International Body of Hotel Professionals Charters New Student Chapter in Asia

The Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), an international professional association headquartered in Texas in the US, has chartered its first Student Chapter in Asia at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

This marks yet another recognition of the world-class standing of PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) as well as the rising importance of hospitality education in Asia. The PolyU Student Chapter is the second student chapter outside North America, with the first being the Ecole Hoteliere Lausanne in Switzerland.

Founded in 1952, HFTP is dedicated to providing the hospitality finance and technology community with useful resources and networking and educational opportunities. It has currently over 4,600 members around the world.

Dr Henry Tsai, SHTM’s Faculty Advisor of the PolyU Student Chapter, said, “The new Chapter will provide a forum for SHTM students to network with their peers and industry practitioners. They can enhance their understanding of the hospitality finance and technology sectors through participation in seminars, field trips and other activities.”

The HFTP Student Chapter will offer student members channels to communicate with their peers regarding opportunities and challenges in the hospitality and tourism professions. The Student Chapter will also provide resources and educational programmes to keep students on the leading edge of finance and technology in the hospitality industry.

PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management was ranked fourth among the world’s top hotel and tourism schools based on research and scholarship, according to a study published in the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research in August 2005. With more than 40 academic staff drawn from 17 countries, it is also one of the only training centres in Asia recognized by the Education and Training Network of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

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