Five third – year Tourism Management students from the Durban University of Technology (DUT) participated in the IMEX – MPI – MCI Future Leaders Forum International University Challenge 2018/2019 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, from 25 to 27 February 2019.
Jason Isima, Kaitlynn Ruiters, Sicelo Mkhwanazi, Amina Shermaine and Zinobia Jaikumar delivered presentations on futuristic proposal ‘tourism’ ideas which they showcased at the event.
The IMEX – MPI – MCI Future Leaders Forum International University Challenge 2018/2019 challenge was created in 2009 to encourage students to showcase their ideas and talent based on a fictitious brief and it is held at six selected Future Leaders Forums each year. The winner of each challenge competition is invited to participate in the final of IMEX – MPI – MCI Future Leaders Forum International University Challenge at IMEX in Frankfurt 2019. The programme is especially designed to engage and inspire future industry leaders and cover various industry-relevant topics.
DUT’s Kaitlynn Ruiters is excited have been given the opportunity to present at the prestigious event. She will do her presentation on: Taste The Food Revolution.
She added that the conference will reach everyone but will be more beneficial to young adults as herself. “As we are growing up in a new generation where the food industry is growing fast, it’s changing to become deceptive in the food labeling, marketing, the inhuman way animals are being fed, and lastly the dangerous chemicals being added, would be the main topics to discuss at the conference and how we should deal with this to sustain our environment in order to produce healthy food for generations to come,” she said.
For Sicelo, Mkwanazi, he delved more on organic food for his presentation. He spoke about how to introduce organic food to people who weren’t aware of organic food and how to introduce it (organic food) to the youth as well. This is done to make sure that we all live a healthy lifestyle and eat healthy food. Amina Moloi presented on better eating for better living.
Hospitality and Tourism lecturer Nozipho Sibiya, said: “We are very proud as a Department of Hospitality and Tourism that five of our top students have been nominated to represent their proposals at the IMEX future leaders African Forum. They are presenting and networking with students from South Africa and other African countries as well as industry captains who will be mentoring and exposing them to the future trends in our industry. All logistical arrangements were arranged by the National Department of Tourism and paid for by the department and sponsors for the event. This is an annual event where student projects that have been selected will represent Africa in Frankfurt where winners will be selected,” she said.
Pictured: Amina Shermaine, Sicelo Mkhwanazi, Kaitlynn Ruiters, Jason Isima and Zinobia Jaikumar.
Waheeda Peters
