This is my first time in London, and although I am still confused about which train I need to take to get home ok, when I look out of the window and see the sun twinkling in the river Thames I’m so excited. I’m in London!

I am a student attending NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands. The course I am following is called International Tourism Management and Consultancy. That is indeed quite a mouthful, and as the title starts with the word International it would be strange when a compulsory placement abroad wouldn’t be part of the programme!

This placement actually isn’t the first in my (short) career. Before my current study course I studied Tourism and Leisure. I feel that this was a very good start for my career in the tourism industry. I have learned all the basics of tourism there, and also I have been in the lucky position to experience two unforgettable work placements. The first placement I did was at the local agent ‘Dolphin of Skiathos’ in Skiathos, Greece, where I mainly worked as a tour representative. My second placement was at the conference organiser, ‘Congress Care’ in Den Bosch, The Netherlands. These two placements are not at all comparable, which in my eyes has been a good thing as I have learned many things, from handling a complaint at a destination to how to organise a symposium.

Well, that’s where I have been; let’s switch to where I am now! When I started my current study programme I knew that a placement abroad was part of the programme. To be honest, I didn’t have a clue where I wanted to go. I was an open book, I thought about New York, Buenos Aires, Sydney, but then, suddenly, London came in the picture. I remember reading a quote somewhere saying “London is the city that does sleep.” I was very pleased to read this as for the coming months I will put my energy in working at First Public Relations, and completing my placement successfully. So I guess I am going to need that sleep!

In the end I would like to conclude with saying that I hope to learn a lot at First Public Relations, though at the same time I hope to be a great help for my colleagues as well. As First Public Relations has a wide experience in the marketing and PR of different tourism destinations, I have no doubt that this will work out fine!