Back-to-back tourism conferences in Diemen

To learn about the latest developments in the tourism industry, students in the Tourism Management degree programme attended special consecutive conferences last week, organised by students from the English-language minor in Hospitality Management. The theme of the morning session in Diemen was ‘Future in Tourism’. During the afternoon, students had the chance to explore the world of festival tourism.

In the morning conference, students learnt about the rapidly changing professional field and new ways of working. Keynote speakers from ANVR and Vacanceselect explained that the employee of the future must be not only tech-savvy and well-versed in the use of new media, but also aware of social and financial sustainability. In addition, the modern tourism professional should be able to work effectively in self-directed and constantly changing project teams.

Various break-out sessions invited tour operators (including Better Places and TUI) and hotel chains (such as Hotel Jakarta, QO Hotel and Hyatt Places) to share their perspective on recent and future developments in the industry. These insights once again underlined the point that the new way of working in tourism and hospitality offers numerous opportunities for professionals with ambition and initiative, who are also skilled in concepts such as scrum, agile and the customer journey.

Festival Tourism, from Purchase to Party
The theme of the second conference was ‘Festival Tourism, from Purchase to Party’. Interactive programming presented the participating students with a brief history of music festivals, including the massive number (over 1,600 in the Netherlands each year!), the costs involved and the visitors who attend.

The conference itself was also a good example of a festival approach, with attendees having the chance to win more than 60 tickets for festivals this year and a live DJ providing the musical accompaniment. Nonetheless, the content side of the programme was equally solid, as speakers from E&A Events, Dutch Event Crew and Vunzige Deuntjes gave students insight into topics such as financial aspects, tour management with international artists and concept development.

The conferences concluded with a raffle (for even more festival tickets), a drinks reception and the presentation of a €900-donation to the event’s chosen charity: the Reis met je hart (Travel from the heart) foundation. This foundation organises and sponsors holiday trips for people who cannot afford such a luxury due to financial problems.