Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) is getting ready to accept a fresh batch of students to its yearly Tourism Youth Summer Programme, an ongoing project that aims to find and inspire the next generation of tourism professionals for Abu Dhabi.
The three-week course will run from July 24th to August 11th and will incorporate both instructional workshops and seminars, as well as work placement for all attendees, where all students will gain first-hand experience into the destination’s hospitality and tourism sectors and the role they play in the development of the emirate.
Now in its eighth year, the camp will be held from 9am to 3pm every day at several hotel establishments across the emirate, including Eastern Mangroves Hotel and Spa by Anantara, the Ritz-Carlton Grand Canal Abu Dhabi, Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi, St Regis Abu Dhabi Corniche, the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, the Rosewood Abu Dhabi, the Shangri La Hotel and Traders Hotel and the Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche.
“We are expecting to see 50 new students join the programme this year, and they will be exposed to the idea of Abu Dhabi as a tourism and cultural destination,” said Fatima Nasser Al Melhi, Industry & Tourist Guide Training Unit Head at TCA Abu Dhabi. “They will get the opportunity to experience a tourism-related entity where they will get to see the different components of the tourism industry and how they help contribute to the development of the country.
“At the end of the programme, each student will be equipped with invaluable knowledge and experience about the various aspects of tourism and culture and its crucial role in Abu Dhabi’s future; the role they play in the emirate’s economic diversification and socio-economic development.
“Tourism is one of the largest employers worldwide and the sector has an extremely important role to play in economic sustainability, yet there is often the belief that having a job in tourism equates to little in the way of career advancement. By running this programme, we want to challenge this assumption and prove that there are many opportunities for progression in the sector.”
During the camp, which is open to UAE Nationals only, the 50 girls and boys aged between 18 and 21 will take part in a number of workshops, which will be held in English, covering a range of topics from culture, hospitality, aviation, tour operations, events, attractions, sports tourism, entertainment and entrepreneurship. The students will also hear from Emirati guest speakers from the industry, who will share their thoughts and experience in the industry, and also enjoy a field trip to the Qasr Al Hosn Exhibition.
After a first week of introductory presentations, the students will then be placed in a summer job for eight days to gain experience in one of the leading tourism entities in Abu Dhabi.
The Tourism Youth Summer camp will then culminate with a graduation ceremony later in the year.
For further information about the Programme, please email tourismyouth@tcaabudhabi.ae
