Study Overseas

Switzerland, the pioneer country in hotel management education and training has more than a century of history in preparing world leaders for the hotel business. Although the tourism industry from the late 19th century through the years during and after World War Two was not active on a 16 scale, being available only for the rich and wealthy, today it has become the 16st economic factor in the world.

What's the difference!

The Swiss hotel schools became famous due to the mixture of practical and theoretical education and training, through their dedication to professionalism and discipline in a multicultural environment.

Joining a Swiss hotel school, means joining something like the United Nations of hoteliers. Most of the schools have a 16 variety of nationalities and races among their student bodies. At "César Ritz", for example, about 500 students come to study every year from over 40 countries. Alumni are spread all over the globe and create a real network of hospitality professionals. The faculty is composed of instructors and professors from 15 countries; they are well-experienced international hotel professionals as well as highly distinguished professors from business and general education fields. Technical installations for practical training are 'five star' quality and IT and theory classrooms meet world-class standards. Students cannot graduate from the Swiss schools without having completed some practical work experience in a hotel or restaurant. These practical training periods vary from 6 months to one year and usually take place in the Swiss hospitality industry.

This is not the case with hotel management schools in other countries in the world. Often hospitality management degrees are offered at the 16r universities. These programs generally lack the professional component and practical training. In other countries one can find excellent hotel schools preparing students to become chefs, headwaiters and rooms division managers. Those schools lack the management and academic side.

ASEH

The Swiss Hotel Schools Association was founded in 1986 with the aim of protecting the good image of the existing, traditional hotel schools. All these schools taught their programs in German or French. It was only in 1980 that the first English teaching schools opened their doors and challenged the established schools. The first English teaching colleges were Ecole des Roches in Bluche and Hotelconsult "César Ritz" Colleges in Brig. At present ASEH groups Switzerland's 12 leading hotel management schools, teaching their programs in French, German, and/or English (8 of which teach programs in English).

Quality assurance and guarantee

Member Schools include the official schools of the Swiss Hotel Association, Gastrosuisse, and the Swiss Union of Hotel Employees. The Association welcomes hotel management schools located in Switzerland who meet and abide by the strict standards of quality outlined in its bylaws.

To become a member of ASEH, every school applying has to undergo very strict procedures for accreditation. High quality educational and professional standards are maintained, thereby ensuring an exceptional education in the hotel trade for each of its students.

• ASEH establishes standards of quality for professional education and training.
• ASEH member schools are Hotel & Restaurant management schools offering courses leading to a Swiss Hotel Management Diploma.
• ASEH member schools follow high Swiss standards of professional education and industry experience.
• ASEH prescribes high ethical standards in promotion and advertising.

The purpose of ASEH today is to accredit Swiss Hotel Schools. It has established strict academic, professional and ethical standards for its members, and schools are inspected on a regular basis. ASEH is now a stamp of guarantee for quality hotel management education. The accreditation team is composed of professionals and experts from the Swiss Federal Office of Technology and Education. (OFFT).

Unfortunately there are also some purely business oriented hotel schools in Switzerland, which have never applied for accreditation by ASEH, and are therefore not controlled in the same rigorous way. Some of these schools destroy the excellent reputation of the ASEH schools and it is recommended that future students look at the membership directory of the ASEH accredited schools under http://www.aseh.ch or ask for information at the ASEH office:

Swiss Hotel Schools Association (ASEH)
CH- 7000 Chur (Switzerland)

Tel: 0041-79-402 77 77 Fax: 0041-81-255 12 19 Email: info@aseh.ch

Member schools are:

1. IHTTI, Neuchâtel

2. Schweizerische Hotelfachschule Luzern (in Luzern)

3. Ecole Hôtelière

4. SHMS Swiss Hotel Management School (in Caux / Leysin)

5. Hotelfachschule Belvoirpark (in Zürich)

6. Gastronomie und Hotelfachschule Thun (HGF) - (in Thun)

7. HIM Hotel Institute Montreux (in Montreux)

8. Institut Hôtelièr "César Ritz" (in Le Bouveret)

9. SSTH Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality (in Chur)

10. SSAT (in Bellinzona)

11. University Centre Cesar Ritz, in Brig

12. DCT in Vitznau

Author:

Marc-Etienne Gartmann
President ASEH

February 2008