A hotel for a week: Management simulation during Winter School

Of course, all participants benefited from the management simulation in tourism, not just the winning team. After all, the students were able to make international contacts, work in an interdisciplinary manner and grow and develop from the coaches’ criticism, as Dr. Jutta Walz explains: "We had students and staff from the fields of business administration, tourism management and international relations." In addition to a group from Birmingham City University, the KU and exchange students, three students from the University of Trento also participated. 

Walz had organized the project week together with Professor Pechlaner, Natalie Olbrich (both Chair of Tourism/Center for Entrepreneurship) and Iris Wittl (Chair of Business Ethics and Social Policy). The Winter School format allowed students to develop various skills, as Wittl points out: "They were able to improve their management skills and their competences as regards time management, presentation skills, negotiating in English, and creating websites and social media posts."

Professor Desmond Wee from CBS Cologne was keen to show students the importance of real human beings to the hotel business. In his opinion, it is important to always keep this factor in mind, especially in times of digitalization. After all, people shape companies – and companies shape people.

In view of the great success and positive feedback, the course is to be held again in Ingolstadt next winter semester, says Olbrich: "Both the students and the guest lecturers have encouraged us to offer the module again." The program is to be further developed together with the partners from Birmingham, Cologne and Tallinn, and further partner universities will be involved. "We very much hope that next time, there will be even more nationalities and disciplines represented", concludes Olbrich.