CETT-UB and Queer Destinations collaborate to promote the first Master's Degree in LGBT Tourism
CETT-UB, a higher education center of tourism, hospitality, and gastronomy affiliated to the University of Barcelona, and the company Queer Destinations (QD) have announced a collaboration agreement to promote the first Master's Degree in LGBT Tourism, created and taught by the former.
In the framework of the annual convention of the International LGBT+ Travel Association (IGLTA) held in Atlanta the second week of September, Oriol Pàmies, CEO of QD, has announced the alliance whose objective is to meet the growing demand for training and awareness of professionals in the tourism sector in diversity. Dr. Maria Abellanet Meya, the CEO of CETT-UB, remarked, "The Master in LGBT Tourism, created by our center with the support of the Barcelona City Council, is a world pioneering program to train professionals in the field of tourism in supply and tourist attention to the LGBT community. It is, therefore, an innovative international program that wants to contribute to the progressive transformation of tourism based on knowledge, digitalization, sustainability, and gender perspective."
The recovery of international tourism through the LGBTQ+ community is a fact. 73% of tourists from the community from the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe claim to have plans to travel, according to the global results of the latest IGLTA Travel Survey 2021 Post Covid LGBTQ. In addition, according to the World Tourism Organization, the LGBTQ+ community travels 3.8% more than conventional tourists. It is estimated that by 2030, the number of annual LGBTQ+ tourists will be 180 million.
Therefore, "professionalizing, sensitizing and training all tourism staff in diversity is an obligation for any company whose standards include quality," said Oriol Pàmies, CEO of Queer Destinations. Dr. Abellanet added: "A trip is not only what we see or do at the destination, but the set of experiences we live from the first contact with the destination. For example, the attention we receive when we get off the train or plane, the people we meet when we enter an accommodation, or those who serve us in a restaurant. Therefore, the role of tourism professionals is fundamental for visitors, and that is why their training is essential."
Queer Destinations wanted to join this academic initiative because "governments, destinations, and companies in the sector around the world have the LGTBQ+ segment as a key element in their recovery strategies. That is why their professionals must be trained and sensitized on the subject to ensure an inclusive, safe and optimal experience", said Oriol Pàmies.
Scope of the Master's Degree in LGBT Tourism
The CETT-UB teaches the Master in LGBT Tourism in a sequential modular format 100% online and English. The studies include a social and anthropological approach to the collective, a review of the history of LGBT tourism and the impact of this sector on global tourism, as well as an approach to consolidated and emerging tourist destinations, market trends, communication and promotion campaigns, and success stories about LGBT tourism products and experiences. In addition, the master's degree includes an optional two-week stay in the city of Barcelona with visits to companies and masterclasses with professionals from the sector.
Training scholarships for students
At the annual convention of the International Association of the IGLTA, Queer Destinations announced two collaborative training scholarships that the CETT-UB and the IGLTA Foundation will offer to study the Master's Degree in LGBT Tourism utterly free of charge. In this way, the aim is to actively promote the training, professionalization, and awareness of professionals in the sector. To access these scholarships, students must meet the requirements established by the study program.
Picture: Vicente Zambrano
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