PATA to award four scholarships for 2003 EDIT programme

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is offering four partial scholarships to the Executive Development Institute for Tourism (EDIT) programme, which will be held in Honolulu, Hawaii, June 9-27, 2003.

The EDIT programme is offered by the School of Travel Industry Management, University of Hawaii at Manoa, to serve the ongoing educational needs of executives and professionals in both the private and public sectors of international tourism. The intensive three-week programme features lectures, class discussions, case studies, group presentations and field visits. EDIT fosters innovative ideas that address problems faced by destinations globally. Learning is facilitated through classroom exchanges between the experienced international EDIT faculty and participants representing diverse tourism destinations. 

EDIT is designed for individuals with managerial responsibilities in their respective tourism or travel-related organisations. The prerequisite for enrollment is a college degree or its equivalent in terms of experience in the tourism industry. Enrollment is limited to 24 participants. All courses are conducted in English and involve oral presentations and group discussions; participants are therefore required to have a medium-to-high level of proficiency in reading and speaking English.

The geographic representation of EDIT is one of its unique features. Since 1979, 49 countries have provided participants such as government officials, hoteliers, educators, tour operators, airline personnel and other travel industry professionals. 

For 2003, PATA will provide four partial scholarships -- including the Jerome A. Keller Memorial Scholarship -- to employees/owners of PATA-member companies and organisations. These scholarships, worth US$2,100 each, cover part of the estimated total programme cost of US$5,265 which includes tuition fee, accommodation, meals and miscellaneous expenses. The application deadline is March 15, 2003.