Students on the Sustainable Tourism and International Relations degree programmes took part in a three-week study trip, which provided in-depth insights into the social, economic and political situation in El Salvador.
25 students from the Bachelor’s degree programmes in Sustainable Tourism and International Relations took part in a field trip to El Salvador. The three-week educational trip took place as part of the ‘Economics, Ecology and Ethics’ course, led by Professor Dirk Reiser – a professor specialising in sustainable tourism management at the Faculty of Society and Economics at Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences. The varied programme, which was developed in close collaboration with Flüchtlingshilfe Mittelamerika e.V., included meetings and discussions with various government representatives, institutions, co-operatives and organisations.
The aim was to provide the participants with in-depth insights into the social, economic and political situation in El Salvador, to reflect together on tourism in this Central American country, and to discuss with local stakeholders ways in which it can be developed sustainably. Among other things, the students had the opportunity to speak with the German Ambassador. They met the Minister for Tourism and the Eco-Tourism Co-ordinator at the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR), from whom they gained in-depth insights into current tourism concepts.
During their visit to the two national parks, ‘Montecristo’ and ‘Metapán’, they learnt a great deal from the local rangers about the current situation of the parks, which remains uncertain due to recent political changes in the country and the already limited funding. The students had the opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge they had learnt on the course during a discussion with a community living within the national park, which advised them on various sustainable tourism practices.
The participating students also got involved on site: together with staff and students from the University of El Salvador, as well as 150 local residents from the surrounding villages, they cleared the banks of the Rio Lemper, thereby taking a stand against plastic waste and environmental pollution.
A detailed student report on the excursion can be found here.
