Afbeelding
Multiple stakeholders
“I started working in my parent's hotel when I was about 14, so I was pretty familiar with that particular aspect of hospitality. It may have seemed logical to study hospitality management but I chose tourism management because I didn’t want to be directly in the niche. I wanted to get to know the tourism industry as a whole. The tourism management degree gave me more insight into just how many stakeholders there are, what their interests are and how they relate to each other. I think that, all too often, an industry is so busy dealing with its problems that it forgets to look at the bigger picture and work with others to come up with solutions. In some cases, the industry itself is split, so there are like 4 or 5 unions representing employee interests and everyone is just fighting for themselves. It doesn’t seem particularly effective.”
Working in teams – the good and not-so-good
“What I liked about the tourism management programme is that we got to explore so many different areas. We had assignments set by the industry developing tourist plans for particular destinations and we had assignments we could set ourselves on something we were particularly interested in. Working on the assignments in teams meant we also got to hear different perspectives of the situation. Everyone brings in their own context and character to create solutions so we really had to learn to listen and cooperate with each other. Learning how to work in a team and developing communication and management skills have been the aspects I’ve really taken with me in my work. You’re nearly always part of a team and there will always be people you work with really well – and people you don’t. The tourism management programme taught me how to handle this. It also taught me that we need each other in a team. Some jobs, like sales, you can do totally on your own or you can work in a team and draw on each other’s experiences and best practices. I definitely prefer working in a team.”
Working together to serve guests
“One of the assignments we were set during my studies was to develop a tourist destination as a UNESCO site. It was really inspiring and very practical. And it reinforced my ideas about looking at the bigger picture and connecting different stakeholders and industries. I’ve since worked in e-mobility, mainly within the hotel industry, and it’s strongly related to sustainability. For instance, hotels were looking at how they could get their guests to them using public transport and then offer them various means of transport during their stay, like a complimentary public transport ticket. It can be a unique selling point that supports a hotel’s sustainability claim, saves money and helps reduce CO2 emissions. And it’s a good example of the hotel industry working with the public transport industry.”
Making contacts
“Throughout my studies and my career, communication and personal contact have been key factors. They’re actually the reasons behind me making the initial step towards enrolling at NHL Stenden. I’d looked at the tourism management programme online, liked how it emphasised tourism and internationalisation rather than economics like so many other courses did, and so I signed up. I then kind of forgot about it all until I got a phone call from NHL Stenden asking if I was still interested. Not too long after, I was in Leeuwarden. That phone call was the deciding factor.”
“Since my graduation, I’ve increasingly appreciated having someone to bounce ideas off, someone that can help you with making the right decision for you. A few years ago, I got involved with the youth section of a travel industry club that brings together students and young professionals and helps them with their careers. We organise various events and offer a mentoring programme. I used it myself too and really liked having someone help me find out what my goals were and where I wanted to be. Even if you’re in a comfortable position with your work, a mentor can help you reflect on where you are and where you’re going. It’s a way of making sure you continue to develop and broaden your network. In a way, it’s a continuation of what you start doing while studying.”
To find out more about the programme, check out the Tourism Management programme page or request the programme brochure.