Hotel management being an integral part of the tourism sector, functions, more or less, the same way across all institutes and service establishments around the world. A few operational procedures though may differ from one hotel to another, the main system at the macro level remains, more or less, the same. The versatility, therefore, of a hotel management student in India to adapt himself to the pedagogical structure of an institute anywhere else in the world therefore becomes easy and spontaneous.
One of the best features of the hotel management course affiliated with the Institut Vatel of France is the compliance of its curriculum to the international standards, which is put into practice chronologically across all Vatel institutes around the world. This feature allows the students to either opt for an exchange programme or to follow a whole semester at the selected institutes of Vatel across the globe. Clubbed with 6-months’ internship, it makes one full year, spent learning the latest trends in France.
Intitut Vatel at Nimes, south of France, during the rich tourist season, when their own students are away on a vacation, invites students from the other institutes for summer internship, wherein all the expenses related to their boarding and lodging are taken care of by the institute. These students stay in individual rooms with attached bathrooms which are equipped with a refrigerator and a microwave oven.
The first batch of 9 students left for week summer training at Nîmes, France on Friday, June 10, 2022..
The Vatel institute in Bangkok, Thailand invites students from the various other Vatel institutes around the world for a fully-sponsored, two-week operational and a cultural exposure, wherein the students visit the institute, the city, a few hotels and are exposed to Thai cultural events almost every evening. This activity is directed towards giving an international exposure to students, wherein they get to meet tourists from a wide range of countries, besides meeting the students of these institutes.
”In my mind, such exposures are a must for every student pursuing a course in hotel management. My exposure at Nimes was exceptional as I not only got an exposure in the main operational areas of the hotel, I also was given to look after a few guests. What is also important is that I could visit the historical city of Nimes and tried out meals at a few restaurants, amongst which, I found, Indian food was catching a lot of popularity” says one of the students.
Another student, who returned from Nimes with the first batch said – “Initially settling down in a new place, where the primary mode of communication was French, I had to face a few situations but the staff and the managers were so understanding and helpful that everything fell into place and I started enjoying every bit of my work. Even working in their kitchen stewarding area, the laundry, housekeeping and the most modern recreational areas gave me a very valuable experience, something that I will never forget in life.” Says another, starry-eyed girl who was overjoyed upon her return and wanted to visit France again as a tourist.
