Institute of Tourism Studies Students present project to Minister of Tourism

Institute of Tourism Studies students, led by their tutor Mr. Michael Pinchpeck, were invited by the Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Karmenu Vella, to present a brief of their intended study, titled "A Blue-Print for the Development of Small-Island Tourism." The students, who are in their final year of a three-year Hotel Administration course, presented the Minister with the details of their intended project, which aims to carry out intensive research on the present tourism structure and operative, and make recommendations for the restructuring of the tourism industry of the future.

The students intend to carry out a comprehensive study involving key players within the public and private sector, overseas tour operators, as well as carrying out surveys disguised as tourists.

The Minister congratulated the students for having embarked on such an ambitious study, and went on to explain that such initiatives can assist immensely the Ministry, which is always keen to have access to statistical information and surveys which are not always readily available. The Minister assured the students of the Ministry's full support, including that of the overseas NTOM offices. He encouraged the students to faithfully report conclusions of their study, even if this would require scolding certain sectors within the tourism industry, and not being disheartened by possible unfavourable reactions that can be evoked by the parties concerned.

The Minister went on to express that he looks at ITS as a very vital organ of the Tourism Industry, and informed the students that he was currently studying ways as to how the Institute's structure can be strengthened, and ways of broadening the studies to include Tourism Studies in a much wider scale than those at present. Another area the Minister emphasised he would be working on is one aimed at bringing the Institute closer within the framework of the Education Ministry, as it is his belief that by bringing these two institutions together the students` benefits would be greater.

The Minister augured the students success on their venture and invited them to a further meeting to discuss their progress.