The tourism and hospitality sector is one of the largest industries around the world, both from the perspective of an individual nation’s total revenue and the number of workers. To create leading experts in these fields, education plays a crucial role in growing and grooming the young generations.
To guarantee the quality of tourism and hospitality education at a global level, THE-ICE (The International Centre of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Education) was established with alliances from all over the world to set a multilateral benchmark for hospitality education standards, accredit standardized institutions, and develop the industry worldwide. It also connects interested individuals, organizations, and the global network together with conference and workshop events.
With full passion to enhance the hospitality industry and its education worldwide, Dusit Thani College’s Dean of Hospitality Management Program Mr. Simon Lloyd has been honored to be Thailand’s only representative as a Board Member in THE-ICE.
“I want to see the hospitality industry become an exciting career for young people again,” Simon stated with determination.
“I am passionate about hotels and the service industry, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time seeing the magic of creating amazing experiences for guests with my own eyes. We don’t just make beds, check people in, or serve plates of food. In the hospitality industry, we create memories that people carry with them for the rest of their lives. I want to make sure that young people see past the long hours and tough work environment; and help them discover this magic, too. As THE ICE, I have an opportunity to bring hospitality schools together and share best practices that will help us all develop our programs to make sure that students realize that what we are doing means a lot to our guests and feel the contentment of creating unforgettable experiences for others.”
One of the reasons for Simon being handpicked as a Board Member of THE-ICE is his prominent contribution to the industry’s education. Visualizing the needs in the future of hospitality industry, Simon has initiated a student leadership program – Inspiring Hospitality Leadership (IHL) – and integrated the concept into empirical classroom instruction among all courses, resulting in a paper “Best Practices in the Integration of Leadership Competencies into Hospitality Education”. This paper was awarded as one of the recipients of THE-ICE Research Grant Scheme (RGS) 2023.
“I do believe that hospitality will always be about people, especially in the luxury segment. To be an effective Department Head or General Manager, you need leadership skills more than anything else. Leading a team of 20 housekeepers and public area attendants, keeping them motivated and engaged every day while their job revolves around cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming floors, or making beds is never an easy task and it takes a special type of leader to understand what each staff member needs to stay motivated. Surely, the General Manager of the future needs to understand finances and business but maybe more importantly needs to be able to lead the team since Happy staff make happy guests.”
Not only for the benefit of hospitality students worldwide, but Simon also doesn’t miss the opportunity to connect Dusit Thani College to endless opportunities among global collaboration.
“The rest of the board is made up of schools from the Netherlands, Australia, the Philippines, Switzerland, Finland, Qatar, and the United Kingdom. This gives DTC an amazing opportunity to also build our international academic network across the globe and with this network comes the international learning opportunities for our students. This global network ensures that we stay up to date with the current trends of the hospitality industry around the world as well as innovative ideas to develop DTC’s education. With access to this network, we can also encourage DTC students to explore international conferences, competitions, and more in the future to grow their own career prospects.”
Dusit Thani College is one of the only 2 educational institutions accredited by THE-ICE in Thailand, ensuring that their education programmes in hospitality field meet THE-ICE Global Standards of Excellence. In addition, the college’s strong relationship with the world’s best Hospitality School – EHL Hospitality Business School and Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School, ensures that Dusit Thani College students are exposed to the leading trends in hospitality education, providing them with the skills and competences needed to go on and become the leading experts in the hospitality field.
