Qatar has always been at the forefront of innovation, particulalry in education. Home to some of the leading universities in the world, the country constantly seeks to establish new programs that encourage high quality learning experiences at all levels. 

Taking another step in this direction, Qatar's National Tourism Council (QNTC) has become the founding sponsor of the IE University and United Nations’ World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Tourism Online Academy following an agreement that was signed in Doha yesterday. 

What a news!
UNWTO, IE University and Qatar have signed an agreement to create the UNWTO Online Academy that would offer short courses in strong tourism thematics.

Great way to scale up education and give a global legacy to the world from SG @Pololikashvili! pic.twitter.com/q3isNAe03g

— World Tourism Organization (@UNWTO) April 21, 2019

The online platform aims to provide professionals with easy access to high-quality education in the travel and tourism, as well as hospitality and destination management fields, according to QNTC.

The academy, which is the first of its kind sponsored by Qatar, will benefit from UNWTO’s expertise in tourism coupled with IE University’s innovative education model.

The Academy will offer short courses in tourism covering subjects such as strategy management, operations management, marketing management, finance fundamentals, as well as technology and innovation management.

Graduates of the academy will receive an IE University UNWTO Online Tourism Academy certification in Foundations of Management Applied to Tourism. 

The agreement for the Academy sponsorship was signed by QNTC Assistant Secretary-General Hassan Al Ibrahim, and Global Director of Corporate Relations at IE University William Davila in the presence of UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.

QNTC signed an agreement to become the founding sponsor of the @IEUniversity | @UNWTO Tourism Online Academy.

The platform will provide professionals with easy access to high quality education and training in the Travel and Tourism, Hospitality and Destination Management fields. pic.twitter.com/etpLhsmRTM

— National Tourism Council - المجلس الوطني للسياحة (@NTC_Qatar) April 21, 2019

“As a government organization focused on ensuring the best possible experiences to our visitors, QNTC recognizes the vital role that tourism education and training institutions play in leading the industry towards competitiveness and sustainability. And, we are pleased to support UNWTO in developing and delivering programs that will enable professionals to meet the tourism labor market needs,” Al Ibrahim commented on the occasion.

IE University shapes leaders with a global vision and an entrepreneurial mindset to drive innovation and change in organizations said Davila.

“The Tourism Online Academy in collaboration with UNWTO, and with the support of QNTC, will create an important impact in the society, supporting the growth of the tourism industry on a global basis,” he noted.

“The signing of this agreement is the first step in the creation of the Tourism Online Academy. Many more steps will be taken in the coming months to provide online high-quality training for everyone in this important industry,” Davila added.

QNTC also announced that the UNWTO is lending its expertise to help develop the Qatar National Tourism Experience Awards program.

Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) became the founding sponsor of the IE University|UNWTO Tourism Online Academy, which was established following a signing ceremony held in Doha #QNA

— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) April 21, 2019

The awards program will recognize businesses, public entities, NGOs, and associations, operating both inside and outside of Qatar and across all sectors, that are directly or indirectly contributing to the delivery of exceptional experiences to Qatar’s visitors.

Pololikashvili said that the awards “will put the spotlight on best practices which will be relevant for Qatar and beyond, given the countries international relevance.”

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Cover Image Credit: Twitter/QNTC