Companies at the heart of pedagogy

The close relationship between Excelia Tourism School and the business world ensures that many of our students quickly and successfully secure a position in the workplace: 97% are employed within 6 months of graduation, 43% sign a contract before the end of their studies, and 36% work abroad. ‘Companies at the heart of pedagogy’ is not simply wishful thinking but a reality… students are educated to meet the needs of the businesses whom they work alongside throughout their studies.

Bringing excellence to regions that are the perfect testing grounds

Excelia’s campuses are located in areas that provide an ideal environment for ‘experimentation’.
Indeed, Excelia Tourism School is located in the heart of two highly attractive areas:

  • Charente-Maritime… with beautiful La Rochelle, the largest pleasure port on the Atlantic coast, the leading location in France for water-based health and fitness, 4 idyllic islands, 5 UNESCO World Heritage sites, and 4,900 km of bicycle paths
  • Centre-Val de Loire… the Loire Valley which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, a campus in Tours which is designated a city of art and history, 260 Historic Monuments and 22 Grands Sites including the Châteaux of Chambord, Blois, Chenonceau, etc.

Partnerships have been established with companies from all sectors of tourism, a perfect source for industry professional lecturers and consultancy projects. These companies host students on internships and those on work-study programmes, or give them the opportunity to experience an event such as the FIFAV International Adventure Film Festival or the Francofolies French music festival from the inside, so that they can ‘learn by doing’! Some of the companies involved in our Tourism programmes have been partners for several years.

 

Did you know?

Excelia Tourism School was the first sector-focussed school in France, created almost 20 years ago.

It is approved by the State and certified by an inter-ministerial committee (CFET - Conférence des Formation d'Excellence au Tourisme). It is also the only French school to have been awarded UNWTO.TedQual certification by the United Nations. This recognition attests to the quality of Excelia Tourism School’s programmes and its commitment to meeting the requirements of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.


Tourism in all its facets… with the involvement of companies

The biggest players in the tourism industry are invited to join Excelia Tourism School’s External Review Committee, a body that ensures that the educational programmes are in line with the needs of all sectors: institutional tourism, events, tourism studies and tourism engineering, accommodation and catering, transport, heritage, leisure and sports activities, travel industry, etc. The programmes constantly evolve to take into account new expectations in terms of digitalisation and personalisation.


Companies are also involved in the entrance tests and admissions panels for the tourism programmes (BTH and MSc) and provide consultancy projects, i.e. real problems that require going from concept to reality, thinking creatively and ‘outside the box’, while respecting a time frame, and then knowing how to present solutions and recommendations. Students are also involved in events such as the Journée des Experts du Tourisme organised by Charentes Tourisme.


Whether in person or remotely, companies participate in ‘Job Days’, which are recruitment forums for internships and work-study contracts. Thanks to this initiative, some 45 students were able to undertake their Bachelor on a work-study track in 2021-2022.

 

Interaction creating links

At the heart of our pedagogy, the specialists from the companies involved provide valuable professional interaction, sharing their savoir-faire and experience.
The industry specialisations offered by the programmes are taught by tourism consultants and professionals to ensure the continued alignment between academia and the business world. In addition, industry guest speakers contribute to many of Excelia’s programmes (6 lectures in 2020-2021 and 11 in 2021-2022).


More than 85% of our occasional lecturers are industry professionals working in the hospitality, events, and leisure sectors. Either French or international, currently living in France or coming from abroad specifically to deliver their lessons, these specialists impart their expert knowledge in their respective fields to students on our Bachelor and Master of Science programmes.
Our Alumni, graduates of Excelia in all areas of tourism, offer a valuable network, and its members give lectures in their specialist fields detailing the skills and knowledge required by their sector.
Throughout their three years of study, every Bachelor student receives personal guidance from a mentor who is a graduate of the programme and who has a thorough knowledge of his or her sector, which is invaluable when choosing a speciality. Four meetings are organised each year and the Alumni oversee the oral presentations known as the Grand Oral. Some 60 volunteer graduates are involved in accompanying, guiding and coaching Bachelor students in the realisation of their academic and professional project, as well as their action plan, and in ensuring they achieve their objectives.

‘Companies at the heart of pedagogy’ is, once again, and above all, a question of ‘links’ between intelligent and gifted humans!

 

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