Paphos prepares to train island’s future hospitality professionals

tepakPaphos, a popular tourist destination, will become the home for future hospitality professionals after the decision to transfer Cyprus’ Higher Hotel Institute (HHIC) to the Cyprus University of Technology (Tepak) was approved by the House Plenary Session on Thursday.

HHIC will now be integrated into the School of Tourism, Hospitality and Entrepreneurship Management, whose campus will be transferred to Paphos.

Thursday’s vote establishes an academic entity at Tepak with the name “Cyprus Academy of Hospitality Professions”, which will include HHIC.

The Education Ministry on Friday described the move as a very important development and a decisive step forward in the government’s plan to upgrade HHIC and strengthen higher education in areas that will serve the island’s tourism industry.

“With the allocation of €1m for the creation of new laboratories and the approval of an additional budget of €1.8 million for additional teaching and administrative staff, the Higher Hotel Institute is substantially strengthened and upgraded, and will also benefit from all the synergies of its operation within the university environment,” it said in a statement.

For its part, the Paphos Regional Tourism Development and Promotion Company welcomed the vote.

In a statement, it noted that the development is considered very important for the entire district, which will contribute decisively to the efforts to transform the city and the district as a whole into an academic destination in the coming years.

“The addition of Tepak faculties to the other university/academic institutions in the district reinforces the vision to develop yet another important pillar of the economy and society and make it a popular multicultural academic destination,” it noted.

Tepak Rector Professor Panayiotis Zafiris said it was “a very big step in the development of our university, with a broader positive impact on university education in Cyprus and its interconnection with critical sectors of the national economy”.

According to Zafiris, the new School of Tourism, Hospitality and Entrepreneurship Management will include the existing Academic Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, the new Academic Department of Management, Entrepreneurship and Digital Business.

“The operation of the academy in our university ensures the quality of the curricula through academic supervision by the Department. At the same time, it opens up new prospects for cooperation with the Tourism Industry, both locally and internationally, while the possibility of offering courses in English is given,” he added.