Tourism students: The vacation makers of tomorrow

There are numerous clichés, especially among young people and school leavers who want to turn their passion into a career and enter the tourism industry by studying. 17 students - the vacation makers of tomorrow - from various universities in Germany report in interviews on their everyday life as students, their motivation, goals, expectations and wishes with regard to their chosen course of study. All of this can be read in the book "Die Urlaubsmacher von morgen" by Antje Wolf and Dirk Geest, which was recently published.

Jana Kunert is one of the 17 students who would like to pass on her experiences to future applicants . She is in her 6th semester of Tourism Management in Görlitz and is currently writing her thesis on "The importance of individual services for tour operators - analysis of the introduction of the 'luggage-only transport' service in the active travel market segment using the example of tour operator AugustusTours e.K.".

I met Jana three times during my studies. In June 2012, when she set foot on the campus in Görlitz for the first time and attended the university information day, she spoke of a good first impression. The range of courses, campus conditions, teaching staff and also the city of Görlitz had won her over. A few days later, she decided to apply for the Tourism Management course and was offered one of the coveted 30 places.

In the summer semester of 2014, Jana completed her practical semester in Dresden with the tour operator AugustusTours. In an interview at the time, she told me how important practical work is, what her favorite subject is and why she and her friends spent what felt like an eternity standing in the cold in front of the empty Stadthalle.

Jana is happy that she can write her Bachelor's thesis in the company where she has already been able to gain a wide range of practical experience. I meet her a third time in Görlitz, on the day she has to pass her penultimate exam. Although she is currently putting all her energy into her final thesis, there are moments when she thinks about the time after graduation. She knows what she wants to do, but where her path will take her is open. Only one thing is certain. She will turn her back on Görlitz. What remains are many experiences and memories of a wonderful time at university.

The most important thing is the new friends she has made during her studies and in the shared flat. On the joint excursions to the Landeskrone, Lake Berzdorf, the Zittau Mountains or Bautzen, we were able to switch off from our studies and recharge our batteries and motivation. We cooked, barbecued or played games. If there wasn't enough time, we met up at an Italian restaurant on the Polish bank of the Neisse. Thanks to the reduced prices during the student days, we also managed to go to the theater. There is no shortage of festivals in Görlitz - the Old Town Festival, ViaThea street theater festival, Jazz Days, MoxxoM festival, Christmas market. And the parties in the student club, the annual Campus Open Airthe flat-share parties and disco visits will never be forgotten. The fact that the time was probably too short is evident from the fact that the visit to Wroclaw and the canoe trip on the Neisse are still on the to-do list.

In response to my last question about what she hopes for the future, Jana replies with a smile: "I have many great memories of my student days in Görlitz. And I hope that we will keep in touch and that there will be more unforgettable experiences with 'my Görlitzers'."

Information about the book

Title: Die Urlaubsmacher von morgen - Ausgewählte Interviews mit Tourismus-Studierenden
Format: 12x19 cm
Size: approx. 116 pages with 17 selected interviews
Publisher: BoD - Books on Demand, Norderstedt
Editors & authors:
Prof. Dr. Antje Wolf, Diplom-Kaufmann (FH) Dirk Geest, mein-tourismus-studium.de
Year of publication: 2015
ISBN: 9783734761201
Availability: The book is available in all common bookstores and online bookshops.
Target group: Applicants for tourism studies