Broaden your horizon

"Are you looking for an opportunity to explore hospitality beyond the hotel industry? Look no further!"

How nice of you to read this blog about the Horizons in Hospitality minor! Let us first introduce ourselves: we are Piena Annink and Jitske Boomars, third year students of the Hotel Management School Maastricht. Last February 2021 we started with the Horizons in Hospitality minor. We would like to share our experiences with you, so you can get a better idea of what the minor is all about!

Why did we choose Horizons in Hospitality?

Firstly, it is a very broad minor. We both thought it would be fun to explore sectors other than the hotel industry. We weren’t certain yet in which sector we wanted to start our career, so this minor gave us a nice opportunity to explore other sectors as a hospitality consultant.

What did we do? 

The past 10 weeks were weeks in which we did a lot! The Horizons in Hospitality minor is very diverse with different assignments. At the beginning of the minor you mainly start with studying theory about hospitality and implementing hospitality in different sectors. In general, hospitality is seen as a 'difficult' term, so it is quite interesting to gain knowledge about it! During group meetings with fellow students, you will discuss this knowledge and theory with each other.  You are also allowed to give your own input in the meeting. 

The second half of the minor is devoted to the project in which you will work as a real hospitality consultant. During this project, you'll get the chance to put the knowledge you have acquired into practice and apply your own hospitality skills. The projects cover various sectors, so there's something for everyone! 

Perhaps the best part of the minor is that you also have to make a Personal Product. In this assignment you can let your creativity flow and choose a subject to research by yourself, as long as it has a connection with hospitality. You are completely free in how you design this assignment, so you can do basically anything you want!

What did we learn?

During the minor you have a lot of responsibility, which will learn you to create a good balance between different activities. Because of the many theories dealt with, we have developed our own vision on hospitality and how to implement it. In addition, we learned how to advise a company or organisation as a hospitality consultant.

Why Horizons in Hospitality

The Horizons in Hospitality minor is a good minor to choose if you have yet to decide for yourself in which direction you want to go. During the minor you will get guest lectures and tours of different companies in various sectors, which will help you broaden your horizons. So, if you are looking for an opportunity to explore hospitality beyond the hotel industry? Then this minor will fit in perfectly with the progress of your studies!