On behalf of the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, the Secretary General of the Ministry, Mr. Issa Gammoh sponsored the ceremony of YU receiving the Tourism Education Quality "TedQual" certification, which is recognized by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The ceremony was organized by the Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management in cooperation with the Tourism Project of Promoting the Economic Sustainability in Jordan funded by the United States Agency for International Development, in the presence of the president of the University.
In his speech, Gammoh congratulated the Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management and YU for receiving the Tedqual certificate, which represents a great promise for the career future of the students in light of Jordan's severe need for highly qualified and trained human resources in tourism industry. The president pointed out that the University's visions are consistent with those of the Ministry, adding that tourism employment depends on the quality and human resources available to produce competitive graduates who meet the changing needs of the market.
Gammoh also stated that a significant growth in the tourism industry is expected in Jordan, and that they look forward to seeing more universities and colleges following YU in offering tourism education. He finally called on YU to proceed with the conclusion of the memorandum of understanding with the Ministry for the purpose of linking education in the fields of tourism and antiquities with educating the local community as well as disseminating the concepts of respect for cultural heritage in Jordan.
For his part, Dr. Kafafi expressed his happiness for the great achievement of the Faculty of tourism’s in receiving the TedQual, which is considered the world's highest degree for tourism education. He also expressed his pride of YU as the first Jordanian university to receive this prestigious award for a bachelor's degree in Tourism Management.
Dr. Kafafi also pointed that YU had applied for a grant from the US Agency for International Development to improve the quality of the Tourism program to meet the TedQual standards. To achieve that, many workshops were organized during the last three years to develop the knowledge and skills of the faculty members. At the end of his speech, the president thanked the support of the US Agency for International Development, Dean and faculty members of the Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management.
In his speech, Dr. Mohammed Al-Shunnaq, the Dean of the Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, spoke highly of the great achievement of the faculty, referring to the beginnings of the faculty in 2011 and how, ever since, it has had bilateral agreements with employers in the local market to provide students with training opportunities that help develop their personal and professional skills. He added that the faculty offers two programs: a BA in Tourism Management, and a MSc in Tourism, taught by qualified faculty staff. Al-Shunnaq finally thanked the president, and he thanked the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for their interconnected support. He also thanked the faculty members as well as the members of the local community.
At the end of the ceremony, which was attended by vice presidents, college deans, faculty members, and officials from the Ministry of Tourism and the University, Gammoh handed the Tedqual certificate to the president of the University.
