As part of its 30th anniversary celebrations, SHTM established a community programme with industry partners entitled “Community Development through Tourism and Hospitality”. Having assessed various communities in terms of their needs for tourism and tourism development, the School opted for Kaiping, a small community in Guangdong located between Guangzhou and Zhuhai.

Kaiping is unique in that the area is famous for its "diaolous", which are unusual 3 to 5 storey houses built in the early part of the twentieth century. Since 2007, the Kaiping diaolou clusters have been included on the World Cultural Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

As partners in the SHTM programme, the Kaiping Tourism Bureau and the Guangdong Kaiping Diaolou Development Company pledged their support to the School in furthering the development of the community’s tourism and hospitality industry. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the three parties in Kaiping on 15 March 2010. This was followed by an Unveiling Ceremony of a plaque commemorating the occasion.

Over two weeks commencing 15 March, SHTM faculty members were in Kaiping to provide training to local villagers who wanted to establish small businesses in tourism and hospitality. The topics of the training sessions included:

• World Tourism Trends and UNESCO World Heritage Sites
• Community-based Tourism
• Food Hygiene and Safety
• Menu Design
• Service Quality Management
• Cultural Tourism: Concepts and Markets
• Cultural Tourism: Product Development
• Bed and Breakfast
• Attraction Management
• Food and Culture

It is the SHTM's belief that everyone involved in the tourism and hospitality industry can contribute to the well-being of the destinations, indeed the regions, in which they operate to ensure success and sustainability. With the help and steadfast support of its industry partners, the School believes that it can contribute to this most meaningful cause with concerted effort.