20th Anniversary Celebration

IFT is marking its 20th Anniversary in 2015. Celebrate the history, achievements and future of our Institute! Explore our interactive timeline, meet some of our people and tell us your story. Keep up to date with the 20th Anniversary events and latest news

Anniversary News

All the latest news about our anniversary

Our Achievements

We have achieved a lot over the past 20 years

0

Total number of bachelor degree
and higher diploma graduates

0

Total number of professional/vocational training graduates

0

Total number of internship providers
and partner institutions

Our History

Explore the key milestones of the Institute's history in our interactive multimedia timeline

  • February 1982 _ FinalFebruary 1982

    The Macao Government launches the Tourism and Hotel School, a vocational and training unit

  • Salavessa-da-CostaSeptember 1993

    The Macao Government sets up a committee to establish a publicly run higher education institution solely focused on tourism, based on a proposal by António Salavessa da Costa (pictured), then Secretary for Communication, Culture and Tourism

  • August 1995August 1995

    IFT is officially established, absorbing the Tourism and Hotel School and the Macao Polytechnic Institute’s School of Tourism

  • September 1995September 1995

    Classes start, with just two higher diploma programmes on offer – Tourism and Hotel Management. The institute is headed by Virginia Trigo (photo)

    Video-icon

  • IFT-logo---timelineMarch 1996

    The IFT logo is launched

  • December 1996December 1996

    The Tourism Business Management bachelor degree programme is established

  • April 1997 revApril 1997

    The Institute receives the PATA Gold Award in “Education and Training” to acknowledge the quality of its programmes

  • August 1998August 1998

    The first IFT International Summer Programme takes place, on “Cultural Heritage as a Tourism Product”

  • May 1999May 1999

    The Macao-Europe Centre for Advanced Tourism Studies (ME-CATS), a partnership between IFT and the European Union, is launched

    Video-icon

  • November 1999November 1999

    The Institute produces a set of English language cassette tapes for self-study learning by the city’s taxi drivers, to help them to improve their language skills

  • December 1999December 1999

    IFT students are requested to assist in the ceremonies of the handover of Macao to China

  • unwto_e_6March 2000

    The Institute becomes the first institution accredited by the United Nations World Tourism Organization UNWTO.TedQual Certification System, which certifies tourism education

  • FEBRUARY 2001February 2001

    IFT begins producing the radio show “One Minute with IFT”, broadcast daily in Cantonese on Radio Macau and focusing on Macao’s tourism. A second season in 2002, highlights mainland China’s history and heritage

    Video-icon

  • IFT-AthemOctober 2001

    IFT produces a music video for the IFT Anthem

    Video-icon

  • November 2001November 2001

    Fanny Vong takes the helm of IFT

  • December 2001December 2001

    Presentation of the first certificates under the Macao Occupational Skills Recognition System (MORS), a joint effort between the Macao tourism industry and the Institute to introduce a training and certification scheme for several job categories

  • April-2002April 2002

    The Institute is again presented the PATA Gold Award in “Education and Training” for having set up the “Macao Occupational Skills Recognition System” (MORS)

  • September-2002September 2002

    The IFT Alumni Association is officially established

  • October-2003October 2003

    The ‘Macao Tourism and Casino Career Centre’, jointly established by the Macao Polytechnic Institute and IFT, is inaugurated

  • November-2003November 2003

    The Inspiration Building is opened

  • June 2004June 2004

    IFT becomes a member of the Asia Pacific Tourism Association

  • August-2004August 2004

    The Institute becomes the first and only approved programme provider in Macao for the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET)

  • September-2005---IFT-10th-anniversarySeptember 2005

    IFT celebrates its 10th anniversary

  • September-2005September 2005

    IFT launches two new bachelor degree programmes: Heritage Management and Tourism Event Management

  • June-2007June 2007

    The Institute signs a partnership agreement with the Tourism Research Centre of the Chinese Academic of Social Sciences, from mainland China

  • March-2008March 2008

    IFT’s Pousada de Mong-Há is one of the awardees in the first edition of the Macao Green Hotel Award. It retains its accolade to this day

  • December-2008December 2008

    The Macao Government honours IFT with the Medal of Merit in Tourism in recognition of the Institute’s contributions to the industry

  • December 2008_MiDecember 2008

    IFT’s two training units, the Educational Restaurant and Pousada de Mong-Há, get recommendations in the inaugural 2009 Michelin Guide Hong Kong Macau guide. They are featured in all subsequent editions of the annual guide

  • September-2009September 2009

    IFT launches one more bachelor degree programme: Tourism Retail and Marketing Management

  • September-2009bSeptember 2009

    The Taipa campus starts operations

  • December-2009-December 2009

    The Community Education and Development Programme Training Centre, offering Macao residents access to a wide range of free basic training courses related to the service industry, opens its doors

  • April-2010April 2010

    IFT forms a partnership with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Singapore Campus), to offer a Master of Hospitality Administration – Executive Programme

  • September-2010September 2010

    Launch of the evening bachelor degree programmes in Hotel Management and Tourism Event Management, with instruction in Chinese

  • September-2010bSeptember 2010

    IFT celebrates its 15th anniversary

    Video-icon

  • March-2011March 2011

    The Institute starts a food waste collection programme

  • September-2011September 2011

    The bachelor degree programme in Culinary Arts Management is introduced

  • December-2011December 2011

    A group of IFT students creates the largest postcard mosaic ever recorded, a feat that qualifies for the Guinness World Records book

  • September-2012September 2012

    Taleb Rifai, the Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization, visits IFT

  • November-2013November 2013

    The Institute receives ISO 20000 certification, the international standard for IT service management, becoming the first higher education institution in Macao and Hong Kong to get this accreditation

  • November-2014-November 2014

    The first group of undergraduates moves into the new IFT Student Hostel


A Key to Success

IFT alumni can be found all around Macao, building successful careers as hotel executives, tourism entrepreneurs, government officials and in other key roles

Christie Lai

IFT alumna

Associate Director of Event Sales at Grand Hyatt Macau

Watch interview

IFT alumni employment rate

IFT alumni saying the Institute readied them for workplace

IFT alumni engaged in the tourism and hospitality industry

Interview with our President

Meet Our People

Here are just some of the many people who are contributing to our success

Diamantina Coimbra

Director of the Tourism and Hotel School

Watch interview

Leonardo Dioko

Director of the IFT Tourism Research Centre

Watch interview

Antonio Chu

Head of the Technical and Academic Support Division

Watch interview

Katsy Lam

Year 4 student of Tourism Event Management

Watch interview

IFT Around the World

Meet some of our international partners and IFT alumni working or studying abroad

Click here to see the full list of our partner institutions and universities

What People Say About Us

  • “IFT’s engagement and contribution to advance education in tourism over the years have been essential in ensuring Macao’s successful tourism development”

    — Taleb Rifai Secretary-General, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
  • “IFT is one of the educational institutions in the Asia Pacific region leading the way for future tourism professionals”

    — Mario Hardy Chief Executive Officer, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)
  • “IFT is the oldest and so far the only higher education institution in Macao exclusively devoted to tourism education, providing students access to the very best tourism and hospitality training one could ask for”

    — Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes Director, Macao Government Tourist Office
  • “I am confident that IFT will continue spiralling towards greater heights”

    — Samuel Yeung Chairman, Macau Hotel Association
  • “IFT graduates are much more well-rounded than other graduates”

    — Grant Bowie Chief Executive Officer, MGM China Holdings Ltd
  • “IFT graduates have shown their ability to adapt well to the hospitality industry. They are always one of our priorities in talent acquisition”

    — Rachel Chan HR General Manager, Sheraton Macao Hotel
  • “We believe IFT and its programmes can contribute to the development of Macao’s retail industry”

    — Benjamin Vuchot Regional President of Asia North, DFS Group Ltd
  • “Having upheld for two decades its unique, integrated and international model of cultivating talents, IFT also adheres to the latest educational policies and strives for innovation”

    — Li Jianbao President, Hainan University
  • “IFT, which has already achieved a lot for Macao’s tourism, can have an even bigger role in the sector”

    — Jorge Rangel Secretary for Administration, Education and Youth (1991-1999), Macao Government

Congratulatory Video | IFT Student Union


Your memories of IFT

Share your photos, videos and stories with us