Participation in a seminar, a radio interview and a visit to tourist attractions in the region were some of the activities carried out by ULS academics and students.

During the last week, the Business Administration Engineering major with a Bachelor's Degree in Tourism Administration, attached to the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences of the University of La Serena, participated in multiple activities associated with the celebration of World Tourism Day.

According to the World Tourism Organization, UNWTO, tourism represents 10% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) worldwide, employs 10% of the planet's workers, and is expected to continue growing at an annual rate of 3 % until 2030.  

This year, the theme of World Tourism Day is “Tourism and digital transformation.” According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), thanks to technological advances in the tourism sector, we can contribute to the achievement of important development objectives in this area, whether in companies, inclusion, or the development of communities. local and the sustainability of the sector. The UNWTO considers that digital advances and innovation are part of the answer to the challenge of combining continuous growth with greater sustainability and responsibility in the tourism sector.  

For the Director of the race, Mg. Andrés Álvarez, “the importance of celebrating Tourism Day today is undeniable. As a career we diversify the ways in which the student understands the activity, for this reason it is important that while some academics address how Information and Communication Technologies have changed the way of understanding business, others can experience in the field the relevance of territorial planning and links with communities.”

Thus, within the framework of this celebration, students and academics of the degree participated in the Seminar: "The challenge of digital transformation in tourism", held in the city of Vicuña, thanks to the Invitation of the Illustrious Municipality of Vicuña.

Added to this is an interview on the Tribuna Social program on Radio Mistral al Mg. Andrés Álvarez and the organizing committee of the VII National Congress of Tourism Students, to be held on November 7, 8 and 9.

Visit to Valle del Encanto and Fray Jorge Park

In addition, a visit was made to the Valle del Encanto Historical Monument and the Fray Jorge Forest National Park, in the Limarí Province, managed by the academic, Wilson Rojas.

Regarding the field trip, academic Rojas highlighted that “it is important that students, especially first-year students, can learn about the main tourist attractions of our region, since the majority do not know them and can analyze in situ the transformations that "They can be done to develop more sustainable and inclusive tourism, and thus when they are professionals they can incorporate innovation and new technologies to the development of tourism in our region."

For student Daniela Villalobos, the Valle del Encanto and Fray Jorge “are two great attractions in the region, I think they have potential and should be more developed at the national level. "This field trip helps us know and recommend places and above all analyze the services, the environment and everything we can work on in the future to promote tourism in the region."

While the student Matías Olivares stated that "this helps a lot for the University to connect with the environment, and for us to go outside of La Serena itself and so that we can get to know our region to promote tourism in the future."

see photo gallery