Tourism Tower to supply hospitality workers
Bangkok University plans to focus more on tourism education after opening the Bt800-million Tourism Tower, set to supply staff to the whole region.
“The university is confident that it can produce quality graduates with international standards, as they will be groomed by a modern curriculum taught by experienced teachers,” president Mathana Santiwat said yesterday.
Demand for workers in the tourism industry is expected to expand by 20 per cent when the Asean Economic Community materialises at the end of this year.
The College of Tourism Management spent Bt800 million to construct the Tourism Tower, used for instruction and practising hospitality, tourism and aviation skills.
“It is one of the most fully equipped facilities in Asean. The 12-floor tower offers a virtual environment of the real hospitality, tourism and aviation industries,” she said.
The tower is the venue for training and holding qualifying examinations for hospitality professionals following Asean standards in such areas as housekeeping, front desk, food and beverages, and kitchen work, following the Asean Mutual Recognition Arrangement for tourism professionals.
The role of academic institutions is not only to produce human resources for the market, but also to ensure a high quality of education so that they are highly skilled and capable in their field of work, Mathana said.
Bangkok University was the country’s first educational institution to offer a hotel and tourism management programme in 1963.
Somyot Wattanakamolchai, dean of the College of Tourism Management, said the college enrolled 2,500 hospitality students, including 10 foreign students, at its four schools – airline management, hotel management, tourism management and hotel and restaurant management (international curriculum).
Besides the College of Tourism Management, Bangkok University has the International College, which also offers international tourism courses. There are 300 students there.
“We are considering combining the two colleges of tourism under one roof because of full facilities,” Somyot said.
The tourism management school plans to increase foreign admissions, particularly from Asean.
