While the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) at Aviation Park, Luqa, closed its doors due to the COVID-19 outbreak just like all other education institutions, all ITS students were able to continue with their learning from home from last Monday.

ITS CEO Pierre Fenech said the everything ran smoothly and feedback from both lecturers and students has been positive. He added that the institute had been preparing and using online teaching for the past two years and for the time being was now teaching exclusively online using its digital tools. In fact, ITS lecturers will be able to use different modes of online teaching.

Fenech said the institute also made arrangements for bachelor degree students from Paul Bocuse Institute in France, who had arrived in Malta the previous week, to be able to continue their studies locally. Meanwhile, students studying at the Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences in Finland will continue their studies online through a dedicated platform.

Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli said the institute’s investment intechnology had made online learning possible.

“This technology was already in use prior to the current events and its use has now been extended to deliver online lectures, offering minimal disruption to students’ learning,” she said. “This is being done in agreement with the Malta Union of Teachers and ITS academics, in the best interest of the institute’s students.”