Five years after a Vatel school opened in Antananarivo (Madagascar), the thirty students of its first Bachelor class are now working or continuing their education.
“Some of them work abroad, and this is a great experience for them. Tourism in Madagascar needs perfectly trained managers,” analyzes the director, Falihery Ramakavelo. This is why Vatel Morondava, the second Vatel campus in Madagascar, launches a specialized MBA, targeting ecotourism, an innovative subject.
This large island - the fourth largest in the world - has incredible biodiversity: 80% of the fauna and 90% of the flora are endemic. Its geology shelters natural treasures. In the hardest to reach areas, inhabitants live in traditional societies where the mere concept of money remains unknown. “A few accommodations for tourists are located in protected areas. They privilege a responsible and harmonious coexistence with inhabitants and completely respect the environment,” adds Falihery Ramakavelo.
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Because the tourism industry also has a role to play in sustainable development, the Ecotourism Management specialization trains senior executives who can lead projects complying with environmental, economic and social stakes. Students receive theoretical tools to create, manage or develop an ecotourist structure, and this training is completed by an immersion in Madagascar's many ecotourist sites, with cutting-edge biodiversity and geodiversity.
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