Practical training for students specializing in “Tourism and Entrepreneurship” at IBS was conducted at the sports and tourism agency “Odyssey-In”

Students specializing in “Tourism and Entrepreneurship”, from the 3rd and 4th year, both in regular and part-time programs, participated in the work process of the sports and tourism company “Odyssey-In” during an off-site training session at their office. This training was part of the courses “Tourism Offer” and “Tour Guiding” taught by Chief Assist. Prof. Dr. Dessislava Alexova.

Students applied the theoretical knowledge acquired in these disciplines into practice. They were introduced to real-life examples of organizing tourist trips with fixed prices. They observed how tour operators collaborate with individual service providers and how specialized programs are created. They learned about the specifics of serving tourists from different nationalities and observed the work of tour guides and mountain guides in the field.

Discussions and practical case studies covered topics such as:

• Organization and conduct of various types of trips: guided tours, self-guided tours, and self-made trips.
• Specifics of mountain and adventure tourism and the role of mountain guides.
• Tourism consumption before and after COVID-19: changes and trends.
• Different types of tourist experiences and the emphasis of tourism programs depending on the target audience.

Representatives of “Odiseya-In” stated that they have been working closely with the academic community of IBS for many years. They emphasized that thanks to the high-quality education provided in the field of tourism, our students have excelled with brilliant knowledge and skills in solving practical case studies during extracurricular training. The young talents were rewarded with job offers and internships at the company, and the opportunity to become part of their team. The interactive session concluded with a tour of the office and presentations of the various departments and job positions within the company.

The future tourism experts shared that this form of training has been exceptionally valuable, useful, and interesting for them. They gained a real insight into what the future holds for them in the field of tourism and developed a new understanding of the profession of mountain guides.