The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), in collaboration with the SHTM and the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT), successfully organised the Seminar on HR Challenges in Tourism and Hospitality on 14 September at this year's PATA Travel Mart in Macau.

Themed "Human Resources Challenges in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry: Promoting Industry-Academia Collaboration", the one-day seminar set out to advise students on career planning by offering comprehensive perspectives from both academia and key industry players. Students had the opportunity to hear from leading industry figures and academics from across the region and thus broaden their perspectives in preparation for careers in the tourism and hospitality industry. The seminar also helped educators and industry practitioners to deepen their understandings of the broad HR development needs in the tourism and hospitality industry.

With the growing importance of issues relating to human capital development, the seminar provided a significant forum to bring the academic world and the tourism and hospitality industry together. Prominent speakers included Mr Greg Duffell, Chief Executive Officer of PATA, Dr Fanny Vong, President of IFT, Professor Kaye Chon, SHTM Director and Chairman of the PATA Education and Training Committee, Dr Andy Nazarechuk, Dean of UNLV Singapore, Mr James Lu, Executive Director of Hong Kong Hotels Association, Mr Anthony Wong, Group Managing Director of Asia Overland Services Tours and Travel, Mr Richard Hatter, General Manager of Hotel ICON, Professor Walter Jamieson, Director of the Service Innovation Programme, College of Innovation, Thammassat University, just to name a few. Topics covered at the plenary sessions included "Career Planning for Hospitality and Tourism Industry: Advice to Students", "Is There a Gap in Expectations between Educational Institutions and Industry? What Can We Do to Narrow the Gap" and "Current Issues in HR Challenges and Potential Solutions".

Students and recent graduates from the SHTM, IFT, Macau University of Science and Technology and South China University of Technology also had the chance to share their perspectives at a plenary session.