News and Events

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOUR CAPILANO UNIVERSITY STUDENTS CHOSEN TO JOIN COMMUNITY BASED TOURISM PROJECT AND EDUCATION EXCHANGE IN VIET NAM

NORTH VANCOUVER, BC, March 8, 2011- Four students from Capilano University’s Faculty of Tourism and Outdoor Recreation have been chosen to deliver tourism education training in Viet Nam. The project, supported by the Pacific Asia Tourism Association (PATA) and administered by Capilano University, was created in an effort to deliver sustainable Community Based Tourism (CBT) training in the hill tribe villages of Ta Phin and Lao Chai in the Sa Pa region of northern Viet Nam. Kyla Derkach and Jase McBride will travel to Viet Nam March 13 to April 4; Louise Wirtz and Taryn Bodrug will travel in June.

“This project has made a difference in the lives of the villagers that we work with, and in the lives of the students who participate. It’s an amazing opportunity for some of our excellent students to really apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to a real world tourism planning situation,” says Jennifer Reilly, Tourism Management Program Convener at Capilano University. “Our partnership with Pacific Asia Travel Association helps position Capilano University’s tourism programs as a recognized leader in tourism education and community-based tourism planning, as we strive to link classroom learning with relevant and progressive practical experience in a variety of tourism environments.”

The students and accompanying faculty, Reilly and Kim McLeod, will train residents of the two villages in business development, understanding the tourist, sales skills, event planning and management, home stay management, environmental stewardship, and tourism planning for local governments. Both villages, filled with mostly ethnic minorities, welcome a substantial number of tourists on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

Training is delivered in coordination with Hanoi Open University tourism faculty and students, and Sa Pa Trade and Tourism. These partnerships were fostered by Capilano University in an earlier project supported by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

The students were chosen for their solid background and knowledge of the tourism industry. All four students are currently pursuing their Bachelor of Tourism Management Degrees at Capilano University. Derkach and McBride are graduates of Capilano University’s Destination Resort Management Diploma and will enter the Degree program this September. Seeing this as an opportunity to ‘give back’ at the community level, Derkach, from Penticton, BC, is interested in tourism as a result of extensive solo travels throughout the South Pacific including Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Raised in Dawson Creek, McBride was chosen for his diverse tourism background that has included food and beverage, tourism, sales, event management and leadership.

Wirtz is a goal-orientated second year student from Lillooet whose experience teaching in Malawi for a year is one of many reasons she is an excellent addition to the CBT team in Viet Nam. Bodrug is in her third year of the Degree program, and already has a Diploma in Outdoor Recreation Management under her belt. She is a world traveler from North Saanich, Vancouver Island, and has traveled in the Middle East, Australia, Central America, Europe, the Indian Subcontinent and South East Asia.

“This is an opportunity of a lifetime,” says Derkach on behalf of the group. “We are involved in all facets of this project including creating and delivering training modules, web development and meeting with some of the local authorities in the villages. I know being part of this may change my life forever and hopefully, I can make a difference in the quality of life for some of the locals.”

The opportunity to apply for this project was open to all students in the Faculty of Tourism and Outdoor Recreation at Capilano University. The interview process, which took place in November, involved submitting an application of interest, completing a group interview with other students, and finally an individual panel interview. Fourteen students applied for the four available spots.

For further information about this project, please visit www.cbtvietnam.com. 

About: Faculty of Tourism and Outdoor Recreation, Capilano University
The Tourism and Outdoor Recreation programs at Capilano University give students the foundation needed to develop dynamic careers in the tourism and outdoor recreation industries. Recognized nationwide as a leader in tourism and outdoor recreation education, programs emphasize leadership, sustainability, entrepreneurship and business management skills. In addition, students learn industry-specific skills and knowledge, including tourism policy and planning, risk management, environmental stewardship and a diverse range of outdoor recreation pursuits. www.capilanou.ca/tourism.

- 30 -

Media Note: Attached photo caption - Residents from Ta Phin, Viet Nam attend Tourism education training facilitated by Capilano University in August 2010. Four Capilano U students will travel to Viet Nam in March and June 2011 to deliver additional training modules.

Media Contact: Christina Moore
Capilano University
Faculty of Tourism and Outdoor Recreation
cmoore@capilanou.ca
cell: 604-848-8251
Website: http://www.cbtvietnam.com/