when students work to strengthen twinning ties with Cambodia

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As part of the twinning between Siem Reap (Cambodia) and Fontainebleau (Seine-et-Marne), an intercultural collaboration project started in September 2023. An educational project which brought together students from 1^re year in BTS Tourism François-Couperin high schoolstudents from the Siem Reap School of Hospitality and Tourism, as well as their teaching teams.

Students imagine tourist circuits

Last week the final of this educational project was held: the end of an adventure lasting almost a year, which required a lot exchanges between studentsto check the feasibility of their project and the opportunity for each student to discover more about the two twinned municipalities.

“The objective was to have students from our two schools work on the design of different tourist circuits in Cambodia, as well as in Fontainebleau and its surroundings,” explains Fatima Brochetonteacher in BTS Tourism at the François-Couperin high school. The students worked in groups and organized themselves into a travel agency.

Thus, the students from Siem Reap had to propose the tourist route of Fontainebleau and its surroundings, and vice versa. The city's twinning and international relations service facilitated links between establishments. The groups were put into competition, as part of a challenge to ultimately elect the best travel agency.

This competition began with the presentation of the students in Siem Reap on November 5. The Bellifontain students were welcomed at the town hall, Tuesday, November 19, to present the results of their work, in front of a jury, composed of Charlene Piresdirector of the Mercure hotel, Véronique Silcretfrom the Fontainebleau-Angkor Twinning association, Sophie Delasthe assistant principal of Couperin and Emmanuel Jaulinfrom the O-Nord Tour Operator, based in Vulaines-sur-Seine.

A jury became, for the duration of a presentation, the client of the fictitious agency, and which had to evaluate the students according to the reception, their product sheet, their argument, as well as the carbon footprint of the proposed tourist circuit.

“Create a complete trip to Cambodia”

“The instructions were to create a complete trip to Cambodia,” summarize the Bellifontain students. We offered various circuits, drawing on the professional skills acquired during our training. »

A real challenge for them, which also proved to be an enriching experience to discover the culture and riches of Cambodia. “The design of these circuits was a first concrete experience, a first step for our future careers,” they conclude.

Thursday, November 21, the finalists from each country made their presentation in Cambodia in front of Paul Dubrule (founder of the Accor group and former mayor of Fontainebleau), who created a hotel and tourism school in Siem Reap. In addition to the experience gained, the students won several prizes, offered by the members of the jury.

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