As part of its commitment to sustainable tourism, hospitality management education institution Les Roches, an Affiliate Member of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) since 2017, has signed an agreement that reaffirms the willingness of both parties to continue their collaboration in areas such as entrepreneurship, youth training and digital transformation.
This new partnership is linked to Les Roches’ ongoing effort to create, under the name “Spark”, a global sphere of innovation that is bringing disruptive thinking to the hospitality industry and inspiring students around the world to conceive innovative ideas and transformative start-ups that respect the principles of sustainable tourism.
With this new commitment, the Les Roches campuses in Switzerland and Spain will become dynamic centres of tourism innovation, where domestic and international companies will be able to exhibit their applications, products, and services related to tourism innovation while allowing in-situ experiences of the newest technologies.
“To rethink tourism and transform the sector so that it delivers on its enormous potential, we will need to support new ideas and new talents,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololiskashvili. “UNWTO is proud to work with Les Roches to train the tourism leaders of the future, to promote entrepreneurship, and to advance the digital transformation of tourism at the global and the local level.”
Benoit-Etienne Domenget, CEO of Sommet Education, a leading educational group in hospitality education and culinary arts encompassing Les Roches, Glion Institute of Higher Education, Ecole Ducasse, Indian School of Hospitality and Invictus Education, added: “Not only do we strive to transform the tourism industry, but we also contribute to changing it by inspiring and supporting new generations so that they can turn their ideas into reality.”
Coinciding with the school’s 25th anniversary, Les Roches also inaugurated its new student residence. This expansion, which will increase the residential capacity of the school by 20%, is an important addition to the Les Roches brand and differentiates the Marbella campus from other international schools in the sector. Over the last decade, the Marbella campus has seen its student body grow by more than 65% and, due to its prestige, now attracts more than 100 nationalities each semester. For the 2022-23 academic year, Les Roches Marbella will host more than 1,800 students, a milestone of its 25-year history.
Speaking on this achievement, Carlos Díez de la Lastra, CEO of Les Roches, said: “We are deeply grateful for the welcome that Les Roches Marbella is receiving in all areas: educational, tourism, and institutional. For us, this expansion is a qualitative leap that will allow us to respond to the high demand for professional talent, and that will position us even more in the luxury tourism sector on an international scale.”
