Welcome to the Summer 2024 edition of Business Innovation Week (BIW)! This BIW edition, our BBA and MIB students are immersing themselves in the dynamic and ever-evolving tourism industry. They are gaining invaluable insights from industry experts, exploring the essentials of running a business, and understanding the critical importance of sustainability. Here’s a look at the key highlights from our first few days:
Day 1 – Kickoff and Introduction
We started the week with an inspiring session from Dr. Eleanor Khonje who emphasized mastering public speaking, overcoming presentation fears, and applying effective communication techniques.
BSL’s Alumnos Yannick Bouyidou led an interactive session on building customer-centric solutions and enhancing service excellence. His insights on exceeding customer expectations and using the LEARN framework were invaluable.
Day 2 – Sustainable and Regenerative Tourism
Reflecting on the impact of tourism in the local communities and environment
A session led by Dr. Sasha Nick
We kicked off BIW with a powerful session from Professor Sasha Nick, focusing on the crucial topic of sustainable tourism. Drawing from his extensive research, Professor Nick underscored the need to move from overtourism to sustainable governance. According to him, the future of tourism should lie in the quality of life and local community empowerment. He mentions that current tourism is unsustainable because of the impact the tourists can have in certain places such as Barcelona, where locals have been protesting for this reason. He also encouraged our future leaders to question their personal decisions and analyze the impact of their actions in the companies they will lead.
The focus on sustainability continued with insights from Clement Van Eck of My Blue Planet and Sarah Balet from the Institute of Tourism.
Interview with Clement Van Eck MyBluePlanet:
Promoting Sustainability in Tourism: Clement Van Eck shared My Blue Planet’s efforts in promoting environmental preservation, particularly within the hospitality sector.
Tackling Food Waste: He emphasized the significant issue of food waste in hotels and the importance of tailored sustainable approaches.
Climate Action Program: Introduced a comprehensive three-year program for companies, providing consulting services, tools for tracking sustainability initiatives, and fostering team collaboration.
Regenerative Hospitality with Sarah Balet:
Principles of Regenerative Tourism: Sarah Balet introduced us to the concept of regenerative hospitality, which focuses on responsibility, caring for people and place, hiring locally, and creating local supply chains.
Environmental Challenges: Highlighted the urgent need to address sustainability, citing the decline in wildlife, the water crisis, and increasing CO2 emissions.
Interactive Workshop: Engaged students in a workshop to develop regenerative tourism practices, encouraging them to think beyond sustainability to truly regenerative solutions.
Student Presentations
Our students showcased their learnings through presentations on tourism opportunities in various countries, receiving valuable feedback from Dr. Eleanor Khonje to refine their final presentations.
Day 3 – Company Visit to Relais d’Arpette
Our BIW participants had the unique opportunity to visit Relais d’Arpette, a stunning Alpine retreat, where they learned from Bernd Rosenthal, the founder and co-owner. Bernd shared his entrepreneurial journey and offered deep insights into navigating business challenges while respecting nature and biodiversity.
Highlights:
Entrepreneurial Journey: Bernd Rosenthal provided an inspiring account of his journey in building Relais d’Arpette, emphasizing the importance of integrating business success with environmental stewardship.
Respecting Nature: His presentation highlighted how businesses can thrive while deeply respecting and preserving natural landscapes and biodiversity.
Gratitude: A special thank you to the Relais d’Arpette team for their warm welcome and to our Head of Careers, Maya Ramati, MBA, for facilitating this enriching experience.
Day 4 -Tourism Trends and Technology Advancements
Dr. Mario Saba: The Impact of AI on Tourism
Thursday’s highlight was Dr. Mario Saba‘s compelling presentation on “AI in Tourism.” As a distinguished Professor of Information Systems, Dr. Saba brought his deep expertise to the table, exploring how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the travel industry. His talk emphasized how AI can significantly enhance personalization in travel experiences.
Dr. Saba’s presentation underscored the transformative potential of AI in making travel more personalized, though it also raised important questions about privacy and data security.
Pascal Christian: Understanding Post-COVID Tourism Trends
Senior Lecturer Pascal Christian took the stage to discuss the evolving landscape of tourism, focusing on the impact of COVID-19 and the spectrum of traveler types—from allocentric to psychocentric. His session also covered the phenomenon of “revenge tourism,” where travelers are eager to make up for lost time.
Day 5 – Showcasing the Next Generation of Business Leaders
The final day of BIW was dedicated to the student presentations, which provided a remarkable conclusion to the week’s discussions. Students focused on five different countries—France, Italy, the USA, Turkey, and China— and presented their research on various aspects of tourism, demonstrating their deep understanding and innovative ideas.
Presentation Highlights:
France: Explored smart tourism and the integration of VR technologies to enhance travel experiences.
Italy: Delved into cultural and gastronomic tourism, emphasizing the role of eco-tourism and its benefits.
USA: Focused on adventure tourism and the importance of preserving national parks.
Turkey: Analyzed thermal and winter tourism, advocating for sustainable practices within seasonal tourism.
China: Presented on luxury tourism and popular destinations, offering insights into enhancing visual presentations for greater impact.
BIW Wrap-Up
The BIW Summer 2024 provided a comprehensive look at the future of tourism through the lenses of sustainability, advanced technology and emerging leaders. BIW participants not only absorbed insights from industry experts but also actively applied their learning. They practiced their public speaking skills and seamlessly collaborated on presentations that comprehensively covered all facets of tourism.
