Competition Seeks Sustainable Solutions for Future Welsh Tourism

The Next Tourism Generation (NTG) project based at Cardiff Metropolitan University, in collaboration with Tourism Society Cymru and PLANED (Partnerships for Local Action and Networks for Enterprise and Developmentent), is giving tourism and hospitality students, 16 to 25 years old working in the tourism sector, including those furloughed and made redundant during the pandemic, a chance to win £250.

Entrants must pitch their best ideas on ‘’What the future of tourism and hospitality in Wales should look like, and identify which skills and knowledge are required to deliver sustainable tourism development within Wales.’’

There are four award categories; all entrants should make reference to the category in their digital pitch and 250-word summary. All entrants must provide a pitch in a digital format: a video, a PowerPoint presentation, a website, app or via another digital format, as well as complete a 250-word summary with supplementary information in English or Welsh.

The award categories are:

1. Tourism industry and infrastructure sponsored by Tourism Society Cymru
2. Digital tools and technology sponsored by M-SParc
3. Environment and ecology sponsored by Bluestone
4. Local communities sponsor tbc.
   
   There will be winners for the four sponsored categories and an overall winner. The competition judges are leading experts in ecotourism, community development, digital marketing and tourism in Wales, and all entries will receive individual feedback. Winners will also be given the chance to attend an award ceremony and a tourism skills symposium with leading Welsh tourism employers.
   
   Competition deadline: 30 April 2021.
   

Further details, including full terms and conditions and the entry form can be found here:
https://nexttourismgeneration.eu/event/ntgwales2021/
https://nexttourismgeneration.eu/event/ntg2021-cymraeg/

This is the second Next Tourism Generation Competition in Wales. The overall winner in 2020 was Evan Davies, an aspirational chef from Pembrokeshire College. Evan said: “This competition was a great opportunity to aid in my personal growth and further my career in hospitality. It is vital to develop and nurture careers in hospitality, as learning a new trade can broaden horizons.”

Another 2020 winner, Jenna O’Brien from Coleg Menai, Bangor, said: “This competition has given me the opportunity to express my passion and enthusiasm for the preservation of the environment, culture and language of my area, as well as helping me realise what area of sustainable tourism I would like to pursue.”

Iwan Thomas, chief executive officer of PLANED, said: “While the competition will culminate with a fantastic virtual expert industry-led mentoring symposium for participants as well as an awards ceremony, the competition, for PLANED, underpins the role of the sector in communities across Wales. The interdependence of businesses within the sector, and the wider socio-economic impact they have on communities across our rural and coastal communities particularly, cannot be overestimated.’’