Tourism and Leisure Management

Exchange courses in Tourism and Leisure Management

An English taught programme for international exchange students in tourism and leisure management, on bachelor level. 

You should select courses from this list for a minimum of 24 ECTS. You can't combine them with courses from another programme. 

 AUTUMN 2024           

* Course will take place during 2 weeks in the exam period in January

Language courses 

Course content 

For official course catalogue information check the course catalogue: Course Catalogue 2024-2025 (available from june 2024).

Below you can find a description of the course contents.

Destination Management

This course is aimed to provide a framework for understanding the complex and multifaceted nature of the factors that affect destinations and more in particular destination competitiveness.

Topics that will be treated in this course are: types of destinations, destination policy, the process of destination management, visitor management, stewardship, sustainability principles/SDG’s, sustainable destination planning and development, e.a

Tourism Professionals 1 

In this course you learn to put the theory into practice by means of group cases (preferably in international teams) and individual cases:

Examples of groupcases:

• Meetings: You organise an (imaginary) three-day event for businesspeople and their partners (+ social programme). You have to draw up a detailed price estimate and a complete offer for the organising committee of this (imaginary) event.
• Organize a (real) field trip with your colleagues (A to Z) and analyse a destination or a specific tourism experience according to specific criteria you learn in the other tourism courses (Tourism Marketing and Destination Management)
• Research practical data needed for tourists going to specific destinations.

Example of individual cases (based on individual research):

• Follow news items and discuss new trends in tourism and hospitality
• Discuss on the touristic BeNeLux areas including maps and figures (who visits what how often and why?) and create a new BeNeLux ‘experience’ for a specific market or target group: explain your choice of this target group and this experience, create a persona, develop a customer journey, explain your promotion strategy
• Compare direct sellers offers to travel agency offers. Discuss one similar trip on offer.
• Learn how to apply for a job.

Tourism Marketing

In this course you learn about the specificities of Marketing for Tourism and Hospitality in theory and practice (fieldtrips in small teams).

Topics treated are: - Tourism as a service product – Strategic marketing planning in tourism – The marketing mix – Strategic marketing – Experiential marketing – Collaboration Marketing – Technology and Marketing – New Trends in Tourism and Hospitality consumption. 

English 2 

This course focuses on the following pillars:

• Grammar (advanced): passive voice, causative have, relative clauses, phrasal verbs, prepositions & conjunctions
• General & tourism-related vocabulary, reading, writing, speaking (syllabus, self-study, texts on tourism)
• Culture & history (UK/US) (lectures + student presentations)
• Commercial correspondence: basics, letter of enquiry, replies to enquiries, hotel & travel arrangements

English 3

This course focuses on the following pillars:

• General & tourism-related vocabulary (advanced): self-study, Tourism Principles & Marketing
• Key career skills: international job applications, intercultural awareness
• Business presentations
• Grammar (advanced): verbals, phrasal verbs
• Commercial correspondence/telephoning: complaints
• Culture & History

European Integration – Belgium in Europe

In this course, we analyze the creation and development of the European Community and Union. We examine the institutions and political actors of the E.U., as well as its policies and policy processes. Special attention is attributed to recent developments.

Complementary students are briefly initiated into Belgium’s history. With its linguistic, religious and social crossings Belgium is often considered an embryo for the current Europeanization of other regions.

Spanish 1 – level A1 

This cours is a communication oriented course. An easy way to start making yourself understood in Spanish: when introducing yourself, at a hotel, in a café and when travelling. You will be guided through expressions, grammar and pronunciation step by step. The Spanish course is based on level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Spanish 2  – level B1

This course focuses on acquiring/enhancing a variety of business skills and contains several modules, including:

• Targeted vocabulary
• Grammar: use of the tenses
• How to make a telephone call
• Introduction to correspondence (writing an e-mail)

The next steps for learners of Spanish: arranging to meet and asking how to get somewhere, ordering at a restaurant, reserving a hotel room and talking about your family and holidays. In this Spanish course, you will learn all the expressions you need as well as grammar and pronunciation.

The student will acquire more vocabulary and grammar for various situations such as going shopping, talking about feelings and everyday life, making a phone call. This course is based on level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Data Driven Communication  

Together with you, the aim is to train and strengthen the digital marketing skills of young potentials. During the program participants learn everything there is to know about Google Adwords, Google Analytics and general online marketing.

International Communication and Project

This course focuses on two pillars, the first of which is international communication. In this domain, you will further hone your presenting skills in a Pecha Kucha presentation, and (through self-study) further improve your knowledge of business English.

In teams consisting of both Belgian and international students you work on an international campaign for EdCom (Ad Venture), elaborating a full-scale campaign, doing a triple pitch and delivering a final presentation in addition to compiling a campaign dossier in professional English.

Please note that this course is part of the final year’s curriculum, meaning the bar is raised for all participating students. This is not a beginner’s course in English.

Omnichannel Retail 

In marketing PR, PR activities support the marketing objectives. In product and corporate PR, the main task is to create a favourable climate in society for the product and the company. Marketing PR goes further. There, the ultimate goal is to stimulate the sale of your products or services. Marketing objectives supported by Public Relations activities may include raising awareness, informing and educating, creating understanding, building trust, giving consumers a reason to buy, building 'rumour around the brand', and fostering favourable consumer attitudes.

Promotions, in-store communication and packaging

Consumers are constantly faced with a thousand and one stimuli. The flow of visual information alone is overwhelming. An overdose that our brain - fortunately - knows how to deal with selectively. So it is that some things penetrate more quickly, linger longer, make a stronger impression than others that we quickly forget, or simply do not even notice. For many companies, driven by the pursuit of commercial success, it is a matter of life or death to make their product catch the eye of the consumer, to seduce, to convince the brain that it is worth being seen. The appearance of the product therefore plays a decisive role. A striking promotion at the point of sale, a consistent, recognisable packaging line. These are undeniable factors that can make or break a brand.

Packaging is more than an attractive shell! It acts as an eye-catcher, provides essential product information and is an important marketing tool. Its development must therefore be carried out according to the rules of the game. Studies have long known that the consumer's purchase decision is increasingly made at the point of sale. Standing out on the shelf among the competition is very important. An eye for an eye... Just like good packaging, in-store communication can also influence the customer's choice.

In-store promotional material not only refers to a publicity campaign, but can also complement the products displayed on the shelves. It acts as an additional incentive when the packaging does not attract enough attention, is not informative enough, or is not powerful enough to convince people.

Campaign

This is not a weekly course. The entire course will take place during 2 weeks in January (exam period). Attendance is mandatory during the briefing and elaboration of the campaign. You will be supervised by lecturers. Those guidance sessions are also mandatory. You present the final result at the end of the two weeks.

Under intensive teacher guidance, students learn to draw up a communication plan and mix based on a preliminary study. This plan must offer a solution for a real question/problem of an external client. These assignments may come from the PR, advertising, events or interactive sector and from different types of organisations: profit, non-profit and government. The campaign project proceeds in successive phases: debriefing, research, strategy, concept and creation, media planning and presentation.

The practical exercise campaign is a product-oriented exercise.

The teachers involved provide a briefing in which the exact modalities regarding planning, supervision, content and evaluation of this project are outlined.

Digital Strategy and Webdesign Portfolio

You are able to assess existing digital strategies (via social media, internet platforms, apps,...) and to realise a fully-fledged online campaign yourself. You can integrate social media into an online marketing strategy, work out a website architecture, write efficient content, propose interactive tools, design banners, understand the components of an adword campaign and work it out pro forma, etc.

You understand the importance of e-mail marketing and newsletters in professional communication. You are ready to follow the shifts in the world of communication from mass media to one-to-one and become a player in it.

You are able to properly assess the role of conversation manager and content management. You are familiar with Web 2.0, 3.0 & beyond.

You have understood the privacy issue. You are familiar with the state of affairs of mobile marketing. The importance of building websites and understanding SEO is clear.

Masterclass Marketingcommunication

You will get an in-depth understanding of Integrated Communication, Conversation Marketing, B2C communication, B2B Communication and Image Building.

The following topics, among others, are covered:

• advertising techniques
• branding & positioning
• advertising strategies
• creative thinking
• storytelling
• copywriting
• media planning

Professional Communication 1

 This course focuses on professional communicative skills in English. In this domain, you will learn all about communication in English and improve your knowledge and understanding of business English. In addition, you will study a number of grammar and business vocabulary topics independently.

The main emphasis will be on oral, writing and listening skills, however, rather than vocabulary and grammar. We will cover a number of important business emails, and focus on the tools you need to write them. You will be working both independently and in teams/groups in class. We will focus on oral communication as well, in the form of group debates and an individual presentation about a business topic. Students are expected to actively participate in class and give peer feedback.

Topics covered include:

• Debate topics
• Grammar
• Commercial correspondence: enquiries + replies to enquiries
• TedX

Please note that this is not a beginner’s course in English. Students should know the basics of business correspondence,should be able to express themselves in English and have a normal conversation with their lecturer and fellow students. Basic grammar (present and past tenses, adjectives and adverbs, articles and noun, singular and plurals forms) should be previously mastered and used without difficulties.

Summer School English

An intensive English language course (held before the start of the other courses) for incoming and outgoing PXL students (45 hours divided over 7 days, not on Saturday and Sunday).

IIn order to determine your level you'll have to complete a written intake and an oral intake interview before the start of the Summer School on 4/9 on campus in Hasselt. The written intake can also be done online in advance.

Using authentic material, this course gives you the best possible chance of making the most of your educational opportunities and it provides help in developing essential skills for your career. You'll also make a field trip to get to know Hasselt and your fellow students.

With the focus on general English you will be given the opportunity to practice on:

• Writing reports, essays …
• Giving presentations, seminar discussions …
• Taking notes on the main points of a lectures …
• Understanding main ideas in paragraphs and longer texts …
• Brief recapitulation of the main grammar items…

Survival Dutch

You will learn the basics of the Dutch language. So you will be able to take the bus/train, find your way in Hasselt or order a pint in a pub. There is a strong focus on communication.

Subjects:

• Meeting and greeting, on the road
• In town: shopping - eating – drinking – washing clothes
• The alphabet, pronunciation
• Numbers, time, dates
• Going out, making an appointment
• Health, going to the doctor and pharmacy.

English for eXchange

In this course, students learn how to communicate in an international (professional) context. Students work on their general language skills as well as improve their language competences so that they can function in an international working environment.

This course is designed to practice the four communicative skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking by e.g.:

• reading newspaper articles and short stories and understanding the (basic) contents;
• deriving the meaning of selected vocabulary items from a text;
• writing formal/neutral (professional) and informal emails or letters;
• listening to conversations by native speakers and understanding the (basic) contents;
• watching short movie fragments and understanding the (basic) contents;
• expressing one's opinion about topics of general or professional interest;
• having everyday (professional) conversations/performing role plays.

The exact contents of the course is subject to change and is open to suggestions by students. Students extend their vocabulary by reading real life texts, listening to conversations by native speakers and by having conversations and playing role plays.

They study grammar items by doing exercises and will have to put these grammatical items into practice in conversations and in writing.