School of Hotel & Tourism becomes independent at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has announced that its School of Hotel & Tourism Management became an independent and autonomous academic unit within the University structure since 1 July 2004, coinciding with the School's 25th anniversary. The School was previously under the Faculty of Business within the university structure.

The history of the School of Hotel & Tourism Management dates back to 1979, and is one of Asia's leading university-level providers of hospitality and tourism education. It is the largest such School in Asia and one of the biggest in the world. There are over 1,100 students currently enrolled in a wide range of programs: Higher Diploma, Bachelor of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy. There is a faculty of more than 40 academic staff drawn from 16 countries. According to the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education in 2002, the School was rated among the world's top 15 academic institutions in hospitality and tourism based on research and scholarly activities.

The School has established strong ties with the universities in China, offering MSc and other programs in China with Beijing International Studies University, Zhejiang University and Xian Jiaotong University.

The School of Hotel & Tourism Management has also been an Affiliate Member of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) since 1992, and was designated by WTO as one of its 16 Education and Training Network Centres around the world in 1999, the only such centre in Asia. It was one of the first educational institutions to receive the WTO's TedQual Certification, and was designated permanent secretariat of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism in 2002. In the same year, the School established a local chapter of Eta Sigma Delta, a prestigious international society, administered by the renowned International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education. In 2003, the International Society of Travel and Tourism Educators (ISTTE) honored the School with the ISTTE Institutional Award in recognition of its leadership in enhancing tourism education in Asia and innovativeness in student admission, curriculum design and industrial partnerships.

The School of Hotel & Tourism Management has been very active in hosting conferences and executive development programs. The School organized the 2nd APacCHRIE Conference and the 6th Biennial Conference on Tourism in Asia in Phuket, Thailand in May, attracting over 200 delegates from the Asia Pacific. The  School will co-host the 10th Asia Pacific Tourism Association Conference in Nagasaki, Japan in July and the annual conference of the International Society of Travel & Tourism Educators in Hong Kong on 26-28 September, 2004.

The School runs popular executive development programs including the Hong Kong Winter School, and courses in Culinaria and Gastronomy, Wine Appreciation and Conference Management. It will host the first ever Seminar on Gaming Management in Asia Pacific on 20-22 October 2004, with speakers from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Spectrum Gaming.