UNWTO and Sommet Education Offer 30 Scholarships for Tourism Studies

École Ducasse, France

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has partnered with Sommet Education to offer 30 scholarships for world-class education programs through the Hospitality Challenge initiative.

UNWTO’s Hospitality Challenge program aims to support career climbers and switchers, entrepreneurs and innovators develop themselves and their projects and help drive tourism’s recovery.

“Jobs in tourism provide opportunity, empowerment and equality for women, youth and people living in rural communities. As we restart tourism, the time is right to rethink hospitality; identify and implement new ideas to make the sector more inclusive and sustainable,” UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said.

UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili

Selection criteria include the degree of disruptiveness, project maturity and potential for implementation, as well as viability, scalability, digitalization, sustainability, and the potential to attract the interest of investors.

The competition will focus on four different categories:

• Luxury travels, goods and services,
• Hotels and hotel related operations: small- to medium-sized properties, family businesses,
• Food and Beverage: restaurants, catering, delivery services and retail,
• Smart Real Estate: small- to medium-sized properties and family businesses.

Sommet Education Chief Executive Officer Benoit-Etienne Domenget

“We believe education is the foundation of a more hospitable world. Offering scholarships is a contribution to the recovery of the hospitality economy, by accelerating the personal development of talented people with creative views, supporting their vision and revamp hospitality,” said Sommet Education Chief Executive Officer Benoit-Etienne Domenget.

The competition is open and will close at the end of August.

The 30 finalists will be eligible for full scholarships in 15 different programs in hospitality, culinary and pastry arts management, (Bachelors, Masters, MBAs) offered in the academic institutions of Sommet Education: Glion Institute of Higher Education in Switzerland and London, Les Roches Crans-Montana in Switzerland, Les Roches Marbella in Spain and École Ducasse in France.

Among the 30 winners, the top three most innovative entrepreneurial projects will be granted funding to support their initial development. These projects will be funded by Eurazeo, a global investment group from which Sommet Education is a portfolio company.

More information can be found here: https://learn.sommet-education.com/unwto-hospitality-challenge.html.

Sommet Education encompasses the academic institutions of Glion, Les Roches, and Ecole Ducasse, with campuses in Switzerland, Spain, China, the UK, and France.