The Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) Program of SAMCIS held a Cebu-Bohol tour from May 26 to 28, 2023. All 153 third and fourth-year HTM students, along with five HTM faculty members, were able to broaden their learning experiences thru experiential learning outside the everyday activities in school.
The Field Trip is an off-campus activity, a part of the curricular requirements for the Hospitality and Tourism Management program. The objective of the off-campus activity – Field Trip, is to broaden the learning experience of the students thru experiential learning outside the everyday activities in school. This bridges the gap between the learned facts and reality, amplifying the learning quality. The activity aims to reinforce the concepts, principles, and contextual learnings the students had in school by seeing and experiencing various tourism and hospitality destinations and facilities.
The tour was successfully conducted thru the collaborative effort of SAMCIS – HTM faculty, staff, and the Harana Tours. The HTM students were happy to experience the different destination sites, the food they tasted, the activities, and the accommodations included in the tour package.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are realized through the field trip. SDG 4 Quality Education is evident in how students learn by seeing, feeling, tasting, and trying as they are exposed to real-life situations and experiences apart from what is provided inside the classroom. In terms of SDG 3, Good Health and Well-Being, health and well-being are reinforced by balancing classroom and off-campus activities. This improves the mental wellness of the students through outside-classroom exposure and experiences. For SDG 5, Gender Equality, and SDG 10, Reduced Inequalities among Genders, everyone in the field trip is included and given equal rights and opportunities during all field trip activities.
Though the students may not have been employed during the field trip, the activities exposed them to different job opportunities in the hospitality and tourism industry. SDG 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth, was witnessed and promoted thru the airport itself – ground and aircrew, tour guide, tour coordinator, travel agency operation, hotel and restaurant job opportunities, and many other jobs related to the hospitality and tourism industry. Witnessing these jobs being performed by the industry workers is an opportunity for the students to benchmark on and may see themselves working on it in the near future.
For SDG 9, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, and SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities, the field trip provides the opportunity for the students to witness improvements and innovation in the tourism and hospitality industry, such as roads, bridges, and building infrastructure (TIEZA) aside from the food innovation – the local and international fusion of flavors.
The field trip also aligns with SDGs 16 and 17– Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions and Partnerships for the Goals as it promotes camaraderie, cooperation, patience, and friendship; thus, field trip promotion and sustainability are met.
Overall, the students learned, experienced, and enjoyed first–hand experiences through the immersion in the culture, people, places, and food from other regions of the country.
