Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT) School of Tourism are marking World Tourism Day with a big day of celebrations at the Killybegs campus.
World Tourism Day 2018 is an International event that celebrates the transformative and creative power of the Tourism Industry.
This Thursday 27 September, LYIT’s School of Tourism will open its doors to second level students and celebrate the power of this industry by running a series of engaging and practical workshops aimed at sparking interest of young people in the region in this industry.
The School of Tourism has invited a number of guest speakers from the Tourism Industry to attend this event, the speakers include Lorna Demmel from Fáilte Ireland and Kwanghi Chan, Chef and founder of ChanChan products. These industry leaders will lead out talks to over 160 second level students and will discuss the wide range of diverse and exciting careers available in the industry.
Dr. Ciarán Ó hAnnracháin, Head of Department of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts commented, “The School of Tourism is excited to host this inaugural event on-campus. We are delighted to have Kwanghi Chan visit us on the day. He is a graduate of the School of Tourism and he is one of many, many success stories.
“We hope that by hosting events such as World Tourism Day on campus, an event that is targeted at senior cycle post-primary students that we’ll begin to dis-spell myths that exist around this industry and educate students in the region that exciting and transformative careers await graduates from this industry.”
Ms Ciara Quinlan-Lusson, Lecturer in Tourism Marketing and organiser of the event outlined the importance of the Tourism industry nationally and globally.
He said: “Tourism is Ireland’s largest indigenous industry employing 230,000 people, one in every ten of the labour-force. The industry is twice the size of agriculture and far bigger in employment than the construction industry, the IT industry, or the financial services sector.
“It crucially cannot be outsourced or off-shored and its economic benefits are felt both in our cities but also throughout rural Ireland, which is of particular relevance to Donegal and the broader North-west region.
“On a global scale, growth in Tourism is most significant outside of our normal markets of Europe and the USA, with significant business growth in Asia and Africa. Tourist profiles are changing and those working in Tourism now require a set of skills that reflect the global nature of the industry.”
A number of schools in the region will attend this event, these schools include the Rosses Community School, Carrick Vocational School, Mulroy College and the Loreto Convent Letterkenny.
The International event has been developed by the European Council on Tourism and Trade and for further information on events taking place on this day follow #WorldTourismDay on Twitter.
