FTS, Head of Government and Public Affairs at VisitBritain, will talk from a UK tourism perspective on the Future of Tourism: "Global recession and the credit crunch pose huge challenges for the British economy but also create opportunities for tourism too. I'm very pleased to be asked to contribute this important and timely conference."

Thomas Cook is the headline sponsor for this event for the second year. It is a great opportunity for the industry and academics to put aside the agendas of their employers and work together to ensure that young people wishing to develop a career in the travel and tourism industry are gaining the skills and knowledge through their studies that employers recognise and value. Very often it is difficult for employers to know what the range of qualifications in travel and tourism mean. By coming together in this way ABTA, the Tourism Society and the ITT hope to improve the dialogue between employers and academics and share best practice where this relationship is well developed.

PROGRAMME

09.30-10.00:  Arrival registration with refreshments

10.00-10.10: Chairman’s welcome: Keith Richards, Head of Business Development and Consumer Affairs, ABTA

10.10-10.30: Keynote speech by Bernard Donoghue, Head of Government & Public Affairs, VisitBritain: The Future of Tourism

10.30-11.15: Session One Part One: Skills Needed & Employment Opportunities for the Future of Tourism
Panel to include Gaynor Golding, Learning and Development Manager, The Co-operative Travel Group,  Andy Harmer, Business Development Director, Association of Cruise Experts and Martin Christian-Kent, Research and Policy Director, People 1st

11.15-11.45 Tea Break

11.45-12.30 Session One Part Two: Skills Needed & Employment Opportunities for the Future of Tourism
Panel to include Julia Feuell, MD, New Frontiers and Bridget Major, Principal Lecturer, Northumbria University

12.30-13.00 Question Time

13.00-14.30 Lunch with networking opportunities, visiting stand-holders

14.30-15.15 Session Two Part One: Linking Academics & Employers
Panel to include Helen Dewhurst, Associate Director, Foundation Degree Forward and Christine Hopper, Work Placement Officer, Newcastle Business School

15.15-15.45 Tea Break

15.45-16.15 Session Two Part Two: Linking Academics & Employers
Panel to include Debbee Dale, Director of HR and Training, AA Appointments and Danny Waine, Perfect Weddings & Honeymoons and former ITT Student of the Year

16.15-16.45 Question Time
16.45  End

TICKETS
Retired / Student: £45
ABTA/ITT/TS Member: £50
Non-Members: £60
Click here to download the booking form

Headline Sponsor:

Also supported by: