TOURISM MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAl SEMESTER (30 ECTS) FALL 2013

Transcription

1 TOURISM MANAGEMENT International Semester (30 ECTS) FALL 2013

2 TABEL OF CONTENTS Howest, University College West Flanders 3 What is Tourism Management? 4 Course concept 4-5 Course overview 6-7 Where will I study? 8 Academic recognition 8 Prerequisites 9 Timing and Location 10 Tuition fee and Accommodation 11 Registration and Deadline 12 Contact 12 2

3 Howest, University College West Flanders Howest is a dynamic university college, focused on innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. Our core values serve empower care continue to stimulate an open, pluralistic and international outlook on education, research and service to society. Howest is a member of Ghent University Association, which provides high-quality higher education to about 1/3 of Flanders student population. We offer degree programmes in Architecture, Health Care, Business and Management, Industrial Sciences and Technology, Education and Social Sciences, on 4 campuses in the historical cities of Bruges and Kortrijk, in the province of West Flanders, Belgium. Over the years, Howest has built a solid reputation in application-oriented scientific research, services and continuous education, working with distinguished academic, social profit and enterprise partners in Europe and all over the world. Our students and staff have plenty of opportunities to explore the globe, thanks to regional, national and international networks, scholarships and exchange programmes. Howest has coordinated highly successful national and international projects and is an active partner in many others. We constantly develop our course offer in English in order to be an attractive academic destination for students from abroad as well, who will find here an open, vibrant, cosmopolitan and friendly environment. We warmly welcome students from our Erasmus and overseas partner institutions for an exchange period. At this moment, Howest offers one full degree programme in English, the Bachelor of Digital Arts and Entertainment ( as well as 8 English taught international semesters in 5 different study areas, each of them representing at least 30 ECTS: > International Business Management I (Sept-Jan) > International Business Management II (Febr-June) > Applied Computer Sciences Fall (Sept-Jan) > Applied Computer Sciences Spring (Febr-June) > Realisation in Product Design (Sept-Jan) - NEW > Visualisation and Communication in Product Design (Febr-June) - NEW > Multimedia and Communication Management (Feb-June) Studying in Bruges or Kortrijk includes having a series of very attractive locations within a stone s throw: the Belgian coast as well as our Flemish art cities like Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent... You can also reach famous European places like Paris, London, Amsterdam, Cologne etc. in a one or two hours train journey. 3

4 WHAT IS TOURISM MANAGEMENT? Tourism is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The sector has expanded significantly: in the 1950s there were some 25 million tourist arrivals all over the world as opposed to more than 700 million today. Worldwide, tourism has become a primary income-generating industry and it is/ will be one of the key industries of the 21st century. As new products, clients, destinations and promotion tools keep emerging, the field of tourism is constantly evolving. In a globalizing world, business travel keeps gaining importance while leisure, too, has become an essential part of people s lives. Due to a dynamic and increasingly competitive environment, tourist companies are in constant need of suitably qualified managers who come up with new destinations and promote them to local, national and international audiences. The unprecedented growth also challenges those involved in tourism to manage the socio-cultural, economic and environmental impact of tourism so that the industry can be sustained in the future. COURSE CONCEPT Our programme aims at developing the knowledge and skills necessary to build up a successful management career in the field of tourism. It is important to have a proper understanding of the international working environment and of the management techniques applied in the industry. The programme offers a solid core of business management courses such as cost accounting and project management. You will learn how to deal with business effectively and how to market your products in a multimedia environment. You will discover the importance of benchmarking and lifelong learning. It is essential to know your product: the programme focuses on basic knowledge of tourist destinations. To a great extent, however, tourism is also about trends and business travel. Take your pick: MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Congresses and Events), Trends in tourism and/or Sustainable Tourism Development; these courses are equally relevant in today s and tomorrow s tourism industry. 4

5 Future employees in the tourism business should definitely be interested in new destinations. Allow us to introduce you to the one we know best: Belgium. Our socio-cultural overview of Belgium will teach you to appreciate the assets of this little known country. You will discover the country yourself through multiple cultural visits. The study programme is both practical and visionary, ensuring you a strong business foundation and a real understanding of the industry s complexities and demands. At first, the emphasis will be on lectures and city visits. During the semester the courses move towards learning-by-doing and teamwork. You will get the opportunity to apply your newly acquired insights to your own practical case. Social and practical skills and the right attitude are as important as knowledge if not even more important. That is why we integrate our foreign students with Belgian students and consequently stimulate teamwork, international communication and co-operation. We consider this interchange stimulating for all parties. 5

6 Course overview Tourism Management Course units & codes (30 ECTS) HTC n-tc SL Socio-cultural overview of Belgium - 3 ECTS This course aims to provide you with a better understanding of both Flanders and Belgium. There is a lot of explaining to do indeed, starting with a complex history of foreign invasions, the subsequent presence of 3 different languages and 6 governments in a tiny territory, and the infamous political misunderstandings, but also let s not forget the importance of Belgium within Europe, its liberal minds and laws and its rich culture, folklore and gastronomy. Belgian people are often said to be reserved. They re also modest and pragmatic. They won t drag about the beauty of their medieval cities, but certainly appreciate the taste of their hundreds of kinds of beers and their rich gastronomy, and they gather massively at summer festivals, and in all the wonderful museums of art and temples of music. We ll try to get you a lively insight into this socio-cultural and touristic Belgium, through PowerPoint s richly illustrated with photographs and small video fragments. But since nothing tops the real life experience, we ll also be getting out there : we ll visit Kortrijk, and at least three of our so-called Cities of Art : Ghent and Bruges, Antwerp or Brussels and maybe Louvain. Prepare for an active course and some surprises! Project management - 6 ECTS Tourism destinations need to innovate and extend their tourism offer in order to maintain or augment their attractivity. New tourism attractions such as a museum, a visitor's center, a theme park,... Tourism strategies and professional tourism management are a must to obtain results. How to decide on the type and location of visitor's attractions? Which target do you choose, and which theme? How to calculate a budget and how to look for the necessary funding? In this course we draw upon these problems, and many more, which are to be solved by the project manager. We will also look into the subject of European funding. We explain the main principles of European programmes and how they can be used in tourism development. In addition to the courses we will visit some important tourism projects in Flanders. Communication Exercises English - 3 ECTS English is still the most important language in the tourism industry. In order to give students the opportunity to enhance their language skills regarding English, we give them the opportunity to work on it with this practical module. 6

7 Trends in Tourism - 6 ECTS In this course, you will get an overview of some quantitative and qualitative trends that are shaping the future of tourism. The quantitative trends focus on the evolution of the volume of tourism. Qualitative trends will give you more insight in the evolution of tourism characteristics (trends in the tourism customer (changes in customer profile, expectations, lifestyle ), trends in the tourism product (changes in transport, accommodation, attractions, activities ), trends in tourism marketing and changes in how the industry is working ( distribution channels, communication tools Sustainable Tourism - 3 ECTS Our world is in transition to a sustainable society. Tourism is as one of the last economic sectors that starts the transition to sustainability. We will learn that sustainable tourism is about all forms of tourism. Sustainable tourism development is a process of social learning where all the stakeholders are involved. There are no ready-made solutions, it s about making choices and finding a balance. Sustainability means innovation. Innovation by giving the tourist a unique experience. This course has the aim to make more active, critical, conscious, innovative students of you. The slogan throughout this course is dare to think. We start with an overview of WTO data and figures. We walk through the definition of sustainable tourism. Next we explore current and future trends in tourism. We assess many cases were we discuss the positive and negative impact on planet, people, and profit. We learn how the complete value chain can become sustainable and all stakeholders are involved: transport, tour operator, accommodation, government, tourist attractions, tourist activities, tourists, local community. We show the opportunities of a partnership between the different stakeholders. We learn how to develop a sustainable tourism product and how to communicate about it. Practical Case Study - 9 ECTS This module provides necessary information to develop a new product in the tourism field. We will focus on product knowledge in the different continents. You have to measure the cost price of this newly developed product and you will be prepared to develop a marketing plan to implement this new product in the market. In order to properly execute this task you have to closely work together with travel trade managers; Therefore we plan a visit to the World Travel Market in London at the end of November. This is the second biggest trade fair in the world in the tourism field. The cost per student will be about 250. In order to follow the courses you should bring your own laptop. ECTS = European Credit Transfer System // HTC = Hours of teaching and coaching during the semester n-tc = non-teaching and coaching hours per semester // SL = total study load in number of hours Students can start early September by attending the Erasmus Intensive Language Course, EILC Dutch level I - beginners, offered in Kortrijk by a neighbouring university ( You can earn up to 3 ECTS by doing so, and choose one course unit less of the TM programme if you wish. Apply in time with the EILC organising university and let us know in your Howest Application Form if you do so. 7

8 WHERE WILL I STUDY? You will study in Kortrijk, at only a short distance of the historic city of Bruges, Belgium s Mecca of tourist destinations, and at one hour from the Belgian coast. Without a doubt, tourism flourishes here and industry resources are endless. The environment can be described as warm and welcoming. Our students are just as eager to get to know people from abroad as you are. Your teachers will be professionals or previous professionals in the industry. They are experienced and will share their up-to-date knowledge as well as broaden your understanding of their field of activity. Our international coordinator will ACADEMIC RECOGNITION This international semester is an integrated part of the Howest Bachelor course Tourism and Leisure Management. Howest fully applies the ECTS grading system and awards credits for the successfully achieved course units. After concluding the semester, all students receive an official ECTS Transcript of Records and a Certificate. 8

9 PREREQUISITES > Minimum 2 successfully completed semesters in a Bachelor Programme or an equivalent of 60 ECTS. This will need to be confirmed by means of an official certificate, a survey of completed courses, or a signed letter from the sending university. > Sufficient command of the English language (both oral and written communication). The minimum level required is the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference. Applicants need to provide proof for this in one of the following ways: - An official certificate or score report referring to the European Framework or from one of the recognized language tests (e.g. TOEFL internet based 87/paper based 550 or IETLS - 5.5, no partial results below 5). - A signed confirmation letter from your university, stating that your English language skills reach the B2 level and thus are sufficient to attend courses, participate in classroom and examination activities, present your project and its results. The following applicants are not required to document their English skills: - applicants from countries having English as their national language - applicants attending an English taught degree programme at their home institution - applicants who send proof of having succeeded at least one year of an English taught higher education programme Howest reserves the right to contact the applicant or the sending university to verify this information. Applications without sufficient proof of previous study or language proficiency will not be taken into consideration. > All Howest and exchange students should bring their own laptop, with all necessary and officially licenced software. The course overview above mentions the specific software (if any) necessary for the course unit. Howest applies a very strict policy on the use of legal software. > Non exchange students can only attend the international semester as a Postgraduate course and need to have completed at least a full Bachelor degree programme at the time they start the international semester course at Howest. 9

10 TIMING AND LOCATION The course takes place in Howest Kortrijk, campus Renaat De Rudderlaan 6, 8500 Kortrijk. The campus can be reached very easily by public transportation, or is a 20 minute walk from the station. The actual lessons start 23rd September 2013.The students will be informed in time about the exact day they are expected for the welcome session and course introduction, which will be in the week of September 16th. The Fall semester ends January 31st From October 28th to November 1st there is one week of Autumn holiday. Christmas Holiday is between December 23rd and January 5th. The month of January is reserved for examinations. The official second chance exam session takes place between 18/8 and 08/09/2014. The Howest academic calendar is available in English on Students who attend the Erasmus Intensive Language Course (EILC see above) offered in Kortrijk before the start of the Tourism Management programme will have to arrive 3 weeks earlier. 10

11 Tuition Fee AND ACCOMMODATION For (Erasmus) exchange students this course is free of tuition. Non exchange students pay a tuition fee of 1000 per semester. The fee does not include course or other materials, nor the cost for cultural visits or the study trip to London. Those have to be paid cash on location. We recommend the Tourism Management students to stay in Kortrijk, where all the Tourism related classes will take place. A student room in Kortrijk will cost you between 200 and 350 per month. Stuvo Howest, our students services, will assist you in your search for accommodation if you wish. You can also look for accommodation via 11

12 REGISTRATION AND DEADLINE The registration deadline for the international semester Tourism Management is June 21st All applications are subject to approval by the Howest Tourism Management team. Send your Howest Application Form to You can download it at Please also fill out the Learning Agreement. CONTACT For more information about the content contact Mr. Schoukens, the TM coordinator: For all further information concerning study mobility to Howest, have a look at our Practical information package for incoming students : To apply, send your documents to Howest International Office Marksesteenweg 58, 8500 Kortrijk Belgium Tel +32 (0) Fax +32 (0) international.office@howest.be 12