The increased desire for an ethical holiday, to give something back as well as to experience the real culture of the countries we visit has led to a burgeoning market for volunteer tourism. A 2008 study by Tourism and Research Marketing, which surveyed 300 organisations, estimated the market size to be 1.6 million volunteer tourists per year and put the value of the market at around £1.3 billion.

Often called “voluntourism”, this amalgamation of volunteering and travel has created a significant amount of debate but continues to grow unabated. The main issues arising from this sector include whether there is a need for the volunteer and the legitimacy of the projects they do; whether the volunteer brings the necessary skills to the project; whether they are displacing paid workers; are they a drain on local resources; the cost of the project and where the money goes; whether volunteers working with children and vulnerable adults should have background checks; how well prepared and briefed are volunteers for this kind of experience and the cultural sensitivities of volunteering in developing countries.

There are many stories of volunteers arriving at projects only to find there is little for them to do, no logistical support on the ground or they are unprepared or unskilled for the experience. The growth of the market and positioning within the mainstream travel sector will continue to raise and address these kind of issues. This could ultimately lead to a better experience for volunteers and increased benefit to the local communities they visit, with movement towards regulation of the industry.

The sheer choice of volunteering projects now available can also make it difficult to identify the right volunteer experience. A search on the responsibletravel.com website for “volunteer travel” brings up 377 results, including conservation projects, teaching and working with children and community based projects in developing countries.

There is some good advice available, for example the ethical volunteering guide by Dr Kate Simpson, which advises volunteers on choosing the right organisation, considering their own motivations for volunteering and what questions to ask. The Irish development organisation Comhlmh has developed a Volunteer Charter setting out seven principles for responsible volunteering and a website, Volunteering Options, to advise prospective volunteers on choosing a placement.

The best way to identify worthwhile projects is to do some research into the organisation. The first question to ask is for a breakdown of the cost of the project and how much goes to the host community. An organisation should be able to easily provide this information. The next thing to check is how the project was developed and understand why there is a need for a volunteer, the skills required and what volunteers will be doing. Another key thing to check is what level of preparation and support are offered by the organisation, both before and during the project. Speaking to a previous volunteer or searching for reviews online can help to separate the good from the bad.

There are at least 100 UK-based organisations operating volunteering projects overseas, some of which are not-for-profits or NGOs and others commercial profit-making companies. These include companies like i-to-i, Inspired Breaks (formerly Gap Year for Grown Ups) and Real Gap Experience, all part of the TUI group. They offer a mixture of volunteering projects, work abroad and adventure tours, primarily aimed at the gap year and career break market, however they also have two week holiday options. Their volunteer projects include conservation work, teaching, caring for children and volunteering in orphanages, sports coaching, building projects and medical volunteering. Inspired Breaks also offer family volunteering holidays, for example a trip to Swaziland to help care for vulnerable and orphaned children. The Adventure Company are also offering family “Hands On Adventures” which include wildlife conservation and community projects.

The acquisition of these companies by TUI demonstrates the multi-million pound value of the volunteering and gap year market. One of the main criticisms of volunteering projects offered by commercial organisations is that the company’s main interest is in profit rather than development. Projects are developed based on what the customer wants to do, what is marketable, rather than the needs of local communities. Some companies will send volunteers to do the same project repeatedly, with little benefit to the host community. The other concerns about the commercial organisations are that they don’t match volunteers to suitable placements or interview prospective volunteers to assess their suitability for projects and they offer minimal preparation or training.

Two organisations which stand out for their responsible credentials are Global Vision International (GVI) and people and places. GVI won the 2011 Responsible Tourism Award for best volunteering organisation and were praised for the scale of their impact on the ground. They operate long term, sustainable projects in 25 countries focusing on environmental research, conservation, education and community development. Projects are developed for the benefit of both the volunteer and local communities.

people and places, who also won the best volunteering organisation award in 2009, emphasise their commitment to both volunteers and communities and matching the right volunteer to the right placement. Their organisation was conceived out of concern over the “chasm between marketing and reality in a significant number of volunteer offers”. They work with local partners and develop volunteer placements based on their needs. This is very much the model used by international development volunteering organisations like VSO and 2Way Development. They provide detail about the project and local partner and are transparent about how the volunteer’s payment is spent. They are now working with companies like Tribes and ITC Classics to provide their volunteering trips.

What is particularly interesting is that people and places emphasise on their website that these kind of volunteering projects are not holidays – “Volunteering responsibly cannot and should not replace the traditional holiday. It will be emotionally exhausting and mentally challenging”.

So is the volunteer travel market growing? The number of organisations and projects available would indicate that it is. Despite the recession, there seems to be a demand for this sort of travel. The current job market and wave of redundancies could be seen as an opportunity to take time out and travel or volunteer, gain new skills and experience to add to CVs. The high cost of many of the projects could be the main barrier for growth in this market, only affordable to the more affluent. But with the rise of the career breaker and the growing conscience of mainstream tourism, perhaps 2012 really is the year of the volunteer tourist?

Sustainable Tourism Report Suite more info : HERE

This article is written by Natasha Stein, natashakstein@gmail.com has worked for VSO, Earthwatch and Thomson Holidays and specialises in best practice in overseas volunteering programmes and identifying the right placements for volunteers. Natasha developed an interest in responsible tourism whilst working at Thomson Holidays as a Product Manager for long-haul destinations. After 6 years with VSO’s volunteering team, she decided to combine her experience in tour operations and international development and pursue a career in responsible travel. She is currently studying for a Masters in Responsible Tourism Management at the International Centre for Responsible Tourism.
The article is quoted from TravelMole and published January 2012.

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International tourist arrivals grew by 4.4% in 2011 to a total 980 million, up from 939 million in 2010, in a year characterised by a stalled global economic recovery, major political changes in the Middle East and North Africa and natural disasters in Japan. By region, Europe (+6%) was the best performer, while by subregion South-America (+10%) topped the ranking. Contrary to previous years, growth was higher in advanced economies (+5.0%) than in emerging ones (+3.8%), due largely to the strong results in Europe, and the setbacks in the Middle East and North Africa.

“International tourism hit new records in 2011 despite the challenging conditions,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. “For a sector directly responsible for 5% of the world’s GDP, 6% of total exports and employing one out of every 12 people in advanced and emerging economies alike these results are encouraging, coming as they do at a time in which we urgently need levers to stimulate growth and job creation,” he added.

Despite persistent economic uncertainty, tourist arrivals to Europe reached 503 million in 2011, accounting for 28 million of the 41 million additional international arrivals recorded worldwide. Central and Eastern Europe and Southern Mediterranean destinations (+8% each) experienced the best results. Although part of the growth in Southern Mediterranean Europe resulted from a shift in traffic away from the Middle East and North Africa, destinations in the Mediterranean also profited from improved outbound flows from markets such as Scandinavia, Germany and the Russian Federation.

Asia and the Pacific (+6%) was up 11 million arrivals in 2011, reaching a total 216 million international tourists. South Asia and South-East Asia (both +9%) benefited from strong intraregional demand, while growth was comparatively weaker in North-East Asia (+4%) and Oceania (+0.3%), partly due to the temporary decline in the Japanese outbound market.

The Americas (+4%) saw an increase of 6 million arrivals, reaching 156 million in total. South America, up by 10% for the second consecutive year, continued to lead growth. Central America and the Caribbean (both +4%) maintained the growth rates of 2010. North America, with a 3% increase, hit the 100 million tourists mark in 2011.

Africa maintained international arrivals at 50 million, as the gain of two million by Sub-Saharan destinations (+7%) was offset by the losses in North Africa (-12%). The Middle East (-8%) lost an estimated 5 million international tourist arrivals, totalling 55 million. Nevertheless, some destinations such as Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates sustained steady growth.

Available data on international tourism receipts and expenditure for 2011 closely follows the positive trend in arrivals.
Among the top ten tourist destinations, receipts were up significantly in the USA (+12%), Spain (+9%), Hong Kong (China) (+25%) and the UK (+7%). The top spenders were led by emerging source markets – China (+38%), Russia (+21%), Brazil (+32%) and India (+32%) – followed by traditional markets, with the growth in expenditure of travelers from Germany (+4%) and the USA (+5%) above the levels of previous years.

UNWTO forecasts international tourism to continue growing in 2012 although at a slower rate. Arrivals are expected to increase by 3% to 4%, reaching the historic one billion mark by the end of the year. Emerging economies will regain the lead with stronger growth in Asia and the Pacific and Africa (4% to 6%), followed by the Americas and Europe (2% to 4%). The Middle East (0% to +5%) is forecast to start to recover part of its losses from 2011.

These prospects are confirmed by the UNWTO Confidence Index. The 400 UNWTO Panel of Experts from around the globe, expects the tourism sector to perform positively in 2012, though somewhat weaker than last year.

As destinations worldwide look to stimulate travel demand under pressing economic conditions, UNWTO is urging governments to consider advancing travel facilitation, an area in which in spite of the great strides made so far there is still much room for progress. UNWTO advises countries to make the most of information and communication technologies in improving visa application and processing formalities, as well as the timings of visa issuance, and to analyze the possible impact of travel facilitation in increasing their tourism economies.

“Travel facilitation is closely interlinked with tourism development and can be key in boosting demand. This area is of particular relevance in a moment in which governments are looking to stimulate economic growth but cannot make major use of fiscal incentives or public investment,” said Mr. Rifai.

More information follow the link to UNWTO World Tourism Barometer

This article is written by Valere Tjolle, editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite. The article is quoted from TravelMole and published January 2012.

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Looking back from a few decades in the future, 2011 may seem like a turning point in social history. This was the year when “people power” became a global phenomenon: from the Arab Spring to the reforms in Burma; from the Occupy movements in North America to the grassroots fight against female circumcision in Africa. In China, thousands of citizens tweeted their solidarity with activist artist Ai Weiwei, while bloggers from Havana to Moscow shared their belief in freedom of expression and social justice.

There are many ways to deliver a message and take a stand for human rights and the health of our planet. Social networks are critical—but travel is also a powerful communicating tool. Travel and tourism are among the planet’s driving economic forces, and every journey we take makes a statement about our priorities and commitment to change. (Even the choice to fly must be weighed carefully, as jet aircraft release an astonishing amount of carbon dioxide).

Ethical Traveler believes that mindful travel is a net positive for the planet. By choosing our destinations well and remembering our role as citizen diplomats, we can create international goodwill and help change the world for the better.

Every year, Ethical Traveler reviews the policies and practices of all the nations in the developing world. We then select the ten that are doing the best job of promoting human rights, preserving their environment, and creating a sustainable, community-based tourism industry. By visiting these destinations, we use our economic power—our travel dollars—to support these countries.

We urge you to explore these ethical destinations, and enjoy the wonderful sights, cultures and activities they offer.
Our best efforts go into creating this list, but remember: No country is perfect. All have their shortcomings. These ten, however, have made a determined effort to “do the right thing” in the many areas we take into consideration.

Please note that Ethical Traveler is an all-volunteer non-profit organization, and a project of the Earth Island Institute. No money or donations of any kind were solicited from any countries, governments or individuals in the creation of this list.

The Winners
Ethical Traveler congratulates the countries on our 2012 list of The Developing World’s 10 Best Ethical Destinations. The winners, in alphabetical order (not in order of merit), are:
• Argentina *
• The Bahamas
• Chile *
• Costa Rica *
• Dominica *
• Latvia *
• Mauritius
• Palau *
• Serbia
• Uruguay *
( * = also appeared on our 2011 list).

This article is quoted from Ethical Traveler , read more information in the original article here.
Follow this link to download the report Download the full 2012 Ethical Destinations Report (PDF) written by Jeff Greenwald, Christy Hoover & Natalie Lefevre / EthicalTraveler.org.

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This article is quoted from EcoClub Newsletter . Follow this link to read the original article published on 2011-11-27 by Megan Epler Wood.

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Nominations can be submitted until December 31, 2011. Follow this link to fill the form and suggest the city that should be one of the New7Wonders Cities.

The nominations will be announced on January 7, 2012 and these participants will then be put to popular vote to choose the New7Wonders Cities.

This article is quoted from New7Wonders , read the original article here posted on the 13th of November 2011.

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GDP: Direct Contribution
The direct contribution of Travel &Tourism to GDP is expected to be USD554.5bn (2.8% of total GDP) in 2011, rising by 3.0% pa to USD748.2bn (2.9%) in 2021 (in constant 2011 prices).

GDP: Total Contribution
The total contribution of Travel &Tourism to GDP, including its wider economic impacts, is forecast to rise by 2.6% pa from USD1,535.3bn (7.7% of GDP) in 2011 to USD1,999.9bn (7.8%) by 2021.

Employment: Direct Contribution
Travel & Tourism is expected to support directly 9,709,000 jobs (2.6% of total employment) in 2011, rising by 1.4% pa to 11,153,000 jobs (3.0%) by 2021.

Employment: Total Contribution
The total contribution of Travel & Tourism to employment, including jobs indirectly supported by the industry, is forecast to rise by 0.8% pa from 28,058,000 jobs (7.7% of total employment) in 2011 to 30,338,000 jobs (8.1%) by 2021.

Visitor Exports
Travel & Tourism visitor exports are expected to generate USD487.2bn (6.0% of total exports) in 2011, growing by 5.4%pa (in nominal terms) to USD683.1bn (5.0%) in 2021.

Investment
Travel & Tourism investment is estimated at USD144.1bn or 3.8% of total investment in 2011. It should rise by 3.9% pa to reach USD214.2bn (or 3.9%) of total investment in 2021.

The Europe region includes the countries within the European Union (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus,Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,Netherlands, Poland, Portugal,Romania,
Slovakia, Slovenia,Spain, Sweden, UK) and other European countries (Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine,Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey)

Download the Travel & Tourism report on Europe here

About WTTC
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is the forum for business leaders in the Travel & Tourism industry. With Chief Executives of some one hundred of the world’s leading Travel & Tourism companies as its Members, WTTC has a unique mandate and overview on all matters related to Travel & Tourism.
WTTC works to raise awareness of Travel & Tourism as one of the world’s largest industries, supporting more than 258 million jobs and generating 9.1 per cent of world GDP.

This article is quoted from WTTC . Follow the links and get an overview of 2011 WTTC region reports or country reports.

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GDP: Direct Contribution
The direct contribution of Travel &Tourism to GDP is expected to be USD465.5bn (2.9% of total GDP) in 2011, rising by 2.9% pa to USD616.7bn (3.1%) in 2021 (in constant 2011 prices).

GDP: Total Contribution
The total contribution of Travel &Tourism to GDP, including its wider economic impacts, is forecast to rise by 2.4% pa from USD1,248.0bn (7.8% of GDP) in 2011 to USD1,580.3bn (8.1%) by 2021.

Employment: Direct Contribution
Travel & Tourism is expected to support directly 7,062,000 jobs (3.2% of total employment) in 2011, rising by 1.5% pa to 8,218,000 jobs (3.7%) by 2021.

Employment: Total Contribution
The total contribution of Travel & Tourism to employment, including jobs indirectly supported by the industry, is forecast to rise by 0.9% pa from 18,382,000 jobs (8.4% of total employment) in 2011 to 20,066,000 jobs (8.9%) by 2021.

Visitor Exports
Travel & Tourism visitor exports are expected to generate USD398.7bn (5.9% of total exports) in 2011, growing by 5.1%pa (in nominal terms) to USD552.7bn (4.9%) in 2021.

Investment
Travel & Tourism investment is estimated at USD117.3bn or 4.0% of total investment in 2011. It should rise by 3.6% pa to reach USD166.6bn (or 4.2%) of total investment in 2021.

World ranking (out of 12 regions):
Relative importance of Travel & Tourism’s total contribution to GDP.
• 2 ABSOLUTE size
• 8 RELATIVE contribution to national economy
• 12 GROWTH forecast

The European Union includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Download the Travel & Tourism report on European Union here

About WTTC
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is the forum for business leaders in the Travel & Tourism industry. With Chief Executives of some one hundred of the world’s leading Travel & Tourism companies as its Members, WTTC has a unique mandate and overview on all matters related to Travel & Tourism.
WTTC works to raise awareness of Travel & Tourism as one of the world’s largest industries, supporting more than 258 million jobs and generating 9.1 per cent of world GDP.

This article is quoted from WTTC . Follow the links and get an overview of 2011 WTTC region reports or country reports.

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GDP: Direct ContributionThe direct contribution of Travel &Tourism to GDP is expected to be USD483.2bn (2.8% of total GDP) in 2011, rising by 6.6% pa to USD920.6bn (2.7%) in 2021 (in constant 2011 prices).

GDP: Total Contribution
The total contribution of Travel &Tourism to GDP, including its wider economic impacts, is forecast to rise by 6.8% pa from USD1,397.4bn (8.0% of GDP) in 2011 to USD2,727.3bn (8.4%) by 2021.

Employment: Direct Contribution
Travel & Tourism is expected to support directly 66,750,000 jobs (3.4% of total employment) in 2011, rising by 1.9% pa to 80,264,000 jobs (3.6%) by 2021.

Employment: Total Contribution
The total contribution of Travel & Tourism to employment, including jobs indirectly supported by the industry, is forecast to rise by 2.3% pa from 153,719,000 jobs (7.7% of total employment) in 2011 to 192,905,000 jobs (8.6%) by 2021.

Visitor Exports
Travel & Tourism visitor exports are expected to generate USD184.4bn (3.8% of total exports) in 2011, growing by 9.5%pa (in nominal terms) to USD315.8bn (3.2%) in 2021.

Investment
Travel & Tourism investment is estimated at USD216.2bn or 3.9% of total investment in 2011. It should rise by 7.5% pa to reach USD447.0bn (or 3.9%) of total investment in 2021.

BRICs and N11s Region includes the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) and the N11s (Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Phillippines South Korea, Turkey, Vietnam)
Download the Travel & Tourism report on BRICs and N11 Economic Impact Report here

About WTTC
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is the forum for business leaders in the Travel & Tourism industry. With Chief Executives of some one hundred of the world’s leading Travel & Tourism companies as its Members, WTTC has a unique mandate and overview on all matters related to Travel & Tourism.
WTTC works to raise awareness of Travel & Tourism as one of the world’s largest industries, supporting more than 258 million jobs and generating 9.1 per cent of world GDP.

This article is quoted from WTTC . Follow this link to read the original article and download the tourism report on 2011 BRICs and N11 Economic Impact Report here.
Get an overview of all the region reports from WTTC here

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Global sustainability spending will soar 50 percent to 100 percent between 2011 and 2013, predicted research firm Verdantix. Firms in the U.S., U.K., Australia and Canada with $1 billion-plus revenue will dole out roughly $60 billion in 2013 on workers, equipment or implementation of strategies directly related to sustainability, climate change, carbon management or energy efficiency.

“Spending on sustainable business initiatives such as energy efficiency, sustainability assurance and clean tech innovation is positively correlated with global economic growth,” David Metcalfe, Verdantix director and a regular contributor to GreenBiz.com, said in a statement Thursday. “By 2013 a powerful mix of market drivers, led by the forecasted global economic rebound, will significantly increase strategic investment in sustainability programs. The arrival of the 2013 tipping point will be good news for cash-strapped clean tech innovators and struggling sustainability entrepreneurs.”
Verdantix will details its findings in a webinar on June 2.

Verdantix based its predictions on four years of research into the spending habits of more than 2,500 worldwide companies. The analysis revealed three key trends.
First, the rise of the chief sustainability officer is helping to scale corporate sustainability programs and promote the virtues of sustainability externally to professional associations and the like.
Meanwhile, the concept of sustainability is increasingly seen as a need-to-have by corporate boards and CEOs, rather than a nice-to-have. Sustainability carries with it a range of quantifiable, bottom-line benefits that enhance competitiveness, such as resource efficiency.
By 2013, Verdantix predicts, trends we’re seeing now, such as growing demand in Asia, tougher energy and climate change policies, and evidence on how sustainability provide business value, will have solidified, deepening the business case for investment.

This article is quoted from GreenBiz , read the original article here written by Tilde Herrera and published May 20, 2011.

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In Bangladesh, in general, the brilliant students of commerce would like to pursue their higher studies either in Accounting or Finance. In 1996, when I stood first in merit list in Rajshahi Education Board from Commerce group and decided to pursue my higher studies on Marketing, I didn’t get support from my family, teachers, and well-wishers except two teachers of my college. But I was determined and from marketing department, finally gained the ‘student of the year’ award for obtaining highest CGPA among the firsts of all departments of my batch. Till now for a single moment, I have not felt that my decision was ‘wrong’ because I have enjoyed all out marketing in my life.
When I joined as lecturer, the real insights of marketing become apparent to me. I realized that the scope of marketing studies is so wide that I should concentrate on a specific arena. I discussed with my wife; she is also a teacher of marketing in a university, and chose ‘tourism’ for my further studies. The reasons are enormous. But the main reasons are…now the numbers of marketing students are increasing rapidly but specialized people on tourism are very few in Bangladesh. So, having degree in this field can tag me with the first generation tourism studied people of our country.
On the other hand, each year huge number of international travelers visits India and Nepal which are very close neighboring countries to us. Unfortunately, very few of them come to visit Bangladesh; in spite of having the largest mangrove forest of the world (Sundarbans), longest sandy sea beach (Cox’s Bazar), unique coral Island (Saint Martin’s), the attractive rain forest of Asia (Lawacherra), and so on. Most probably, the reasons are not revealed accurately yet. So, after having my education in tourism, I can devote (research and teaching) my gained knowledge for the enrichment of this sector. I fix my target to work on ‘tourism marketing’ which can create synergy with my knowledge of marketing.

Last year when I notice the circular of ‘European Master in Tourism Management (EMTM)’ with Erasmus Mundus scholarship, I feel that it can be really helpful to reach my target. Because, actually our university degrees are less ‘research’ oriented. And so, at least without having an M. Phil or research oriented Master degree, top ranked universities do not accept us as Ph. D. student. Earlier I wrote many professors for Ph. D. admission but after giving delighted complements of my CV, finally they have said, you have very poor research background. It’s true, because to complete BBA and MBA in our country, a student, has to complete (maximum) 5 to 8 percent research courses (including internship). The course structure of EMTM was also very appealing and so I was keenly expecting to get selection in this program; finally I got it and waiting to discover the wonders of three legendary countries of Europe.

Our first semester is in University of Southern Denmark at Esbjerg campus. Next countries are Slovenia and Spain. Though the coordinating office is in Spain, my dream was always centered to Denmark because; my dream will become true in this land first! The international office is very efficient in handling overseas issues. For this, actually, we didn’t undergo any trouble to enter Denmark (simply which is not common). Through entering Denmark on 26th of August, 2010 I have started to discover the historic and natural treasures of this beautiful land. The first week of our orientation was really tightening scheduled. When chasing schedules everyone was ‘annoyed’ but finally in feedback session all praised the arrangements of international office!
The higher education system of Denmark is quite different than us. Bangladeshi method is much more dependent on ‘memorizing’ but here nobody will ask you to remember anything to pass in the exams. Understanding the issues is given much priority in this system. Our teachers always try to provide us huge current and relevant documents for reading and understanding. The classes are for ‘mind sharing’ and getting more insights. No traditional exams are existent here; all tests are about home assignments, group work, presentations, and finally submission a project paper for each course. This system has made us compelled to read a lot, share our thoughts with class/group mates. Recently we have completed our first quarter and submitted our two project papers as final exams.
In case of studying tourism, Denmark is an ideal place certainly. Except high cost structure, everything is favorable for tourists and tourism studies. By only two and half months, we have visited many tourist spots as part of our academic work. Sometimes the authorities e.g. Mr. Jakob, project coordinator of Fanoe Island (recently declared as national park of Denmark) has given presentations on history, functions, management etc. before us; Guided tours at Wadden Sea center or Ribe (the most ancient city of Denmark); Meet with the CEO of VisitDenmark (the official guide to Denmark) were really helpful to have practical knowledge of tourism. Besides, our different groups have visited Germany, Sweden, and Norway in vacations (as no visa is required to travel in Schengen area).
Initially there were ‘academic writing’ classes which were really helpful for having the knowledge of writing assignments and project papers. The very positive side of studying in Denmark is the research oriented approach. Producing papers for final exams will really make us prepared to carry out more research or higher studies. Our final semester is totally assigned for practical research and writing thesis paper. This trend is also helpful for being a part of planning team or policy making. Studying in Denmark and Europe is really helpful for enhancing the quality of research and knowledge development. I am trying to take full advantage of this opportunity.
The writer, Md. Abdul Hamid , is a teacher of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh and now pursuing his master’s program at Denmark, Slovenia and Spain under Erasmus Mundus scholarship program.

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