Fiji National University tourism and hospitality students showcase their dish during a practical class.

World Tourism Day is celebrated on September 27 as the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Statutes were adopted on this date in 1970. The theme for this year’s World Tourism Day is ‘Tourism for Inclusive Growth’, which aims to help people associated with tourism in every way possible.

Travel and tourism remain amongst the most affected sectors as the world continues to battle the global COVID-19 pandemic. The industry came to a grinding halt as nations went into lockdowns to protect their citizens. This halt has adversely impacted the economies of both developed and developing countries.

Although the pandemic hasn’t ended, many countries have resumed travel and tourism with strict health measures and precautions in place. This has been made possible with increased vaccinations and awareness about the disease.

The restart of tourism is expected to help stimulate recovery and growth, especially for countries whose economies are largely dependent on this sector. Fiji is also gearing up for reopening international borders and welcoming tourists in the ‘new normal.’ As such, there will be an increased demand for professionals in the tourism and hospitality sector. They will also need to consider the importance of upgrading their skills and keeping up with the operations in the ‘new normal.’

The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within the field of service, which includes bars and restaurants, conferences and events, amusement parks, hotels, transportation, travel and many more. It takes a lot more than just academic training to thrive to succeed in the field of hospitality.

In the service industry, the little things make a difference, and it is the little things that make a guest’s experience truly extraordinary. To reach the highest customer satisfaction, you need to ensure your services are ‘premium’ and have a personal touch. And to ensure you get it right, one has to be detail orientated or ensure attention to detail.

The top priority of hospitality professionals is to ensure that every guest has the best experience possible. This requires one to be hyper-vigilant about every detail from top to bottom – ranging from the fresh flowers at the lobby, the carefully folded napkins on the dining table, the soothingly scented and thoroughly cleaned rooms, to the efficient check-in and check-out processes at the front desk.

The pandemic will not last forever, and this means travel and tourism will ultimately resume. Therefore, the careers in this field of study will remain relevant. There will, however, be the need to upgrade your skills and qualifications to keep on par with the latest trends of the industry.

The Fiji National University (FNU) trains its graduates in the field of tourism and hospitality with actual hands-on classes. FNU’s training facilities, which includes the restaurant, kitchen, housekeeping, front office and bakery, are similar to that of the industry. Practical sessions in these facilities provide the students with real work environment experiences.

Hospitality, tourism studies, baking and patisserie, front office operations and other courses related to the tourism industry are offered through FNU’s College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies (CBHTS) at Namaka Campus.

We are proud to see our graduates excel in their areas of interest from lowest to highest ranks in the hospitality and tourism industry.

So if you are interested in working in the Tourism and Hospitality industry, come and enrol at the Fiji National University to undertake the relevant courses that will prepare you to enter the workforce.

For more information regarding our wide range of programmes, click here.

Amar Narayan
Acting Head of School of Hospitality and Tourism Studies
College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies
Fiji National University