The alliance with the International School of Tourism will enable some of the training, research, and development programs promoted by TSTT in Colombia to be delivered through this academic institution, leveraging its educational structure, knowledge of the local context, and implementation capacity. This is an open, non-exclusive collaboration, conceived under a network-based approach, designed to combine capabilities and generate tangible impact within Colombia’s tourism ecosystem, without limiting the actions of either TSTT or the School alongside other stakeholders in the country.
This agreement strengthens TSTT’s presence in Colombia and facilitates the transfer of global knowledge to the national training sphere, adapting content and strategic approaches to the specific realities of the territory. Key areas expected to be reinforced include tourism sustainability; destination governance and planning; analysis of tourism’s social impact; innovation and the responsible use of technology; and the training of professionals with an ethical outlook and a commitment to the development of local communities.
For its part, the International School of Tourism contributes its experience in applied training and its link to the productive sector, acting as a training partner for the development of concrete actions. Under the leadership of Melissa Dávila, the institution has advanced an educational vision focused on connecting teaching with the real needs of the labor market and the structural challenges of tourism. Dávila has emphasized that this agreement represents an opportunity to enrich the academic offering and position Colombian tourism education in direct dialogue with international currents of thought and best practices.
From the perspective of the Tourism and Society Think Tank, collaboration with local academic institutions is essential to ensure that the knowledge generated has tangible impact and contributes to the sector’s transformation. Training is conceived as a strategic tool to improve decision-making, raise professional standards, and promote more responsible, inclusive, and sustainable tourism models. In this sense, the alliance with the International School of Tourism aligns with TSTT’s mission to promote tourism that generates economic benefits while also fostering social well-being and territorial balance.
The agreement also opens new opportunities for the development of applied research projects and shared reflection spaces on the challenges facing tourism in Colombia and across the region. The articulation between strategic analysis, training, and action makes it possible to address issues such as destination management, climate change adaptation, digital transformation, and sector professionalization from an integrated, long-term perspective.
With this alliance, the International School of Tourism and the Tourism and Society Think Tank move forward in building a cooperation framework that strengthens the quality and relevance of tourism education in Colombia. The combination of academic capabilities and international strategic thinking helps position the country within global conversations about the future of tourism, supporting a model based on knowledge, responsibility, and collaboration among public, private, and academic stakeholders.
