DkIT’s Department of Hospitality hosts International Week showcasing Sustainable Tourism in Ireland
- Staff and students from IUT Lens, France, Zealand Academy, Denmark and Satakunta UAS, Finland travelled to DkIT for an Erasmus+ International Tourism Project
The Department of Hospitality at Dundalk institute of Technology (DkIT) in partnership with DkIT International Office recently hosted a series of events across five days showcasing the impact of sustainable tourism within the region.
The DkIT International Tourism Project Week, which took place from the 10th – 14th February 2025 was a novel, exciting, collaborative programme comprising invited students and staff from DkIT’s Erasmus partner institutions from Denmark, Finland and France, and students and staff from DkIT.
The international staff and students were from programmes within the fields of Tourism and Hospitality in Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Finland; the IUT Lens, France and the Zealand Academy, Denmark.
Speaking about the benefits of the programme, DkIT Erasmus+ Institutional Coordinator and International Office Manager, Noreen Carney commented:
“DkIT is proud of its long involvement in the Erasmus+ programme, which enables Student and Staff international mobility for study, placement, research and training.
This International Tourism Project Week at DkIT is an excellent example of international teamwork and collaboration in action. Our students get a unique opportunity through guided Erasmus+ projects to develop their intercultural competence, team-working and academic skill set, all of which contribute enormously to our students’ personal and professional development and future employability.”
Visiting students in this project worked with Year 2 students from DkIT’s B.A (Hons) in International Tourism Management, and the BA (Hons.) in Marketing and International Tourism Management on the creation of a short leisure travel experience package, aimed at showcasing sustainable tourism in Ireland for the overseas market. In addition, Year 3 students from DkIT’s International Tourism Management programme designed a brochure for the visiting students and Lecturers, which served as a practical resource to discover Dundalk and the region.
The DkIT Hospitality Department incorporated bespoke guest-lectures into the programme, delivered by specialists from the Tourism and Hospitality sectors. Highlighting the positive impact of the collaboration on the students and staff involved, Dr. Kevin Burns, Head of the Department of Hospitality Studies at DkIT said:
"Hosting an International Week in the Hospitality Department with our Erasmus partners is an invaluable opportunity for our students, colleagues, and the wider DkIT community. It fosters cultural exchange, enhances global perspectives, and strengthens international collaboration. For our students, it provides real-world insights into diverse tourism practices, broadening their professional and personal development. For staff, it creates meaningful connections with international educators and industry professionals, enriching our academic environment. This initiative reinforces the BA (Hons) in International Tourism Management and the BA (Hons.) in Marketing and International Tourism and DkIT’s commitment to internationalisation, preparing our graduates to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world."
The week-long activities also included a social programme, with staff and students learning about the impact of tourism initiatives in the Northeast region. This included discovery of the town of Dundalk and its environs, participation in the Seek Mural tour in Dundalk and a guided visit to the medieval village of Carlingford. The visitors were also introduced to Irish music at a trad session in Carlingford and at a céilí hosted in the MacAnna Theatre by DkIT Music graduates.
During the week the students and staff applied their skills in marketing, sales analysis, digital resources and international communication within multicultural team-settings, culminating at the end of the Project Week with each group delivering a presentation of its research findings, along with a series of tourism vlogs (short promotional videos) they created and a special marketing brochure showcasing tourism in Ireland Northeast.
The project was deemed a great success by the visiting students and staff and will lead to further collaborations with DkIT.
Sogand, a visiting student from Denmark, described the project as
“The best decision I have made in my education to come here, meeting different cultures and learning about different ways to work on a collaborative tourism project.”
Rory from DkIT said:
"It was the best week of College life!"
Jeanne from France said:
"It was a great experience, because we learned about others and ourselves."
Laure from Ireland:
"Most importantly, we learned all about teamwork, tolerance and we were set an interesting challenge."
Elsa from Finland said it was:
"An interesting immersive experience with other students from different universities, and I learned about the different ways other cultures work together."
