In February 2023, the Year 2 students of BA (Hons) Hospitality and Tourism Management, had the opportunity to engage directly with industry practitioners from the public and private sector, through a guest lecture on campus and a field trip to the Paralimni municipality. 

The students welcomed Larnaka Tourism Board’s senior officer, Ms Nana Asmeni Pavlou, to campus, within the framework of case-study module TL1088 Tourism in Action. During this guest lecture, the students had the opportunity of hearing about Larnaka’s Strategic Initiatives as a tourist destination and brainstorm on potential strengths and weaknesses the destination features today. The students were also invited to share their input about Larnaka’s destination image as part of a wider re-branding initiative undertaken by Larnaka Tourism Board. 

Additionally, within the framework of module TL1047 Tourism Destinations, the students had the opportunity to visit the Paralimni City Hall, hear about local tourism initiatives by officer Mr Marinos Pavlikkas, and visit the local marina construction site. The initiative was led by module leader Xenia Toumazou.

Dr Katerina Antoniou, Course Leader of BA (Hons) Hospitality and Tourism Management, stated that there is great significance and value in the contributions practitioners offer to students. “While our Management degree offers best practices and analytical tools to the future leaders of the Hospitality and Tourism industry, the practitioner input that our industry partners offer allows us to put these skills to practice and understand the current dynamics and challenges the industry faces”, Dr Antoniou added.