Tourism and hospitality is a thriving industry in every country. Growing numbers of travelers and endless opportunities to work in this field attract students to study abroad, including Indonesian students who choose to gain knowledge from multinational companies.
Gregorius Gerry Nugroho, a student of the Atma Jaya Hospitality study program, is one of lucky few to seize the chance of having an internship in Kuoni Travel, a traveling agency from Zurich, Swiss.
During the internship program, Gerry says that he gain tons of new experiences, particularly those related to traveling destinations in European countries. There are many more interesting sites all around every country than just iconic landmarks.
“I got to know various destinations in Europe which rarely known for many. For example, Paris is always known for the Eiffel Tower, but there is also a famous Le Lac restaurant not far from Eiffel Tower. Spain is famous for Barcelona and Madrid, where there are other places like Las Rojas to visit,” said Gerry.
What is more, Gerry learns to make a Indonesia Gerry explains that a quotation is to break into sections a traveling itinerary, including durations, price dan services provided for the clients. It is very technical yet important for the client’s trip.
“I learned to arrange clients’ trips on codes. For instance, Milan abbreviated to MIL or Manchester coded as MAN. It also applies to the services. If we offer a bus service for twelve hours city-tour, including lunch, excursion, dinner, and hotel drop off, the code will be A/HS/L/HX/D/H. These codes are difficult to understand, so we give an offer letter that comes in description to help the client understands it,”
Though it is tricky at the beginning, it is comprehensible. Gerry gains knowledge in time management and provides the best services to clients. As interns for the last three months, Gerry claims to obtain extraordinary experiences: building a network with colleagues from other divisions and get to know the work ethics in a multinational company. From dress codes, mannered in speaking English, as well in punctuality. Which already taught at classes in his home university.
“In this company, I understand the cross-cultural understanding: how to get into the working habit. It improves time management skills, courtesy, and how to present our self. All of this is studied beforehand in college,”
According to Gerry, his enthusiasm in the field of tourism and hospitality grew to the fact that it provides a multi-culture career opportunity. Ever since his vocational school (SMK), Gerry always wanted to travel and get acquainted with traveling businesses.
“The internship experience at Kuoni Travel is something new to the world of tourism. Not only learning about tourism but also knowledge about unknown destinations, client management, and work culture. This experience will help my future career,” says Gerry.