News

IFT strives to offer students various practical experiences in the bachelor degree programmes, enabling students to master the requirements of the industry and be prepared for the challenges in the job market. All Bachelor degree programme students are required to complete a 6-month internship programme at tourism organisations in Macao or overseas in their 3rd year of study. Since the establishment of internship programme, performances of the students are excellent and feedbacks from the industry are very positive. In the previous academic year, over 50 organisations and corporations offer internship opportunities to IFT students, including the Air Macau Company Limited, Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, Cultural Affairs Bureau, DFS Cotai Limitada, East Asia Airlines Ltd., EGL Tours (Macau) Company Limited, Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Galaxy Entertainment Group, Grand Hyatt Macau, Hong Thai Travel Services (Macau) Ltd., L'Arc Macau, Louis Vuitton Macau Company Limited, Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Centre, Mandarin Oriental, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, Menzies Macau Airport Services Limited, MGM Macau, Morning Star Travel Service (Macau) Ltd., New Yaohan Department Store, Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau, Sofitel Macau At Ponte 16, Venetian Macau Ltd., Wing On Holidays (Macau) Limited, Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A. and other tourism organisations. To broaden the horizons of the students, IFT aggressively explore more opportunities of overseas internship. Students can choose to join the internship programme in large corporations in the USA, Europe, South East Asia, Hong Kong and mainland China to experience the local cultures. In the past, students have worked for Grand Hyatt Dubai in United Arab Emirates, Copthorne Hotel and Resort Queenstown Lakefront in New Zealand, Golden Sands Resort by Shangri-la in Malaysia, Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya in Thailand, National Trust in UK, Pacific Asia Travel Association in Thailand, Park Hyatt Beijing in Mainland China, St. James's Hotel and Club in UK, Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island in USA, United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation in India, Universal Studios Singapore in Singapore, W Hong Kong in Hong Kong, China, Wynn Las Vegas in USA and other international well-known organisations. IFT and Walt Disney World have been worked together since 2006 to offer different internship programmes to students. Currently, the programme includes, • 6-month Cultural Representative Programme of Food & Beverage Service at Disney World China Pavilion for year 3 students
• 1-year Cultural Representative Programme of Merchandise and Food & Beverage Services for graduates
• "International College Programme" offered by the Florida State University and Disney World - Participating students will attend an intensive hospitality course at the Florida State University before they perform internships at the Walt Disney World On 14 March and 16 April, Disney World International Recruitment Team was invited to IFT for a talk on the internship programme, as well as a preliminary interview to the students. The recruitment team consists of Ms. Sue Sharpe, International Recruitment Recruiter, Mr. Fernando Oliveira, Guest Service Manager of Attractions at Epcot and Ms. Cindy Yu, Administrative Officer of China Pavilion. Successful candidates will go to the Walt Disney World in Florida, USA to learn the theme park operation knowledge and customer service skill. They can also experience different cultures through the interactions with students around the world.
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The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR's foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP128.8 billion (USD16.10 billion) at the end of March 2012. The reserves rose by 1.6% or MOP2.1 billion from the revised value of MOP126.7 billion (USD15.86 billion) for the previous month. Macao SAR's foreign exchange reserves at end-March 2012 represented 20 times the currency in circulation or 158.2% of Pataca M2 at end-February 2012. The trade-weighted effective exchange rate index for the pataca, a gauge of the domestic currency's exchange rates against the currencies of Macao's major trading partners, rose by 0.16 points month-to-month and 0.51 points year-on-year to 88.24 in March 2012. For enquiry, please contact:
Research and Statistics Department, Monetary Authority of Macao (Tel: 83952532; Fax: 28353042)
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The Macau Grand Prix Committee (MGPC) and the Macau Government Tourist Office once again cooperated this year to organize a promotional activity at the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai from 13th to 15th of April. The Macau Grand Prix promotional booth was located at the Waterscape Square with an exhibition area of 150 square meters, and the eye-catching display area included two racing vehicles: the 1990 Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix-winning machine driven by Michael Schumacher; plus the motorcycle ridden by Robert Dunlop, 1989 Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix champion. The display's winners' podium was a popular feature for more photo opportunities. Located next to this was a photo exhibition area which highlighted images of Macau and excitement of the Grand Prix, giving visitors a chance to see the many different aspects of the city. In addition, promotional materials and posters were distributed to attract visitors to Macau and the Grand Prix. This year, a 'Q & A Lucky Draw' activity was held, with winners taking home a Macau Grand Prix souvenir. The successful promotion attracted a large number of visitors. Based on information provided by the F1 organizer, there were a total of 185,000 spectators over the three-day event. Participating in the event were representatives of the MGPC, namely Deputy-Coordinator Davina Chu, and members Charles Lo, Chong Coc Veng, Francisco Ribeiro, Mario Sin, Luis Lui and Doris Leong.
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Macau SAR Chief Executive Chui Sai On and Mayor of Jiangmen Pang Guomei officiated at the opening ceremony of the "Guangdong Macau Week - Jiangmen" and the Secretary of the CPC Jiangmen Municipal Committee Liu Hai has attended the dinner which was held on 13 April. Jointly hosted by the Macau Special Administrative Region Government and the People's Government of Guangdong Province and co-organized by the Macau Government Tourist Office, Jiangmen Municipal People's Government and Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province, the "Guangdong Macau Week - Jiangmen" is held from April 13 to 15. Macau SAR Chief Executive leads a delegation to participate in the event and the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Cheong U, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. The National 12th Five-Year Plan and "Guangdong-Macau Cooperation Framework Agreement" generate valuable opportunities for regional cooperation while strengthening and expanding the tourism cooperation scope between Guangdong and Macau. The organization of "Guangdong Macau Week - Jiangmen" will further boost the cooperation between Jiangmen and Macau and the tourism cooperation protocol signed will bring the cooperation between the two cities to a higher level. "Guangdong Macau Week - Jiangmen" comprises a series of activities including tourism seminar, travel mart, tourism and cultural exhibition, cultural performance and outdoor promotional campaign. The tourism and cultural exhibition showcases Macau World Heritage with miniatures of the Ruins of St Paul's, A-Ma Temple and Guia Lighthouse, the Macau Grand Prix, a booth highlighting the Macau Tourism and Cultural Activities Center, Macau cuisine and booths of travel trade and tourism information counter. A team of more than 130 performers, including dragon and lion dance groups, Portuguese folk and Hip Hop dancers, carnival-style stilt walkers and Macau singers will perform at the event. Following the "Guangdong Macau Week – Jiangmen", a "Macau-Portugal Food Festival" will be staged in Jiangmen to promote 42 iconic delicacies of Macau from April 16 to May 16.
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Following the increase in the number of shows for The Imperial Concubine of the Last Dynasty and One Good Person, more shows for yet another four acts by local groups will be added to the programme of the 23rd Macao Arts Festival (MAF), namely:
- Ode to the World, on Sunday, May 13th, 8pm; - Zheng's Walls Have Ears, on Friday, May 25th, 7pm; - Dead Man's Cell Phone, on Friday, May 25th, 8pm; - Desire Realm, on Wednesday, May 30th, 8pm.
Tickets are be available from 10am of Sunday, April 15th, through the Macao Kong Seng Ticketing Network. Tickets will be available through all channels: counter sales, ticketing hotlines and reservation website. For more information on the 23rd MAF please check the website of the Cultural Affairs Bureau at www.icm.gov.mo/fam.
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The Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) releases detailed results of the 2011 Population Census, analyzing changes in the demographic characteristics over the past decade; at the same time, Geographic Information System (GIS) of the 2011 Population Census is readily accessible at the DSEC website. DSEC indicates that GIS of the 2011 Population Census aims to promote further, to members of the community and data users, usage and effectiveness of the Census data. Data enquiry of GIS is simple and easy; just browse GIS via the DSEC website where users can search, within 23 statistical areas of Macao, the demographic characteristics (gender, age group, population density, household, etc.) and distribution of the area(s) selected. In addition, users can choose to export, print or display data selected in tables or charts. Upon compliance to statistical confidentiality, GIS can also provide basic demographic data by building or premises to facilitate studies and research. GIS is accessible in traditional and simplified Chinese, Portuguese and English. To access GIS or results of the 2011 Population Census, please visit the DSEC website: www.dsec.gov.mo.
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The Institute for Tourism Studies Career Day 2012 was held on 13 April at Taipa Campus. The exhibition aimed to provide graduating students more information on the employment trends in the tourism and service industries, thus, increasing their chance of success in job hunt. Eighteen organisations with more than 1,000 job vacancies from the tourism and service industries joined the exhibition. These included DFS Cotai Limitada, Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Galaxy Entertainment Group, Grand Hyatt Macau, Hotel Lisboa Complex, L'Arc Macau, LT Macau Limited, Macao Research Center, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM MACAU, MSS Recruitment Limited, New Yaohan, Sands China Limited, Sheraton Macao Hotel Cotai Central, Shun Tak Holdings (Macau) Limited, Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16, Wing On Holidays (Macau) Limited and Wynn Macau. Representatives from the organisations provided students and alumni information about job openings in their companies and distributed application forms to those who were interested, on site interviews were also arranged. The graduates-to-be and alumni were enthusiastic about the exhibition. Questions regarding employment trends and employers' expectation were raised and discussed in the fair. The employment rate of IFT graduates is always satisfactory. A graduates' employment survey was conducted targeting the bachelor as well as diploma and certificate programme graduates of 2009/10. According to the results of the survey, 83.5.% were currently employed, 5.3% graduates choose to further their study, 68% out of the employed graduates had placements in the tourism and service sector and the average salary was MOP11,600.00 The Career Day 2012 aimed to be the platform for communication between students and employers. It allowed the graduating students to have a better view of the job market and maximised the chance of success in their career path.
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Macau SAR Chief Executive Chui Sai On and Governor of Guangdong province Zhu Xiaodan, joined by other guests, officiated at the opening ceremony of the "Guangdong Macau Week" held in Guangzhou today (April 12). Jointly hosted by the Macau Special Administrative Region Government and the People's Government of Guangdong Province and co-organized by the Macau Government Tourist Office and Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province, the "Guangdong Macau Week" is held in Guangzhou from April 12 to 15. Macau SAR Chief Executive leads a delegation to participate in the event and the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Cheong U, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. The National 12th Five-Year Plan and "Guangdong-Macau Cooperation Framework Agreement" generate valuable opportunities for regional cooperation, and the positioning of Macau-Guangdong cooperation outlined will further boost and expand the tourism cooperation scope between Guangdong and Macau. The organization of "Guangdong Macau Week" signifies once again the friendly and cooperative relationship between Guangdong and Macau. "Guangdong Macau Week" comprises a series of activities including tourism seminar, travel mart, tourism and cultural exhibition, cultural performance and outdoor promotional campaign. The tourism and cultural exhibition showcases Macau World Heritage with miniatures of the Ruins of St Paul's, A-Ma Temple and Guia Lighthouse, the Macau Grand Prix, a booth highlighting the Macau Tourism and Cultural Center, Macau cuisine and booths of travel trade and tourism information counter. A team of more than 130 performers, including dragon and lion dance groups, Portuguese folk and Hip Hop dancers, carnival-style stilt walkers and Macau singers will perform at the event. Macau SAR Chief Executive Chui Sai On leads a delegation of over 360 members, including Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Cheong U, the Chief-of-Cabinet of the Chief Executive Office, Alexis Tam, representatives from Tourism Development Council, Macau Grand Prix Committee, MGTO, Macau tourism industry, performers and media.
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Macao Post announced that mail delivery services (including Correspondence, Printed Matters, Small Packet, Parcel and EMS) from Macao to Thailand are subject to delay during the Thailand Traditional New Year Holidays from 13 to 16 April.
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With the objective of providing an overview of the history and recent development of tax havens and offshore financial centres in major international financial hubs, the Financial Services Bureau is going to organise a five-day seminar on "Politics and Governance of Offshore Financial Centres", that will take place on April 16th to 20th in the Auditorium of the "Finanças" Building located on Avenida da Praia Grande, n.º 575-585, basement, from 5 pm to 7 pm. Integrated as part of the 2nd EU-Macao Co-operation Programme in the Legal Field, this seminar will feature as its keynote speaker Professor Ronen Peter Palan, Professor of International Political Economy, University of Birmingham, England, with research interest in offshore finance, international political economy, international relations theory, state theory, and evolutionary economics; professional member of the Tax Justice Network; co-author of Tax Havens : How Globalization Really Works (2010) which was nominated for the 2011 International Political Economy Group's (IPEG) book prize and translated into traditional and simplified Chinese in 2010 and 2012 respectively. The seminar will be conducted in English, with simultaneous translation into Cantonese. During the five daily sessions, the event will analyse different aspects and developments of the peer review mechanism launched by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Global Forum in 2010 as an attempt to enhance international co-operation against tax evasion; the following topics will be discussed: 1) Tax Havens, Offshore Financial Centres: History and Figures; 2) Shadow Banking and Offshore Financial Centres; 3) The Global Forum, Peer Review Phase 1: What Have We Learned So Far? 4) The Global Forum, Peer Review Phase 2: Politics and Policies; 5) What's next? OECD, US and EU initiatives. The 2nd Co-operation Programme in the Legal Field between the European Union and Macao, which incorporates this seminar, has as its main objective the "Consolidation of the Macao Legal System" and is going to take place until December 2013. The execution of the Co-operation Programme is coordinated by the Law Reform and International Law Bureau, together with many entities and public departments of the Macao SAR, namely the Legal and Judicial Training Centre, the Legal Affairs Bureau, the Economic Services, the Financial Services Bureau and the Institute of European Studies of Macao.
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