The Diplomat
Giving a new impetus to young talent was the aim of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in convening the Student League 2022-2023. The Grand Final, held in Madrid on 18 December, was won by the teams Rose Brandis from Mješovita srednja škola Travnik, VS-TIM, Visoka škola za turizam i menadžment Konjic and SHL from Schweizerische Hotelfachschule Luzern.
The Grand Final of the UNWTO Student League 2022-2023 to support youth in tourism brought together high school and university students from Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Students League 2022-2023 challenged students to support rural development through tourism by creating Instagram accounts to promote a rural destination in their countries.
For this Grand Final, the jury was composed of national and international experts from UNWTO, representatives from academia and private sector stakeholders. In making their decision, the jury considered elements such as innovation, and the feasibility of the idea and its potential to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The winning team in the secondary school category was Team Rose Brandis from Mješovita srednja škola Travnik, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the university category, the jury declared Team VS-TIM, Visoka škola za turizam i menadžment Konjic from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Team SHL from Schweizerische Hotelfachschule Luzern, Switzerland, joint winners.
After passing the initial phase in the “National Final4” competitions in their countries in 2022 and 2023, three teams made it to the Grand Final, namely Team Rose Brandis and Team VS-TIM from the School of Management and Tourism, Konjic, both representing Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Team SHL from Schweizerische Hotelfschule Luzern, representing Switzerland.
For this Grand Final, UNWTO was supported by the Complutense University of Madrid, an Affiliate Member and member of the Affiliate Members Board. The Complutense University of Madrid has been a true leader of knowledge for almost 800 years, and has a long and proud history of producing the best minds and developing the best young talent. Madrid City Council has also contributed by showing the teams the beauty and hidden treasures of Madrid.
The UNWTO Students’ League offers students a platform that empowers and motivates them, providing them with real-time knowledge about our sector, as well as experience in collaborating in the creation of innovative and sustainable solutions to the challenges facing tourism today. The initiative not only brings tourism closer to the younger generation, but by bringing these young people together with officials, tourism industry representatives, experts and other key stakeholders, it also bridges the gap between the realities of the sector and the education and training of students, enabling young people to enter the job market in the future as highly qualified and competent professionals.
