A $750K investment in hospitality and tourism education.
NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS – In a tangible commitment towards capacity-building, the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board (NPIPB) and its industry partners, the Cable Beach Resort Association and the Paradise Island Tourism Development Association, have pledged a $750,000 investment over the next five years to educate Hospitality Management and Tourism Studies students at University of The Bahamas (UB).
The partnership was formalized during a ceremony held for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at UB’s College of Tourism, Hospitality, Culinary Arts and Leisure Management (THe CALM).
The MoU establishes a $250,000 Direct Tourism Scholarship Award and the $500,000 NPIPB Endowment Scholarship Award.
“In the establishment of these scholarships, we are looking ahead to the future of the tourism industry in The Bahamas, and acknowledging the need to address its sustainability, by helping to improve the ranks of qualified Bahamians in the industry, especially at the management level,” said Joy Jibrilu, NPIPB’s first female and first Bahamian CEO. “This effort to support the education of potential future Bahamian tourism leaders is in keeping with a portion of the original mandate of the Promotion Board for the support of tourism-related training, and we are very proud to partner with UB in this initiative.”
The Direct Tourism Scholarship Award will provide $50,000 per year for five years to support up to eight students at a time (funding two new awardees per year) for the duration of their studies.
The first $50,000 award will be named in honour of George Myers, the late veteran hotelier, founding chair of the NPIPB and tourism visionary. The board plans to honour other noteworthy contributors to the advancement of Bahamian tourism through similar direct award scholarships.
The board plans to honour other noteworthy contributors to the advancement of Bahamian tourism through similar direct award scholarships. The NPIPB Endowment Scholarship Award, meanwhile, is expected to be fully capitalized within five years. From that point, the endowment will ensure that funding to cover tuition and other needful expenses for eligible students will continue, with two new awards made every year.
Another of the key benefits is also that students can apply for an opportunity to intern at one of the NPIPB’s 18-member hotels and receive leadership development; financial support for tuition and fees; books; supplies; room and board; and other expenses beyond tuition. Additionally, the NPIPB’s industry partners—the Cable Beach Resort Association (CBRA) and the Paradise Island Tourist Development Association (PITDA) will facilitate professional development opportunities for awardees.
“The demand for our students is clear, and this award ensures that we have the resources to facilitate a continuous pipeline of excellent talent to our tourism and hospitality industry,” said UB President Dr. Erik Rolland. “Together with the NPIPB, UB’s goal is to support the next generation of students in the field of tourism management. We intend to ignite their interest in establishing a career, not just locally, but as well as regionally and internationally.”
The manifestation of UB’s and NPIPB’s shared vision to support the next generation of hospitality and tourism leaders, both the Direct Award and the Endowment ultimately aim to provide valuable practical experience and exposure to the gamut of opportunities that exist for deserving students majoring in hospitality and tourism studies at UB.
The baccalaureate degree programme was recently revised; rather than two degree offerings in Hospitality Management and Tourism Management, there is now a Hospitality and Tourism Management degree with concentrations in Hospitality, Tourism and Eco-tourism.
Chair of UB’s Board of Trustees Mrs. Allyson Maynard-Gibson KC said THeCALM will teach students about the nation-building values that George Myers exemplified, including excellence, hospitality, diligence, discipline, grace, generosity, and humility. She added that with the two new scholarship awards, the future of tourism and hospitality studies looks brighter than ever.
“In years to come, recipients of the NPIPB George Myers Direct Tourism Scholarship, and the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board Endowment Scholarship Award will join the likes of tourism greats like Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, Sandy Sands, Russell Miller, Joy Jibrilu, and many others currently in the sector who are also UB alumni, like Carlton Russell, Tameka Forbes, Vaughn Roberts, and Viana Gardiner,” said Mrs. Maynard-Gibson. “With this landmark investment in our students, like the trailblazers before them, we will see larger numbers of UB alumni as hotel GMs, and as managers and leaders of both small and large resorts.”
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
