Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) have jointly launched a new bachelor’s degree course in International Sustainable Tourism. According to a press release, students will acquire knowledge and skills in the area of sustainable tourism throughout the entire tourism value chain.
This is HSLU’s first degree program to include a period of study abroad. Students will spend the first two semesters in Madrid – where the UNWTO headquarters are based – to acquire intercultural experience. In the second year teaching will take place online, and the third year will be based in Lucerne. The program will also include work experience.
In the press release, HSLU asserts that all stakeholders need to play their part in meeting sustainability challenges in the tourism and travel industries. This will require skilled professionals with business skills from the world of tourism and training in sustainability – whether gained at hotels, airlines, cruise lines, tour operators or tourist offices.
This is the first time that the UNWTO is collaborating with a university to launch a degree course. “Together, we can increase the number of skilled professionals and ensure they are a driving force behind development and equal opportunity,” says UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.
According to Urs Wagenseil, founder and project leader, the fact that a UN organization like UNWTO sought to collaborate with HSLU is a “seal of approval for Swiss degree qualifications and HSLU.”
