Greece Takes Step to Upgrade Tourism Education

Photo source: Greek Tourism Ministry

The Greek Tourism Ministry announced this week that it would be upgrading the country’s Public Vocational Tourism Training Institutes to higher learning establishments as part of efforts to expand education in the field.

Commenting on the news, Deputy Tourism Minister Responsible for Education Elena Rapti said the new institutes would held address job vacancies in the tourism sector and enhance the tourism product by upgrading the training of tourism professionals.

The new institutes dubbed “SAEK” will be operating in Attica (Anavyssos), Thrace (Alexandroupoli), the Ionian Islands (Corfu), Crete (Heraklion), Macedonia (Thessaloniki), the South Aegean (Rhodes), the Peloponnese (Argos), and in Central Greece (Galaxidi).

Tourism programs include: executive of hospitality units, management and finance executive in tourism; culinary technician – chef; bakery & pastry art technician; travel and tourism business executive; and hospitality operations executive specializing in room management.

The programs offered at the institutes will be announced annually.

Greek Deputy Tourism Minister Responsible for Education Elena Rapti. Photo source: Greek Tourism Ministry

“Our goal is to strengthen the connection with the tourism labor market and to upgrade the quality of tourism studies,” said Rapti. “The move comes as part of ministry plans to upgrade tourism education on offer with the inclusion of pilot programs and we are working on the design and introduction of a third area of specialization.”

At the same time, the minister said, the aim is to ensure immediate integration into the job market, she said.