The School of Hospitality and Tourism (Escola Superior de Hotelaria e Turismo, ESHT) of the Technical University of Porto (UPT) is a Portuguese public higher education politechnic school specializing in hospitality management, tourism, and gastronomy. The school is located at Campus 2, situated in Póvoa de Varzim, at the border with Vila do Conde.
History The institution was established in 2016 as a result of the structural reorganization of the former School of Industrial and Management Studies (Escola Superior de Estudos Industriais e de Gestão – ESEIG) within the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, which operated as a large-scale polytechnic university aiming to create a specialized center dedicated exclusively to hospitality, tourism, and catering education. Currently, it functions as the School of Hospitality and Tourism of the Technical University of Porto, maintaining its role as a polytechnic school following Porto Polytechnic university status transition.
Campus ESHT is hosted at Campus 2, a purpose-built educational complex originally constructed in 2001 and designed by Porto architect Filipe Oliveira Dias. The campus is shared with the Faculty of Media Arts and Design (FMAD).
The campus spans a total ground area of with of constructed floor area. The architectural design is aligned along a North–South axis, running parallel to the historic local aqueduct arches: South Building: Houses student administrative services, cafeteria, student association facilities, and the central campus library. East Building: L-shaped structure containing general lecture rooms and faculty offices, connected to the south building via an elevated pedestrian skywalk. West Building: Contains specialized practical teaching laboratories, including culinary and kitchen labs, showcooking units, catering laboratories, and accommodation simulation labs. North Building (Auditorium): Houses a large theater and auditorium venue for institutional events, conferences, and public cultural activities. Central Features: Includes a landmark central tower, an outdoor open-air amphitheater, a landscaped park with an integrated lake, and an application restaurant open to the academic community.
Campus Library The UTP Campus 2 Library offers a unified catalog supporting both ESHT and FMAD. Its collection covers specialized technical literature and academic research in hotel management, tourism, catering, food service, as well as media arts and design.
Academics and Degree Programs ESHT operates within the Bologna Process framework, offering undergraduate degrees (licenciaturas), Master's degrees, postgraduate diplomas, Higher Professional Technical Courses (CTeSP), and Specialized Higher Courses.
ESHT adopts a practical, applied learning approach ("hands-on") focused on high employability and professional readiness for the international hospitality and tourism industry. The school maintains strategic protocols and partnerships with major hotel chains and tourism companies, integrating real-context training models.
Extending its practical instruction, ESHT operates training activities at the **Porto School Hotel** (located in Baião), recognized as Portugal's first five-star school hotel, which provides immersive instruction in luxury hospitality, culinary arts, and beverage management.
Undergraduate Degrees (Licenciaturas) Full-time undergraduate programs focusing on management and operational competencies: Hospitality Management and Administration (Gestão e Administração Hoteleira) Tourism Activities Management (Gestão de Atividades Turísticas) Catering and Restaurant Management (Gestão de Restauração e Catering)
Master's Degrees (Mestrados) Master's level degree programs providing advanced training: Hotel Direction (Direção Hoteleira): Featuring specializations in *Health and Wellness Hospitality* (Hotelaria de Saúde e Bem Estar) and *Commercial Direction and Marketing* (Direção Comercial e Marketing). Tourism Management (Gestão do Turismo): Offered as a joint program with the School of Management of the Polytechnic University of Cávado and Ave (UPCA).
Postgraduate Programs Specialized postgraduate training for industry professionals: Executive Financial Direction of Tourism and Hotel Enterprises (Direção Financeira de Empreendimentos Turísticos e Hoteleiros) Management of Rural Tourism Units (Gestão de Unidades de Turismo em Espaço Rural) Healthcare Units Management (Gestão de Unidades de Saúde)
Higher Professional Technical Courses (CTeSP) Short-cycle vocational technical programs: Hotel Operations (Operações Hoteleiras) Restaurant and Catering Services (Serviços de Restauração e Catering) Tourism Animation (Animação Turística) Tourism and Tourist Information (Turismo e Informação Turística)
Specialized Higher Courses (Porto School Hotel) Advanced technical programs delivered at the Porto School Hotel venue in Baião: Culinary and Innovation Management International Hospitality Management Wine and Beverage Service Management
References
External links