By Dr. Mary Mutisya

The 103rd mentorship seminar within the series of innovative learning through Sustainable Travel & Tourism Africa – Young Change Makers took place on March 23 and was hosted by the Tourism and Hospitality students from the Chandaria School of Business (CSOB) at USIU-Africa, Nairobi. The theme of the seminar was ‘Industry Collaborations for the SDGs.’

The primary objective of the seminar was to foster the exchange of ideas aimed at enhancing students' knowledge and skills while actively contributing to national, regional, and global discussions on sustainable travel and tourism. Additionally, the seminar aimed to cultivate new competencies in sustainable travel and tourism practices.

The event was graced by the presence of esteemed guests including Prof. Amos Njuguna, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics - Transformative Teaching, Learning, and Research, and Dr. Victor Boiyo, Deputy Vice Chancellor-Student Life. Our students from Hospitality and Tourism, accompanied by their faculty Dr. Mary Mutisya and Dr. Godwin Njeru, were actively involved in the proceedings. Additionally, students and faculty members from various other universities also participated.

Students delivered insightful presentations addressing various aspects of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) pertinent to the tourism industry. These presentations covered topics such as the SDGs that tourism endeavors to address, the barriers encountered by the tourism sector in advancing the SDGs, and strategies for multi-stakeholder collaboration to accelerate SDGs responsiveness within the tourism domain.

The STTA- Young Change Makers Inter-University Seminar provided a valuable platform for the exchange of ideas and knowledge pertaining to sustainable travel and tourism. Through engaging presentations and discussions, attendees gained deeper insights into the challenges and opportunities for advancing the SDGs within the tourism industry. The event successfully fulfilled its objectives of knowledge dissemination and capacity building, thereby contributing to the ongoing discourse on sustainable development in the context of travel and tourism.