Students from the Travel and Gastronomy sectors of Landstede, Apro Training and CEBANC organised and participated in an online contest entitled ‘The TripliCity Competition’. The objective was to organise a three-day city break for a defined target group comprising the three cities where the organisations are based: Zwolle (NED), Alba (IT) and San Sebastian (SPA). The tour should include accommodation, leisure experiences, tips on local gastronomy and means of transport, always taking into account a sustainable approach to travelling.

After the kick-off meeting, three teams were formed and the students started to draw up, together with their teachers and classmates, the programme for their city trip. The students researched, designed and proposed a complete package of experiences, accommodation, gastronomy and leisure time of their cities, which put together would constitute the complete tourism package. In subsequent online meetings, the drafts of the three city tours were presented and peer-reviewed, while the final presentation and self-assessment took place a few days before the last TPM in Alba.

The interactive challenges and friendly competition contributed to a deeper understanding of the global tourism industry and provided students with valuable insights that could not be learnt in the classroom. This experience laid the foundation for future collaborations, and the teachers involved look forward to continued fruitful exchanges as they work together for innovation and excellence in tourism education.

The hope for further collaboration is a sentiment shared by all participants and we are confident that this is just the beginning of a long-term international educational journey.

Participating in the online competition was a fantastic experience for the students, who came from the Netherlands, Italy and Spain, and opened the door to a world of international cooperation and cultural exchange. It was not only an opportunity to test their knowledge, but also to learn from the different perspectives and approaches of their European peers.

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