03/11/2006
Slovakian Sustainable Tourism Exchange
Sustainable tourism knowledge pioneered commercially in Devon and Cornwall is being used in the development of Slovakia’s fledgling tourist industry. An exciting exchange programme has been developed by the West Country’s environmentally friendly, Venus Company with Kosice University, Slovakian’s leading university in sustainable tourism. The aim is to help Slovakia develop a flourishing green tourism industry through environmental education and best practice business experience.
The award winning Venus Company, the UK’s premier beach café and shop operator with four sites in Devon and Cornwall has twinned during the last fifteen months with Kosice University’s tourism department. The company now provides annual practical work placement awards for seven tourism master degree students and showcases innovative examples of environmental business management and operations.
“We were originally approached by students from Kosice University,” explained Michael Smith, Venus managing director. “As we have always been keen to develop European relationships and help spread best practice in sustainable tourism, we visited the university to see how our company could get involved and to meet the students. Corporate responsibility is fundamental to our business thinking and this seemed an ideal opportunity through graduate education to assist the managers of tomorrow in a country that is still in its tourism infancy.”
Anna Tothova and Zuzana Tormova are among students who are incorporating the experience gained this summer with Venus, into theses that evaluate how the award winning, business concepts could be implemented in Slovakia.
Both girls are passionate about pursuing a career to help develop Slovakia’s burgeoning tourism industry and are keen to use their experiences for the benefit of their own country.
Anna Tothova said: “To be able to come to the West Country with its good reputation for sustainable tourism and to work for Venus has been unbelievable. We all learnt so much to take back with us. Slovakia is unspoilt and beautiful with mountains and lakes – it has much to offer but its tourism development needs to be managed carefully.”
Pavol Torma of Kosice University’s tourism department said: “The exchange programme and the knowledge transfer is proving enormously helpful to our University and challenging for those students who plan a career in shaping Slovakia’s tourism industry. We are grateful to Venus’ annual work experience awards and sponsorship of our top student’s flight costs to the UK.”
The University in Kosice (Slovakia’s second largest city with a 250,000 population) is interested in developing future student fact finding trips to the West Country as part of its master’s degree sustainable tourism course.
The West Country is at the forefront of England’s green tourism business development with 148 business accredited to date through the Green Tourism Business Scheme, successfully piloted in the South Hams of South Devon, the Venus Company home base.
The award winning Venus Company, the UK’s premier beach café and shop operator with four sites in Devon and Cornwall has twinned during the last fifteen months with Kosice University’s tourism department. The company now provides annual practical work placement awards for seven tourism master degree students and showcases innovative examples of environmental business management and operations.
“We were originally approached by students from Kosice University,” explained Michael Smith, Venus managing director. “As we have always been keen to develop European relationships and help spread best practice in sustainable tourism, we visited the university to see how our company could get involved and to meet the students. Corporate responsibility is fundamental to our business thinking and this seemed an ideal opportunity through graduate education to assist the managers of tomorrow in a country that is still in its tourism infancy.”
Anna Tothova and Zuzana Tormova are among students who are incorporating the experience gained this summer with Venus, into theses that evaluate how the award winning, business concepts could be implemented in Slovakia.
Both girls are passionate about pursuing a career to help develop Slovakia’s burgeoning tourism industry and are keen to use their experiences for the benefit of their own country.
Anna Tothova said: “To be able to come to the West Country with its good reputation for sustainable tourism and to work for Venus has been unbelievable. We all learnt so much to take back with us. Slovakia is unspoilt and beautiful with mountains and lakes – it has much to offer but its tourism development needs to be managed carefully.”
Pavol Torma of Kosice University’s tourism department said: “The exchange programme and the knowledge transfer is proving enormously helpful to our University and challenging for those students who plan a career in shaping Slovakia’s tourism industry. We are grateful to Venus’ annual work experience awards and sponsorship of our top student’s flight costs to the UK.”
The University in Kosice (Slovakia’s second largest city with a 250,000 population) is interested in developing future student fact finding trips to the West Country as part of its master’s degree sustainable tourism course.
The West Country is at the forefront of England’s green tourism business development with 148 business accredited to date through the Green Tourism Business Scheme, successfully piloted in the South Hams of South Devon, the Venus Company home base.