My dear Friends, AMFORHT Members

A wake up call !

As I mentioned it in my speech in Algiers 2 weeks ago, we have just lived through a historic year - none of us have been spared by professional and personal difficulties - but it is with courage, passion and desire to rebuild tourism in general, and tourism training in particular, that we must tackle this new year.

For a few hours now, this improbable and incandescent year 2020 has been extinguished. Of course, the first months of 2021 are very uncertain. We do not yet know the magnitude of it on this New Year's Eve. But let’s embark on this new year’s adventure. Let us dare the courage of the future and implement what the crisis has taught us. In your professional organizations, in your schools and universities, as we apply it to ourselves at AMFORHT, on this very beginning of the year, let us dare to apply the new working methods and social relations that we have just discovered. Without ever forgetting our DNA : we are humanists, generous and bearers of peace.

We have just made our General Assembly in Algiers (report on API). Historically, this was the first GA in digital mode. We also have a new Board of Directors (list on API) and some volunteers joined our new Executive Board at the beginning of 2020, in a flexible and so dynamic new format. You must also know that any Member can now apply to it to contribute to the development of our NGO for more or less long periods. But, above all, we have launched a substantive project in 3 points:

- strengthen the global visibility (on all continents) of AMFORHT,

- consolidate the quality and number of our members, and open up to other large international organizations working on tourism,

- offer a quality and permanent service to our members and our partners.

Today we are 819 key professionals in 65 countries. I count on each of you to participate in this goal, on a daily basis.

Furthermore, we will have a very busy meeting schedule in 2021, with national conferences, our Forum in Korea, new ATS [reminder ATS = “Amforht Talk Shows” : 20mn presentation by an Expert-Member + 20mn debate on the topic + 20mn free discussion with president and participants), the launch of our AMFORHT Academy, with a first session on February 17^th … so please pay attention to our Newsletters which should reach you every month, since September, in order to know the program and plan your participation !

In a somewhat shaken and dispersed world at this end of 2020, let's strengthen our solidarity and our ability to collaborate together, thanks to our Association - AMFORHT is probably the best mean for international development of training and education in the hotel industry, culinary arts and tourism - this is the message that I invite you to transmit everywhere around you. To achieve these goals, assisted by our General Delegate, Xavier, and our student-apprentice, Jules, I am at your service every day - never hesitate to join me directly and personally for any suggestion that may strengthen our Organization.

It is with always the same passion and the same determination that I invite you to start well 2021 and to embark with envy in a new year of challenges and success - so, happy new year and good health to each and every one of you !

01 January 2021

Best regards / Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Meilleures salutations / Atentamente / مع أطيب التحيات / 敬礼 / 诚挚地问候 / наилучшими пожеланиями / 친애하는 / I migliori saluti …

Philippe FRANCOIS

President