Tourism Teachers Learn From Each Other In Hungary

Budapest, Hungary, Europe  22 – 28 September 2019

Three Tourism teachers from South Africa were given the opportunity by GTTP-SA and GTTP Hungary to attend the first international teacher training event in the history of the GTTP.  According to the South African delegation, teachers from six countries brought and pulled together  Tourism knowledge, skills and experience which will help to improve their teaching practice in the respective countries. The South African delegates will share the knowledge they gained with other teachers in South Africa.

Read what the three South African delegates had to say about their experiences:

Mr. Christo Fieland  from Wellington, Western Cape.

Because I believe it is important to make the most of every opportunity in life, I grabbed this opportunity with gratitude when it came my way. I want to thank the Global Travel and Tourism Partnership  South Africa (GTTP-SA) for this opportunity that has helped me to grow as a Tourism teacher. This training program gave me new and improved Tourism teaching skills and I learned more on how to apply them in the classroom. I have also gained communication techniques for professional development and learned how to connect better with groups. I realised the importance of accepting constructive criticism in order to develop as a teacher.

The training also gave me a better understanding that the subject Tourism is an interesting, fast growing and visual
subject. I have learned how to make excursions part of assessment and the importance of experience, reflection and
doing. While learning, we had the opportunity to explore one of the oldest cities in Europe which is also known as the best destination in Europe. Budapest is a destination with lots of historic buildings and attractions of great value. We had some time to explore the city and surrounds with the Big Bus Sightseeing,  enjoyed a river cruise and also experienced the historic spa. This trip and training programme was one of the highlights of my career so far, and was an experience that I can take to my classroom and broaden the knowledge of my learners when teaching Tourism.

Ms. Alicia Etson from Cape Town

As a novice Tourism teacher I was granted an opportunity of a lifetime. When I started teaching I had some theoretical knowledge pertaining the Tourism industry, however, very little practical experience. Upon embarking on my journey to Budapest, Hungary, I was anxious and very uncertain as I did not know what to expect travelling abroad. My very first time travelling to a different continent. I had many questions about the “do’s” and “don’ts” of the country and importantly I wondered what the cuisine was like as I love food.

The GTTP training programme was very informative. There I met people from different countries and learned about their cultures and their school system. I also acquired new skills to implement in my classroom. Listening to the learner, making myself clear to the learner in what it is I want/expect from the learner and also to be very passionate when sharing the Passport To The World with my learners. I was introduced to the Future Learn website which contained very valuable information that can be a great aid, not only to teachers, but to the learners as well. Future Learn summarises content for learners to the T which could serve as a brilliant platform to help learners refresh their memory on content learned from grade 10-12. GTTP helped me gain practical travelling experience. I now know much more than I did before the training programme. What an experience! I am surely travelling again.

Ms. Anastasia de Waal from Cape Town

The Global Travel & Tourism Partnership awarded me an opportunity to travel to Budapest Hungary, to attend an international Tourism Teacher’s training programme. It was great to have worked with representatives of six countries (which included South Africa) exchanging ideas and practices in the teaching field. I have learned to appreciate being an agent of change at my school and in my country, as well as to improve my teaching methods and practices. On our trip, we were also able to explore the beautiful attractions in Budapest and engage with the locals. What an experience that was.

This trip has taught me that Tourism is an everchanging and growing subject and as a Tourism teacher you need to keep abreast with change and make your subject come alive in the classroom through your personal experiences, the experiences of your learners and most importantly, exposing learners to the Travel and Tourism industry in your city.