Request for Industrial Attachment Postponement and Commencement of Part 4 studies:: Tourism and Hospitality Management Class
It is the standard procedure of the university that students should go for compulsory industrial attachment for not less than 8 months, some rendered subjective exemption due to their work experience in the relevant field of study. However, according to the latest submissions by the World Tourism Organization, the total cost of the standstill caused by the CoronaVirus Disease (Covid19) was, up to May 2020, already three times that of the 2009 Global Economic Crisis. In addition, the latest edition of the United Nations World Tourism Authority (UNWTO) World Tourism Barometer shows that the near-complete lockdown imposed in response to the pandemic led to a 98 % fall in international tourist numbers in May when compared to 2019. The barometer also shows a 56% year-on-year drop in tourist arrivals since January 2020, translating to a fall of 300 million tourists and US$ 320 billion lost in tourist receipts. Governments in conjunction with Tourism Authorities, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) included, are prioritizing public health, and this has led to downsized operations in all travel, tourism and hospitality facilities.
The consequent and immediate effect of the aforementioned measures to curb the spread of COVID19 has led to the retrenching of permanent staff as the facilities are operating at a very low capacity, coupled with inter-city travel restrictions. This has therefore hindered the efforts of Tourism and Hospitality Management students due for industrial attachment securing vacancies. On record, out of 64 students due for industrial attachment, only 10 have secured or had a promise of a vacancy. Henceforth, for progress sake, both on the part of the institution and the students, we as students, are requesting that the university grants the Tourism and Hospitality Management undergraduate class of 2020 industrial attachment temporary exemption and facilitate continuation into final year studies. When the situation on the ground gets back to normal, we can then go for attachment as scheduled but at the present moment be doing our Part 4 modules.
The underlying reasons are
1. Most TOURISM facilities are closed or have downsized their operating capacity hence lowering the quality of industrial attachment as the operations are under~par when compared to normal day~to~day operations in a tourism facility.
2. The international travel restrictions have lowered tourism receipts hence leading to the reduction of labour and human capital demand.
3. Intercity travel restrictions are a barrier to movement of students who seek for industrial attachment.
Therefore, because of the above mentioned, we the undersigned (TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT class of 2020 due for industrial attachment) request for postponement of Industrial Attachment and commencement of part 4 studies.
We write this petition in full awareness of the university study procedures and also the reckoning that the Tourism Industry the world over, is hardest hit by the COVID19 pandemic which has an indefinite cure, curb or end.
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