Report on multiplier event – national seminar Dubrovnik, 7 June 2016

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The multiplier event within the Erasmus+ project Key Skills for European Union Hotel Staff (Project No.: 2014-1-HR01-KA2014-007224) was held at Valamar Dubrovnik President Hotel. The aim of the multiplier event was the dissemination of the project and the project results to stakeholders-to the teachers and the hotel industry as well. At the event were 37 participants altogether. The majority was from hotel industry, very popular Dubrovnik’s hotels. There were two representatives of Hrvatski Zavod za zapošljavanje Dubrovnik (Dubrovnik’s Labour Exchange).

The participants were informed about the project in general, the project results and project products. I presented the findings of the needs analysis report the Front Desk programs and mobile applications, the Moodle e-learning platform and the project website. I showed some examples for the Front Desk programs and my colleague Gordana, helped them to download the mobile applications on their smartphones. I presented the modules for A2/B1 language level in different languages and showed them the study material as well as some tasks. Furthermore, I presented the modules for B2/C1 language level and showed them some tasks as well. Moreover, Gordana Mandić presented the intercultural guidelines and the technical guidelines that are also uploaded on the e-learning platform and the course syllabus for both levels A2/B1 and B2/C1. Additionally, I showed them the links to download the Front Desk programs and mobile apps on the e-learning platform. Finally, I presented them the project website with all its contents. After the lunch break, the workshop took place. All the participants had the opportunity to try the tasks on the Moodle e-learning platform in different languages and on different levels.Finally, they were handed out project flyers in order to provide them with some more information about the project and project results. They were asked to tell friends and other people about it. I also asked them to fill in the evaluation sheet prepared for the meeting to get some feedback on the presentation.The general impression of the event was very good. The participants were very impressed with all the work that had been done and all the products that had been made during the project.

Here goes a more detailed report on the feedback of the event for industry representatives. Since there were 20 stakeholders from the hotel industry they said the following: on the question what kind of accommodation/catering/tourism business they represent, 6 of them were from 5 star hotel, 2 of them were 4 star hotel, 2 of them were from 3 star hotel, 1 from restaurant, 1 from 5 star hotel, 4 star hotel and 3 star hotel, 2 of them were 5 star hotel, 4 star hotel, 3 star hotel and campsite, 2 of them from HZZ Dubrovnik, 2 of them from 4 star hotel, 3 star hotel and 2 star hotel, 1 of 4 star hotel, 3 star hotel and campsite and  there was 1 researcher.

On the question where their accommodation/catering/tourism business situated is there was following: 9 of them said that they have it close to the its center, 2 of them on the outskirts of the city, 4 of them at the sea, 2 of them have other place, 1 of them said close to the city center and at the sea and 1 on the outskirt of the city and at the sea. Regarding how many years  the accommodation/catering/tourism business has been operating we have following answers: 10 of them answered that it has been than 30 years, 1 of them from 21 to 30 years, 5 of them from 11 to 20 years and 3 of them less than 3 years.

Regarding the position, we had following: 3 of them were assistant managers, 1 was Deputy General Manager, 1 Manager, 7 Managers, 2 F&B Managers, 1 Pedagogue, PR and Receptionist, 1 IT System Administrator, 1 General Manager, 1 Dissident Manager and Training Developing Specialist. We had a range of years having worked in accommodation/catering/tourism sector from 2 to 29 years. Languages spoken by stakeholders are basically English, Italian, German and less Spanish. Regarding the target market, many of them answered that mostly were tourist groups, then come individual travellers and families with children and the least of them answered that were business people. Mostly  their clients were from  UK and Croatia and Slovenia and less amount of them were from other countries such are Italy, Latvia, Hungary, France, Spain and Russia. None of them mentioned Romania and Greece and one even was from Bosnia. Regarding the language spoken by their staff we can say that English is leading language, 12 of them said it, and then French and German, very least we have Russian and Spanish. All said that they got useful information on the project. Seven of them would assess the project presentation very useful, 10 of them useful and 3 of them 50/50. All said that they got useful information on needs analysis. Six of them would assess the needs analysis conducted very useful, 10 of them useful and 4 of them 50/50. All of them said that they got useful information on curricula. 4 of them would assess the curricula created very useful, 14 of them useful and 2 of them 50/50. All of them got useful information on the Front Desk programs. 7 of them would assess the Front Desk programs very useful, 10 of them useful and 3 of them 50/50. All of them said that they would use the Front Desk programs and 14 of them said that they would suggest their staff for learning, 4 of them improve their language skills, 1 of them suggested intercultural norms and 1 said both improving their language skills and suggesting their staff for learning. All of them said that they got useful information on smartphone apps created. 7 of them would assess the smartphone apps created very useful, 10 of them useful and 3 of them 50/50.  All of them said they would use smartphone apps and 6 of them for improving their language skills, 10 of them suggesting their staff for learning, 1 of them for other purposes and  3 of them including both improving their language skills and suggesting their staff for learning. All got useful information on the Moodle learning platform and tasks created. 7 of them would assess the Moodle learning platform and tasks created very useful, 11 of them useful and 2 of them 50/50. All of them said they would use the Moodle learning platform and the tasks created but 12 of them said they would use it on purpose of suggesting their staff for learning, 5 of them for improving their language skills and 3 of them both suggesting their staff for learning and improving their language skills. All of them got useful information on interactive maps. 7 of them would assess the interactive maps created very useful, 10 of them useful and 3 of them 50/50. All of them would use the interactive maps but 12 of them for suggesting their staff for learning, 5 of them for improving their language skills and 3 of them both suggesting their staff for learning and improving their language skills.  All of them found the A2/B1 course created in 12 languages useful. 10 of them found A2/B1 course very useful, 7 of them useful and 3 of them 50/50. All of them found B2/C1 course useful. 8 of them found B2/C1 course very useful, 11 of them useful and 1 of them 50/50. There was not any suggestion regarding the project.

Part 2: Here goes the feedback for teachers. There were 17 teachers participated at the multiplier event. The range of year being as a language teacher is wide but mostly teachers have had from 20 to 25 years. Their highest formal education level is the following: 7 of them have Master’s level and 10 of them Bachelor’s level. Mostly of them have university degree in language teaching (pedagogy). Age of group of students they teach is between 15 and 19, some of them teach  young students. Main fields of their students are general language and philology.

All said that they got useful information on the project. Eleven of them would assess the project presentation very useful, 5 of them useful and 1 of them 50/50. All said that they got useful information on needs analysis. 13 of them would assess the needs analysis conducted very useful, 3 of them useful and 1 of them 50/50. All of them said that they got useful information on curricula. 10 of them would assess the curricula created very useful, 6 of them useful and 1 of them 50/50. All of them got useful information on the Front Desk programs. 9 of them would assess the Front Desk programs very useful, 7 of them useful and 1 of them 50/50. All of them said that they would use the Front Desk programs.  3 of them would use it for purpose of teaching language, 4 of them would suggest students for learning, 4 of them would improve language skills, and the others would combine all these together. All of them said that they got useful information on smartphone apps created. 8 of them would assess the smartphone apps created very useful, 7 of them useful and 2 of them 50/50.  All of them said they would use smartphone apps and 5 of them for improving their language skills, 4 of them suggesting their students for learning, 4 of them for  teaching language and 4 of them would combine all these together. All got useful information on the Moodle learning platform and tasks created. 9 of them would assess the Moodle learning platform and tasks created very useful, 7 of them useful and 1 of them 50/50. All of them said they would use the Moodle learning platform and the tasks created but 4 of them for improving their language skills, 5 of them suggesting their students for learning, 5 of them for  teaching language and 3 of them would combine all these together.

All of them got useful information on interactive maps. 9 of them would assess the interactive maps created very useful, 6 of them useful and 2 of them 50/50. All of them would use the interactive maps but 5 of them for improving their language skills, 4  of them suggesting their students for learning, 3 of them for  teaching language and 5 of them would combine all these together.

All of them found the A2/B1 course created in 12 languages useful. 9 of them found A2/B1 course very useful, 7 of them useful and 3 of them 50/50. All of them found B2/C1 course useful. 10 of them found B2/C1 course very useful, 6 of them useful and 1 of them 50/50. Regarding how useful project was in general, we have following answers: 9 of them said it was very useful, 5 of them useful and 3 of them 50/50. 11 of them said that it was very useful for them as teachers, 5 of them said useful and 1 it was 50/50. There was suggestion to upgrade the platform with audio tracks.

Hilarija Lozančić Benić

Project team member of TUSDU

Croatia

Project on the Largest Tourism and Travel Portal in the Baltic States

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Project on the Largest Tourism and Travel Portal in the Baltic States

Information on the Project Multiplier event held in Riga on June 2, 2016 and the project outputs has been published on the largest Tourism Portal in the Baltic States Travelnews.lv.

Tourism media group BalticTravelnews.com began its activities in 2003 with launching tourism business website TurismaBizness.lv (Eiropa.lv). Today it offers several tourism news websites for Internet users in Latvia (Travelnews.lv, TurismaBizness.lv), Lithuania (Travelnews.lt, TurizmoVerslas.lt), Estonia (Travelnews.ee) and Baltic tourism news website BalticTravelnews.com (in English, German and Russian languages).Since 2003, more than 400 Latvian and foreign enterprises, organizations and societies have become BalticTravelnews.com partners. http://www.baltictravelnews.com/

The information on the project with certain suggestions for the industry on how to access the project end products and how to actively use them has been published on its Latvian site and it is accessible both for tourism and hospitality industry professionals as well as for tourists and anyone searching for the information on travel and tourism in Latvia.

The article is available on:  http://travelnews.lv/?m_id=18273&i_id=5&pub_id=100765&Apgusti-svesvalodas-interaktiva-veida

Prof. Ineta Luka

Manager of Turiba University team