The Second Global United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Students League (2021) was recently held, and Team 3S from the School of Management of Shandong University came third in the undergraduate category. The team members were five undergraduates from the class of 2019 majoring in Tourism Management: Qin Shiying, Zhang Jiahe, Wang Xuening, Liang Zhenrun, and Huang Qinning.
Team 3S of Shandong University came third in the undergraduate category of the Global UNWTO Students League
The Members of Shandong University’s Team 3S
Team 3S addressed the competition’s theme by considering the Two Mountains theory (“lush mountains and lucid waters are invaluable assets”) in the specific context of COVID-19. Through extensive discussions and research design assessments, the team selected three types of hotels in Jinan as examples for their field studies. They then conducted a behavioral assessment of nearly 300 managers and customers through interviews and questionnaires for their project “Environmental Identity: The Driving Force of the Hotel’s Plastic Reduction Model from the Demand Side.” This focused on the concept of the digital environmental identity in tourism, with the aim of promoting a demand-side plastic reduction model for hotels. The project was universally commended by numerous international reviewers. The three “Ss” in the team’s name are taken from the phrase “Sustainable, Satisfied, and Significant,” which refers to Sustainable tourism destination development, Satisfied tourist experiences, and Significant tourism development. The team was guided by Sun Jinkun, assistant researcher of the Department of Culture and Tourism of the School of Management, and supported by the teachers of the President’s Office and the School of Management.
Team 3S of Shandong University entered the Final 4 Competition of the “Plastics Pollution Challenge” in the undergraduates’ category
The Global UNWTO Students League is a significant undertaking and is the only official global campus tournament of the World Tourism Organization. The league aims to promote talent development and equip young people with the skills that enable them to produce innovative solutions to the various challenges faced by tourism and its sustainable development. The League sets a “Rural Development” and a “Plastic Pollution” challenge and has four categories (junior high school, senior high school, undergraduate, and postgraduate). Since its inception in March 2021, the League has attracted 155 teams from 45 countries, including strong candidates from South Korea, Japan, Italy, Columbia, India, Croatia, the U.S., Canada, Vietnam, Oman, the Maldives, and the Netherlands. Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of UNWTO, announced the winners at a ceremony held in Madrid, Spain, and online on September 30. Team 3S of Shandong University made it through to the final four with their innovative project and finally came third in the undergraduate category of the “Plastic Pollution Challenge.”
Group photo of the teams at the Global UNWTO Student League Awards Ceremony
The Department of Culture and Tourism of the School of Management has long supported tourism in China, and helped to reinforce its position as a strategic national pillar industry. It also contributes to the development of Shandong University as a world-class university by cultivating interdisciplinary talent. Its students leave the Department with a global vision, a familiarity with international regulations, and the confidence to participate and compete in all aspects of international tourism. The teaching of pioneering theories of tourism management is combined with innovative practical approaches, with a focus on in-depth professional training and foreign exchanges. This award represents an important achievement for the School of Management. The impressive performance of the five students demonstrated on an international stage the skills students can acquire from Shandong University, and presented the University with the gift of their hard work on its 120th anniversary. (Text/Wang Xuening)
