From Lecture Hall to Mesmerising Marrakesh

25 fourth-semester undergraduates studying Sustainable Tourism at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences travelled to Morocco from 24 May to 4 June 2017, accompanied by Dr Dirk Reiser, Professor for Sustainable Tourism Management, and research assistant Ika Dau. The group explored the rich culture of Morocco and met with locals as well as specialists to discuss various topics relating to the field of sustainability.

This is the second time that a group of Rhine-Waal students have had the opportunity to collect first-hand experience during an excursion to the North African Country, thereby broadening as well as deepening their understanding of the course ‘Economy, Ecology and Ethics’. The excursion‘s additional purpose was to inspire critical examination of stereotypical views in the West regarding, for instance, Islam, as well as to improve the students’ intercultural competence. To this end, the students held previously prepared presentations on various topics relating to tourism in the country located along the Northwestern Atlantic Ocean coastline of the African continent. Two students presented reasons motivating German tourists to visit Morocco, for example, and incited lively discussions during a meeting with Mountassir Boullal, the deputy director of the tourism portal Conseil Régional du Tourisme de Marrakech (Regional Tourism Council Marrakesh/CRT). ‘Opportunities to discuss subject-related topics with professionals working in the field like Mr Boullal, such as viable concepts for the development of tourism along with the according marketing strategies targeting a specific audience, or to learn about the expectations and needs of Muslim travellers, provide enlightening experiences which are difficult to convey through lectures alone," Ika Dau reports.

Over the course of the week the Rhine-Waal representatives visited a few of the classic tourist attractions, such as the historical centre of Marrakesh, the medina, or the desert village Aït-Ben-Haddou, an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, but also took a detailed look at economic sites, such as the world's largest solar power station in Quarzazate and a cooperative in Essaouira, producing an Argan Oil from the kernels of the argan tree. These diverse destinations not only left lasting impressions but also incited spirited discussions among the group. ‘The excursion to Morocco was a welcome break from everyday student life. There was so much more to learn,’ Martin-Thorben Fortkort, a Sustainable Tourism student, is pleased to report. He also welcomes the team spirit which the trip inspired among the students of the degree programme.

In conclusion the excursion, as part of the Sustainable Tourism degree programme, not only provided lasting personal impressions but also granted the attendees invaluable practical insights into the subject as well as possibilities for long-term collaborations. ‘We paid a visit to Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane and had an opportunity to discuss options for an exchange of staff and students between both institutions,’ summarizes Professor Reiser. ‘In addition, we are in touch with a social bicycle project in Marrakesh offering sixth-semester students the opportunity to complete their internship abroad with them.’