The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute's (EI) tour of China continued with a visit to Tianjin, where executives participated in the International Forum of Hospitality Education Exchange at Nankai University. The forum was hosted by EI's regional partner, Eastern PY (Tianjin) Enterprises Management Co., Ltd. Forum attendees included professors, general managers from Tianjin-area hotels, and government officials.

Following a welcome speech by EI president Robert L. Steele III, CHA, a keynote address was presented by Dr. Bai Changchong, dean of the College of Tourism and Service Management at Nankai University. Leon Shi, EI's country manager for China, introduced EI's training products, academic courses, and professional certifications to the participants, while Steve Hood, STR Global, presented a forecast for the Tianjin hotel industry and introduced the Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA). Following the conference, STR and EI hosted a Train the Trainer workshop for Nankai University professors so they can offer the program to their students.

Other speakers included:
• Mr. Chai Li, Tianjin Municipal Tourism Bureau, Department of Education and Training, who discussed the need for EI's offerings in Tianjin, stating, "all should embrace and benefit from these offerings, as now is the time to improve the quality of hospitality education and training."
• Mr. Christian Metzner, general manager of the Astor Hotel, China's oldest hotel, who discussed how training has evolved to meet guest expectations. The Astor Hotel is part of Starwood's luxury collection.
• Dr. Percival Darby, assistant dean, Marriott Tianjin China Program, Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Florida International University.

The EI team will conclude its Greater China 10th Anniversary tour with visits to partners and schools in Beijing.

About the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI)

Established in 1953 as the nonprofit education and training arm of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), AHLEI's mission is to be the preferred provider of quality resources to educate, develop, and certify hospitality educators, students and professionals worldwide. AHLEI became part of the National Restaurant Association" Training & Certification division in 2017, connecting and leveraging the resources of two organizations that are deeply committed to a vision of career success and upward mobility for current and future hospitality, restaurant, and food service employees.

Elizabeth Johnson
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