Rajesh is not the type to sit there taking notes: he loves being on the move, doing things, experimenting. Which is good news: at Vatel, he will spend half his time with real customers in the school's practical training facilities.
“You never understand so well as when you experiment yourself!” This precept underpins Vatel’s teaching philosophy. And it’s more than words: it translates tangibly into experimentation in our practical training facilities, alternating with theoretical classes. At Vatel Nîmes, for example, students come into contact with real customers – in the 4* hotel, the brasserie, the spa and convention, meeting halls which are all housed on campus.
There is no need to search for an internship – Vatel looks after that. They all take place in three- to fivestar establishments. You are paid a stipend, and some establishments even provide board and lodging. Life is good, no?
So, right from year one, you test roles and situations in real-life conditions facing actual customers, supervised by your teachers. Each experimental session includes a segment devoted to experience sharing, and encourages creativity. You analyze, propose, and apply… Which is better than listening to a teacher for hours, don’t you think?
In year one, you experiment with hospitality and catering roles. Then in your second year, you embrace the international space. When you begin your third year, you have already acquired a solid grounding and you are particularly attracted by one field – which you then explore in depth. You choose between three options: Luxury and International Hotel Management, Events Management and Catering, or Entrepreneurship. The purpose of these options is not to confine you to one department, but rather to open your eyes to a multitude of roles.
Storing up knowledge is good. But leveraging it to make plans is better. Which is why Vatel has put in place innovative, fun and effective learning methods based on acting out scenarios and group work. Our belief? To make progress, you must face reality.
A tourism industry professional proposes a week’s team work on a specific issue. Does that sound like a long time? It isn’t, you’ll see. To address the company’s problem, you will present solutions – well-argued solutions, of course! And who knows, maybe your ideas will take root in “real life”…
In year two of the MBA, during a very intense week, you become the manager of an international holding group. With your team, you take commercial, financial, technical and human decisions which all impact on the future of your businesses. This virtual role-play game about management and decision-making sees your team compete with fifth-year students of all Vatel’s schools worldwide. So, ready to challenge the world?
Whether their background is academic or business, they use interactive methods that enable you to develop your ability to be analytical, creative and take action. Based on interacting, sharing and thinking, their teaching philosophy is closer to coaching than to conventional teaching.
Artificial intelligence, data, revenue management – new technology is integral to the hospitality and tourism industry. And proficiency in them is therefore essential. But knowing how to harness them will make you a creative, initiative-generating professional. Practical, isn’t it!
CirVath, Vatel’s research centre, is an incubator of ideas, projects and thinking that teachers and students are invited to take part in beyond borders. Every year, CirVath publishes their research in the Les Cahiers Internationaux du Tourisme journal and disseminates it worldwide.
