SAMK EduTravel promotes Satakunta and SAMK
SAMK EduTravel enables students to gain practical work experience and networks, while students enable EduTravel to run its activities.
Japanese Fam trip visited SAMK campus Pori.
SAMK EduTravel organised a Visit Finland educational tourism fam trip in Satakunta, where a group of Japanese tourism operators got to know Satakunta’s educational tourism offer in tourism companies and educational institutions.
The Satakunta part of the fam trip was organised in cooperation with the West Coast Finland Business Group project, Visit Pori and Visit Rauma. Maaria Berg, Executive Director of SAMK EduTravel and Lecturer in Tourism Services, highlights the importance of EduTravel students’ active involvement in the activities.
– I think part of the reason why this was offered to us is the active contact of our students Julia and Olli with Visit Finland. Last spring we presented our offer to Visit Finland’s representatives in Japan and South Korea, Maaria sums up.
– Without the active network of the West Coast Finland Business Group project, this Fam trip would not have taken place, so a big thank you to them for their good cooperation.
Important practical work experience for students already during their studies
Third-year International Tourism Management students Julia Alankoja and Olli Riihimäki are both completing part of their studies at SAMK EduTravel, an incoming travel agency specialised in educational travel. Now the students got to do the things that are done in the industry.
Julia got to work as a tour leader for the fam trip group and took care of the group, as well as the tight schedule. Olli prepared marketing materials for the visitors and also got to join a business dinner to get to know the guests. Julia sees EduTravel’s practical approach and the opportunity to try out travel agency-style work in her own University of Applied Sciences as a good thing.
– It gives you ideas of what you might want to do after graduation.
The Japanese group got to know the destinations in Satakunta, EduTravel’s service providers and the partner schools during a trip organised by SAMK EduTravel. At SAMK, the group got to know the modern Pori campus, the internationality and the innovative learning environments of the Pori campus, including a visit to the RoboAI laboratory.
It is hoped that the Fam trip will generate interest in the educational travel market from Japan to Finland and to Satakunta, represented by the Japanese travel agency guests as B2B clients.
Maaria also points out the importance of active communication and marketing.
– The ball is now in the customer’s court and after-marketing is being executed, Maaria adds.
SAMK EduTravel’s activities have also attracted the interest of international exchange students. Thanks to active marketing, bookings for day trips have been received and EduTravel’s new student team will soon take the reins from Olli and Julia. Julia is fortunate enough to be the tour leader for one more day trip and Olli is planning to do a project study course at EduTravel.
Read more about SAMK EduTravel 
Fam trip to Finland
The FAM trip started on 19th of September in Forssa and continued on 20th of September in Satakunta to Kokemäki tourism companies (Ali-Ketola Farm and Pitkäjärvi Leisure Centre) and educational institutions (Kokemäki Community School and Secondary School). From there to the sights of Pori, Yyteri Beach Resort, Restaurant Merimesta, Original Sokos Hotel Vaakuna and SAMK. From Pori, the trip continued on 21st of September to Old Rauma and Eura, where the group visited the Sieravuori Holiday Centre and Kannisto Farm, before heading to Turku for a couple of days.
Maaria Berg, Olli Riihimäki and Julia Alankoja in a group photo after the Fam trip.
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