James Cole Awarded Honorary Fellowship

On Monday 5 December 2016, James Cole; UCLan alumni was awarded an honorary fellowship in acknowledgement of his contribution to the tourism industry.

James works closely with UCLan and our International Tourism Management degree, giving the division exclusive rights to the graduate scheme at Cruise118. In addition to this, we’ve had many students going to work for the organisation as part of a work placement.

Dr. Carley Sutton, Course leader said:

"It has been great to form a partnership with James, he is able to provide industry relevance and experience to all our students through work placements and guest lectures. His generosity with the division has allowed our students to become more employable through the knowledge and experience he provides”

Cruise118 was founded by James Cole and Mal Barritt in 2008, it has since become one of the U.K's fastest growing retailers and by 2010, it entered into a partnership with U.S travel retailer, World Travel Holdings.

UCLan Graduate, Bethany Higson is currently on the graduate scheme and she said:

"I absolutely love working for Cruise118, and I’ve had so many opportunities and experiences since I started 18 months ago. I have worked in Customer Service, HR, Finance, Events and Marketing, eventually choosing to go onto Customer Service to become a Team Leader, looking after the Administration side of things. When I started I didn’t have the first clue about Cruising, but you soon pick up knowledge about the cruise lines, destinations, attractions and market trends! I’d say my highlights would be the opportunities to visit the ships. I’ve been on two ship visits since I have started, and have got one (maybe two) cruises booked for myself next year. There is definitely opportunity for anybody who is ambitious and hard-working, Cruise118 reward those who put in the effort"

International Tourism Management Graduate Lauren is Discovering Texas!

Lauren, a 2016 graduate who achieved a upper 2:1 BA Hons in International Tourism Management updates us on her amazing career in Texas since graduating and details how her UCLan experience got her to where she is now.

She stated her decision to study at UCLan was because the International Tourism Management course really appealed to her as it offered a four year academic learning experience with the opportunity to undertake a 48 week industry experience placement.  

I'm currently enrolled on a graduate scheme at the JWMarriott in Austin, Texas holding a supervisor position which is a huge privilege for me. I'm working within the Front Office department, with recently completing a four month rotation within the Rooms Control department. This was a strategic role, involving me controlling all 1,012 guest rooms within the hotel and setting up the day for the Front Office. My second and current rotation is working the Front Desk, this is a customer facing role as i'm the first face guests will see when they walk through the door. The hotel leads with 'YES'! This means all guests needs are catered for, and no request is to big. Every day is different and I have a new learning experience each day, which allows me to grasp a better understanding of how to do deal with a variety of situations.

This opportunity came to me from UCLan themselves. Whilst getting ready for University one morning a received a text message from UCLan, stating that there were two HR managers from Marriott International coming into UCLan to discuss career opportunities they had on offer and to arrange interviews with students who were interested. My lecturer allowed me to leave my seminar early so I would be able to attend the talk and sign up for an interview. I was accepted for the interview process and was offered a position within their graduate scheme on the spot, and was asked which area of America I would like to work in; I decided to go with Austin, Texas as I heard about the lifestyle over there. Within four months I was put in contact with a sponsor agency who helped me with my transition to America, and start the next journey in my life.

The travel opportunities within UCLan will leave a lasting memory in my mind. Especially during my second year, I received the opportunity to carry out my studies in Malta, which was an unforgettable opportunity. I was able to meet and make life long friends with those from across the world.

My third year as an UCLan student was spent gaining work experience within the front desk department of a hotel in Lanzarote, The Canary Islands. The hotel I worked at was an adults only hotel with a relaxed atmosphere, there were a few things to adjust to such as the front desk computers being programmed in Spanish or the island being more on the relaxed side however it was a nice learning experience. The course also involved an study trips to Barcelona to enjoy numerous cultural activities and another study trip to Poland to co operate with the Dark Tourism module I studied in my final year. 

The course has too many opportunities not to miss, apply for e study abroad programmes, apply for the work placement and make the most of the vast opportunities available. If there is something that I could say to future graduates who want to experience something similar it would be..."Go for it! The chance to be independent living and working abroad is a huge accomplishment!" 

Student Profile of one of the Speakers from the Alumni Event - Joanna Kipps

Joanna Kipps was one of our speakers who came to speak to our Tourism students about her career journey. It was good to see one of our students doing well and sharing their experiences with the students.

Here Joanna tells us what she has been doing since she has graduated in 2013. "I completed my degree in International Tourism Management in 2013. The biggest highlight for me was my internship in Disney World Florida and teaching at the Green Gecko School in Cambodia. On return from Cambodia I decided to look into a career in teaching. The following September I began my PGCE in further education in Edgehill, Ormsirk. I have now successfully obtained the role of a college Lecturer at Bury College where I am a course tutor for BTEC Travel and Tourism. To aid my career progression I am now studying a MSc in Tourism and Hospitality Management at UCLan. I feel that a Masters Degree will enhance my opportunities in both education and industry."