Visit to Brussels

Within his capacity as professor for International Tourism Management at the West Coast University of Applied Sciences in Heide, Germany, COTRI’s director Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt led a tour of eleven students from ten countries to Belgium on the 16^th and 17^th of June, 2017. The group visited the European Parliament and the ETC European Travel Commission in Brussels as part of their focus on the EU-China Tourism Year 2018.

The students, who are currently in their second semester of the university’s Master of International Tourism Management programme are working under the guidance of Prof. Arlt on the topic of multinational “Tourism Years” as an instrument of the promotion of international tourism. Accordingly, the trip allowed them to gain a strong insight into the EU-China Tourism Year 2018 within this context.

The participants were invited, alongside others, by the ETC European Travel Commission, the representation of national tourism organisations in Europe. The students presented their analysis of past tourism years, adding recommendations drawn from their work that could be applied to the upcoming European-Chinese year of tourism. ETC CEO Eduardo Santander professed that the suggestions would be kept in mind when working on the preparation of the ECTY2018. The group also visited the European Parliament, where they were met by three members of staff working for MEP Istvàn Ijhelyi, who is a leading member of the committees for Tourism and Transport, as well as for the EU-China relationship.

The agenda for the following day saw an excursion to Dinant, a charming city situated on the River Maas. On account of an existing relationship with the local Tourism Marketing Organisation, the group was taken on a special “International Guests in Dinant” themed tour of the city. This included a visit to the citadel overlooking the city, as well as being invited to take a river cruise down the Maas. Two weeks before the group from the West Coast University came to the city, Dinant had also been visited by Chairman of the China National Tourism Association (CNTA) Mr. Li Jinzao in advance of his signing of the Cooperation Agreement for the EU-China Tourism Year 2018 in Brussels.

Prof. Arlt will return to Dinant on September, 7th for a workshop for the regional tourism industry, organised by Tourism Wallonie. Successful participants will be presented with “Chinese Tourist Welcome Quality Host” certification by Wallonian Tourism Minister René Collin.

21.6.2017 – Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt

Pictured above: Group with Eduardo Santander and Giulia Andrighetto of ETC at Grande Place, Brussels.