Tourism students: The vacation makers of tomorrow

There are numerous stereotypes, especially among young people and high school graduates who, when choosing a career, want to turn their passion into a profession and would like to enter the tourism industry through a college degree. Seventeen students—the vacation planners of tomorrow—from various universities in Germany share in interviews their day-to-day experiences as students, as well as their motivation, goals, expectations, and hopes regarding their chosen degree programs. You can read all about it in the book “Tomorrow’s Vacation Makers” by Antje Wolf and Dirk Geest, which was recently published.

Jana Kunert is one of the 17 students who would like to share her experiences with future applicants . She is in her sixth semester studying tourism management in Görlitz and is currently writing her thesis on the topic “The Importance of Individual Services for Tour Operators—An Analysis of the Introduction of the ‘Luggage-Only Transport’ Service in the Active Travel Market Segment, Using the Example of the Tour Operator AugustusTours e.K.”

I met Jana three times during her studies. In June 2012, when she first set foot on the Görlitz campus and attended the university information day, she spoke of a good first impression. The academic programs, campus facilities, faculty, and even the city of Görlitz had won her over. A few days later, she decided to submit an application for the Tourism Management program and secured one of the coveted 30 spots.

In the summer semester of 2014, Jana completed her internship semester in Dresden at the tour operator AugustusTours. In an interview at the time, she told me how important hands-on work is, what her favorite subject is, and why she and her friends stood in the cold in front of the empty city hall for what felt like an eternity.

Jana is glad that she can write her Bachelor’s thesis at the company where she has already gained a wide range of practical experience. I meet her for the third time in Görlitz, on the day she has to take her penultimate exam. Although she’s currently pouring all her energy into her thesis, there are moments when she thinks about life after college. She knows what she wants to do, but where her path will lead her remains to be seen. Only one thing seems certain: she’ll be leaving Görlitz behind. What remains are many experiences and memories of a wonderful time as a student.

Most important of all are the new friends she made during her studies and in her shared apartment. On their outings together to the Landeskrone, Lake Berzdorf, the Zittau Mountains, or Bautzen, they could take a break from their studies and recharge their energy and motivation. We cooked, barbecued, or played games. When there wasn’t enough time for that, we’d meet at the Italian restaurant on the Polish bank of the Neisse. Thanks to the discounted prices during student days, we even managed to go to the theater a few times. There’s no shortage of festivals in Görlitz—the Old Town Festival, the ViaThea Street Theater Festival, Jazz Days, the MoxxoM Festival, and the Christmas Market. And the parties at the student club, the annual Campus Open Air, the shared-apartment parties, and trips to the disco will remain unforgettable anyway. The fact that time was probably too short after all is evident from the fact that the trip to Wrocław and the canoe trip on the Neisse are still on the to-do list.

When I asked her what she hopes for the future, Jana replied with a smile: “I have so many great memories of my time as a student in Görlitz. And I hope we’ll stay in touch and have more unforgettable experiences with ‘my Görlitz friends.’”

Book Information

Title: Tomorrow’sVacation Makers – Selected Interviews with Tourism Students
Format: 12x19 cm
Length: approx. 116 pages with 17 selected interviews
Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand, Norderstedt
Editors & Authors:
Prof. Dr. Antje Wolf, Dirk Geest (Diplom in Business Administration, University of Applied Sciences), mein-tourismus-studium.de
Publication year: 2015
ISBN: 9783734761201
Availability: The book is available at all major bookstores and online book retailers.
Target Audience: Prospective students majoring in tourism