Last Friday, July 9th the project Digital Tourism showcased a special Tourism Talks edition on the topic Work Based Learning. The show can still be viewed OnLine in the ‘Digital Tourism Qualification Forum’ Facebook group by clicking this link. During the show we discussed more than 20 Work Based Learning documents, which must be used during the work based learning period for the interns and apprentices, as part of getting their Digital Tourism Qualification. These documents are produced by the Digital Tourism Partnership. After the discussion on the Forum we were able to validate and formalize all the documents. The Digital Tourism Validation Committee formally agreed upon finalization, with minor improvements. The very valuable feedback from our DTQ Forum stakeholders was priceless and is included in several documents. In September 2021 we will start up a series of DT Work Based Learning blogs to show you all the work we have we validated and formalised. A WBL Cesure and Rating Digital Tourism Report will conclude our findings aroound the Work Based Learning pilot we have run and documents used. The DT documents are free to download and available for everyone to use, copy and paste (mentioning the authors and DT partnership will still be appreciated though).

Validation and Formalization Work Based Learning Documents during Digital Tourism Event

The Work Based Learning docments which were dicussed during the Tourism Talks ‘Work Based Learning’edition are covering three phases:

Phase 1: Recruitment and Selection Phase:

Documents DT 0.0, DT 0.1 and DT 0.2 are preperation documents which are about the anouncement of the recruitment and what ‘Steps from recruitment to selection’ needs to ticked to do it successfully. The Document DT 1.0. ‘ On which criteria should sending organizations assess and select students prior to assure a successful WBL?’ is a very important document in phase I, the Recruitment and Selection phase. DT 1.0 is for assessing the students prior to their WBL-period on certain skills (technical and knowledge), attitudes and behaviour. In this way the schools will be able to select the right students for a successful WBL-period (internship / apprenticeship). Documents DT. 1.1 and DT 1.2 are approval and rejection formats and were also discussed and approved. Some suggestions made to upgrade the phase 1 WBL documents (six in total) were:

• Add a module for the articulation between the Marketing Plan and Revenue Management techniques, to the 30-hour course that the student will have prior to the internship;

• Add a document that helps to select the Host Company (that is, to verify if this company already has and applies digital marketing techniques), and simultaneously to serve as the basis (or Checklist) for each student’s training plan that will be placed in that company.

The DT Qualification Forum Validation Committee will discuss the above mentioned points in order to improve the quality.

Phase 2: Work Based Learning Assessment

During the Tourism Talks Event we have discussed Phase 2. The most important Document is DT 2.0 ‘Skills & Methodology WBL Assessment – Which skills should students be assessed during their work based learning period (internship/apprenticeship) ?’ and is the core of phase 2, the work based learning assessment. Under the supervision of tutors (company tutor and project tutor) students will be assessed during the work based learning period on:

• Digital Tourism Soft Skills and Hard Skills
• Definition of Digital Tourism Skills
• Digital Tourism Methodology of Assessment
  The ‘’Soft Skills’’ and “Hard Skills’’ of a student should comply to a minimum basic level: At least level 3 on a scale from 1 to 5. It’s allowed to have 2 negatives overall…, except when the categories ticked lower then 3 are Attendance and good work attitude. We are using a point-scale from 1 to 5

All the five documents (DT 2.0, DT. 2.1, DT 2.2, DT 2.3 and DT 2.4) of phase 2 were validated and formalized. Suggestions made were:

• General Feedback on DT2: Strengthen how internship and traineeship are defined as they are NOT only based on duration. 

• Specific Feedback on DT 2.0: Add a section on revenue management a function to be aware of and develop competencies for, because the highly volatile and competitive environment we found ourselves in due to the ongoing waves of COVID-19. Some topics on revenue management may be:
  – current revenue management  software and systems
  – new data sources local and global
  – continuous analysis
  – short-term forecasts

Phase 3: Learning Agreement and Monitoring Tools

The ten documents relating to the actual WBL period assessment and monitoring of the intern / apprentice are:
• Document 3.1 WBL Quality Commitment
• Document 3.2 Monitoring and Assessment Tool Interim Questionnaire Intern / Apprentice
• Document 3.3 Monitoring and Assessment Tool Final Questionnaire Intern / Apprentice
• Document 3.4 Monitoring and Assessment Tool Interim QuestionairreTutor
• Document 3.5 Monitoring and Assessment Tool Final QuestionairreTutor
• Document 3.6 Monitoring and Assessment Tool Interim Questionnaire Company Tutor
• Document 3.7 Monitoring and Assessment Tool Final Questionnaire Company Tutor
• Document 3.8 Monitoring and Assessment Tool Interim Feedback Questionnaire Intern /Apprentice
• Document 3.9 Monitoring and Assessment Tool Transcript of Work
All these documents are ofcourse related to DT 3.0 WBL Training Agreement

Suggestions made to phase 3 were:

• Is document DT 3.3 necessary ? The final questionnaire 3.8 could be sufficent for feedback
• Probably document DT 3.7 is not extremely necessary . According to some stakeholders the DT 3.9 is enough: This final transcript of work is enough to evaluate the internship
• General Feedback on DT3 package: To be aware  that feedback must be ongoing and throughout the WBL process; Creating Q&A session(s) as a space to facilitate conversation with interns and give access to information throughout the WBL process; Creating a cluster for peer-to-peer feedback; Distinguish clearly between learning goals and  “career” development goals

Above suggestions will also be discussed in the DT Qualification Forum Validation Committee to add value to validated documents produced.

The final WBL Concept Documents have all been posted in the Digital Tourism Qualification Forum. It’s still allowed ofcourse to give comments and/or remarks on each DT WBL Document in the Facebook group. Even more so, it will be appreciated. After a week or so, we will take all input and finalize and formalize the DT work based learning documents as a qualified end product (for work package 4). Do you want to watch the WBL Tourism Talks event and give your point of view now, click here.

The Digital Tourism Series ‘Tourism Talks’ Thursday June 28th 2021 13:00 – 14:00 CET, “New trends in Tourism communication”, click here to join the Event. 

Next Tourism Talks Event

The next Tourism Talks event is on Friday July 9th 2021, 14:00 – 15:00 CET, The topic is ”Digital Tourism Work Based Learning” and the moderator is Pieter van Schie. Do you want to read more about this event, click here. 

The previous ‘Tourism Talks’ of April 29th 2021 can be re-watched on our Digital Tourism Qualification Forum ! The May 27th show will be published soon as well. Do you want to know when the other Tourism Talks event take place, click here.

The project Digital Tourism have scheduled a special Tourism Talks edition on Friday July 9th at 14.00 hours CET time. This Event will be devoted on the Work Based Learning period. The event Tourism Talks will take place on July 9th in the ‘Digital Tourism Qualification Forum’ Facebook group. During the live stream we will focus on the formalization of the Work Based Learning documents by the Validation Committee. Don’t miss out and reserve the date and time in your agenda!

Digital Tourism Qualification Forum

During the live stream on July 9th we will go through the Work Based Learning phases of the internship or apprenticeship. The assessment in the recruitment and selection phase; The assessment of the work based learning period at the ‘Digital Tourism’ company and the monitoring and evaluation of all the WBL phases, including entering the labour market. The final WBL Concept Documents will be posted prior to the Tourism Talks event in the Digital Tourism Qualification Forum. It’s already allowed ofcourse to give comments and/or remarks on each DT WBL Document in the Facebook group. Even more so, it will be appreciated. This is also input for the DT WBL discussion on July 9th.

Do you want to join the event: Click here.

Speak soon !

The project Digital Tourism has created the Digital Tourism Qualification Forum. This dedicated Facebook Group has published the first show from April 29th 2021. The digital show ‘Tourism Talks’ will have its second episode on Thursday May 27th: Register here and join us. Topic of this second show is: ‘Digital Experiences for the hospitality Sector’ The Toursim Talks show will run all the way during 2021.

Digital Experiences for the Hospitality Sector

The show ‘DIGITAL EXPERIENCES FOR THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR’ will go live 27 May, 2021 | 13:00-14:00 CEST
Join the Zoom Meeting (Meeting ID: 882 9462 0288 / Passcode: 518763) and watch our experts Paolo Russo, General Secretary at Stati Generali dell’Innovazione, Founder of Crowddreaming about VIRTUAL REALITY AND TOURISM HOTEL DIGITALIZATION. Guillaume Fontagne, Managing partner at Hotel Advisor Consulting and Former Director of Hotel Astoria and Hotel Balneario de Orduña will present ‘HOTEL DIGITALIZATION’

The project Digital Tourism has created the Digital Tourism Qualification Forum. This dedicated Facebook Group will start on April 29th, 13:00 hours the digital show ‘Tourism Talks’: Register here and join us. In a few weeks we will announce the dates and times. The Toursim Talks show will run all the way during 2021. Below our show schedule:

Schedule Tourism Talks show

Currently we have scheduled once a month a Tourism Talks show. We will update this page with dates and times for the Months May – December 2021 a.s.a.p.:

1) Digital inclusion in Tourism – April 29th. Click here to watch it on the Digital Tourism Qualification Forum Facebook group. The April 29th Toursim Talks included presentations of Ansier Landa Lopez and Giogia Marchionni. The Digital meeting was moderated by Pieter van Schie.

2) ”Digital Experiences for the Hospitality Sector” – 27th May. A video will be published soon in the DTQF Facebook group.

3) “New trends in Tourism communication” – 28th June, 13:00 -14:00 CET.

4) ‘‘Work Based Learning in Digital Tourism” – 9th July, 14:00 – 15:00 CET.

5) “Digital promotion of Tourism products” – 28th September, 13:00 -14:00 CET.

6) “Digital differentiation in Hospitality: companies and people” – 19th October, 13:00 -14:00 CET.

7) “Destination and Hotel strategic management” – 9th November, 13:00 -14:00 CET.

8) “Challenges of the 2030 agenda for sustainable tourism” – 7th December, 13:00 -14:00 CET.

Digital Tourism Qualification Forum

We have already discussed and exchanged a lot of good ideas on Digital Tourism. One of the Good practices we have shown in the DTQF was the video of the “Carmelite Route” by Carina João Oliveira (INSIGNARE & EfVET), which you can watch on our Digital Tourism Qualification Forum.