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A crash course in business and the attributes of successful entrepreneurs is the latest in a series of workshops undertaken by students of Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority’s (TCA Abu Dhabi) annual Tourism Youth Summer Camp.
Sixty UAE national students – girls and boys aged between 15 and 17 – are in the class of 2013 with the business-related workshops unearthing entrepreneurial aspirations among future Emirati SME operators.
“The tourism industry is not just about big name brands but also about the SME private sector which operates agencies and a number of specialist attractions and the youngsters needed to be aware of the role they play,” said Mohammed Al Fahim, General Manager of Safar Travel & Tourism, the travel arm of the Al Fahim Group and one of Abu Dhabi’s most successful agencies. “The whole entrepreneurial concept of starting small and growing can be evidenced by the development of our own agency – an experience we were keen to share with the people who could be key tourism players in the future.”
The students also were given an introduction to business and entrepreneurial characteristics from Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development which provides start-up loans to nationals who qualify for incubator support.
“It was a highly interactive session which I hope has planted some seeds in the mind of these young people, some of which are showing embryonic entrepreneurial tendencies,” explained Mouza Obaid, the Khalifa Fund’s Director – Entrepreneurship Development Department. “Getting young nationals to think seriously about the risks involved in business and the personality traits needed to succeed is essential. The realization that start-up businesses mean round-the-clock work, dedication, flexibility and the ability to calculate risks may have deterred some of the students from moving down this road – but some were ‘risk savvy’ and showed interest in pursuing entrepreneurial dreams going forward.”
The Tourism Youth Summer Camp sees students take part in various workshops designed to boost their awareness of the emirate’s tourism industry and inherent economic, social and environmental impacts; embark on field trips to better acquaint them with Abu Dhabi’s expanding tourism offering and participate in team building exercises to develop their interpersonal skills.
“The business workshops really hit the mark with the students interacting extremely well and curious to know more,” said Fatima Al Melhi, Industry Awareness Executive, TCA Abu Dhabi. “They have grown in confidence over the past few weeks and their level of engagement was clear for all to see.”
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