The College of Tourism and Hospitality Management (CTHM), through its UST Sentro Turismo and three 3rd-year BS Tourism Management events classes, organized the 2nd Philippine International Tourism and Hospitality Research Conference (PITH-ReCon) 2024. With the theme Tourism and Hospitality Green Investment: The Future of the Industry, this event was held on April 22 and 23; and May 07 and 08 at the University of Santo Tomas.
A research conference marked the beginning of the event on April 22, which served as a means of collaboration among academics, researchers, and professionals in the field of Tourism and Hospitality who talked about innovations, green investments, and the industry’s future. Distinguished academic and industry resource persons were invited, such as Dr. Andy Nazarechuck (Former Senior Vice President for International Relations, Taylor’s University Malaysia) and Dr. Denise Holly Molintas (General Manager, Hilton Clark Sun Valley Resort, Pampanga) delivered insightful keynote addresses, discussing sustainable investment strategies and the role of artificial intelligence in the future of the industry.
Day 2 of the conference saw the official turnover ceremony of the CTHM Research Collaborative Output. This event aimed to foster academic and partner institution collaboration to advance the fields of tourism and hospitality management through various basic and applied research and innovative practices. The event started with a plenary session focusing on the UST initiatives for community development and aligning it to the Salamanca Process. During the event, several student-academic staff research collaboration and academic staff-led research projects were presented and officially turned-over to 10 partner institutions from the private and public sector, namely, Calamianes Expeditions Ecotours, City Government of Baguio, City Government of Biñan, Laguna, City Government of Muntinlupa, Department of Science and Technology – National Research Council of the Philippines, Intramuros Administration, Municipal Government of Atimonan, Quezon, Municipal Government of Paranas, Samar, Municipal Government of San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, and the Municipal Government of Tagkawayan, Quezon.
Day 3 of the conference saw the presentation of 4th-year students’ undergraduate thesis through written, oral, and poster presentations during the 14th Saint Hyacinth Research Colloquium. 21 research teams from BS Tourism Management and 25 research teams from BS Hospitality Management were presented to a diverse panel composed of representatives from different universities and colleges in the Philippines. A total of eight (8) research clusters were conceptualized to scrutinize the research findings and results of the students based on the topic and specialization.
The last day of PITH-ReCon 2024 concluded with an awarding ceremony to recognize exemplary research teams based on the result of the assessment from the colloquium. CTHM gave awards such as Best Research Poster, Best Oral Presentation, and Best Research Manuscript per cluster. The Dean of CTHM, Assoc. Prof. Atty. Gezzez Giezi G. Granado, DCL, CHE, gave an inspiring and motivational concluding speech, which emphasized the importance of research in expanding knowledge and realizing constructive social change. He took the time to applaud the students for what they had done in their respective sectors and expressed his gratitude to them for their commitment and diligence to execute their research projects. The speech emphasized the need for interdisciplinary research methodologies and teamwork, while urging participants to continue working across disciplines to solve these certain issues and take up new opportunities for creativity
The event was held in partnership with the Research Center for Social Sciences and Education (RCSSEd) – Tourism and Hospitality Studies RIG and the Simbahayan Community Development Office. It is in line with the celebration of the 413th Founding Anniversary of the University. The conference was an avenue to discuss urgent issues and emerging trends in the tourism and hospitality sector through research, innovation, and extension services.
The 3rd PITH-ReCon will be held on April 21 to 24, 2025.
