H.S.H. Nawaphansa Yugala shares his experience studying Tourism and Hospitality Australia.


“I lived in Australia for 10 years, undertaking high school education to university degree.”, H.S.H. Nawaphansa, son of H.R.H. Prince Bhanubandhu  Yugala, said of his education experience after graduating with a Bachelor of Business in Hotel Management from Southern Cross University’s Hotel School in Sydney. Although his original study plan was to apply hotel management knowledge to his family’s resort business, he currently applies his knowledge to the management of TANKstore -Thailand’s premier adventure gear store. A conversation with him provides insight of what is at the heart of Tourism and Hospitality (T&H) education and the profession.

A learning environment

H.S.H. Nawaphansa said he was impressed by the Australian culture and people. Because of its diverse nationalities, Australian society is open-minded providing a good learning environment especially for those wishing to pursue a career path in T&H which has to deal with people from different cultures, he explained. Dr Perry Hobson, Managing Director of The International Centre of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Education (THE-ICE) advised prospective students to “consider which education experience and environment are going to be the best for you. A more applied learning college might be better for some while others might be comfortable in a university atmosphere. Different institutions suit different students.”

Australia has many tourist attractions irrespective of which state you study in, providing a great T&H learning atmosphere. The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) in Queensland is one outstanding institution situated in one of Australia’s prime tourist destination. Students can undertake a semester of practical experience in a tourism, leisure or events organisation within a supportive learning environment.

Hands-on opportunity

During his study, H.S.H. Nawaphansa undertook work placement in different sections of the Intercontinental Hotel which has a partnership with his university. He said that practical training allowed him to “build up work experience and know what to expect in the real industry, making me work-ready when returning to Thailand.”

Several Australian institutions such as the Sydney based William Blue College of Hospitality Management put industry relevance at the core of T&H curriculum. At William Blue, students learn from specialised industry-associated lecturers and are assisted to secure paid part-time work and industry placement during their courses at Diploma, Advanced Diploma and Bachelor Degree level.

Variety of specialisation

The T&H field presents many interesting specialisations. La Trobe University in Melbourne offers Strategic Management, Event Management, Destination Management, and Venture Planning as specialisation options. In Perth, Edith Cowan University’s Bachelor degree in Hospitality and/or Tourism Management offers majors in Event, Sport and Recreation Management. USC has various research areas in T&H including Coastal Tourism; Sustainable Tourism; Sports, Festival and Event Marketing and Management.

For those wishing to study T&H, H.S.H. Nawaphansa suggested you to “gain hands-on experience as much as possible.” Dr Hobson added that “Having international experience makes you culturally adaptive and helps expand your global contacts and work prospects.”