The move reflects the growing need for local support in a region where hospitality plays a major role in national economies and where many professionals face ongoing challenges linked to skills development, recruitment and workforce stability, particularly in destinations shaped by seasonal tourism.
IoH Mediterranean sits alongside the Institute’s established UK regions and its wider international network. Providing members access to local networking, professional development and industry engagement, while keeping them fully connected to the Institute’s wider resources and 16,000-strong global professional members.
The region represents more than 180 Institute members across Albania, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain and Türkiye. Activity will be shaped around local priorities, helping members stay connected and share experiences, while underpinning the Institute’s professional industry standards and lifelong learning approach to help career development across the region.
Speaking about the expansion, the Institute of Hospitality’s CEO Robert Richardson FIH MI said: “Our global regional structure plays an important role in how we support members around the world. IoH Mediterranean will now provide local access to a tourism and hospitality industry that employs tens of millions of people in the new region. It will build on our existing UK and international regions and ensure professionals in this important hospitality and tourism market have access to local activities while remaining part of the Institute’s global hospitality family. With a senior, experienced and dedicated committee of volunteers in place, we are excited to see this new region flourish.”
IoH Mediterranean will be led by regional chair, Dr Julian Zarb FIH, who has a long-established record of success in Tourism, including fifteen years as a Visiting Senior Lecturer with the Institute for Travel, Tourism and Culture at the University of Malta. He is currently a lecturer in Management with the University of Wales Trinity St. David (UWTSD, Wales, UK) and a lecturer with the Malita International College (Malta) in Hospitality and Tourism. Dr Zarb also has a wide portfolio of academic publications on Community Tourism.
Confirming his new role, Dr Zarb said: “I am delighted to be leading the IoH Mediterranean region, which brings together a wide range of hospitality cultures, economies and professional experiences. This new region is about creating practical connections between members, supporting professionalism at a local level and providing a platform where knowledge, experience and good practice can be shared across borders. There is a great deal we can do together in the region and my committee, along with the IoH team, is excited to get started.”
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