Universidade | Prática Profissional
“Work on the project GO is very rewarding, as after the conclusion the student starts to have a new vision of the tourist activity. Apart from working in a location with reference to sustainable tourism, the elaboration of the final project adds a great value to the professional history, in that way I prove that I have the capacity to contribute to improve the future of the venture.”
Izabel Soppa, student.
Universia Brasil, out/2007.
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The Porto Belo Island is considered as a lab for the Tourism and Hospitality School of the Vale do Itajaí University – UNIVALI. The various projects, developed in partnership between the island and the University, provide to the students and pos-graduated students the practice of what they have learnt in the classroom, apart from being an object of study for many researchers, resulting in conclusion works, monographs of specialization, masters dissertations and other kinds of research.
The formalization of the partnership occurred in 1996, from the program of Master in Tourism and Hospitality of the Univali and under the coordination of the professors Dr. Doris van de Meene Ruschmann, Dr. Paulo dos Santos Pires and Dr. Francisco dos Anjos, that elaborated a project that orientated the installation of the equipments and services on the Porto Belo Island. The plan was developed under the concept of sustainable tourist exploration, preserving the nature and building constructions in harmony with the environment and control of the tourist flow (carrying capacity).
From that moment, was put into practice the “Gentiles Orientates” project. In this way Porto Belo Island, apart from serving the visitants, serves other public: the students of the Tourism and Hospitality School of Univali Balneáro Camboriu campus. This public is composed by students that sign a selection process of the project to be a trainee between the period of Christmas and Carnival, in the different sectors of the island that provide the direct relation with the visitants. The selection occurs annually in the Univali and the minimum requirements are: being in the Tourism and Hospitality graduating course; speak English or Spanish; have the ability of serving the visitants and participate in the trainings offered by the University and the island.
After this steep, the students have to pass a second selection done by the management of the island. When selected, they migrate to Porto Belo city, where they live with other colleagues of the course, supervised by professors that guide the service and the ideal professional posture. All is financiered by the company, including hospitality and awards for the best trainee works.
The activities performed by the trainees on the island are: reception of the visitants at the pier; counting of visitors; information and rental service; marketing and screening (process done at the time of the visitors return to the continent). The project provides the students contact with the labour market relating theory and practice. They participate of classes before being ready to work at the venture. The internship is paid and not mandatory.
As a result of the internship, important papers are produced related to the demand and sustainability areas, coordinated by the professor Dra. Doris van de Meene Ruschmann. Since the beginning of the tourist venture on the island, the research of demand also has the participation of the students of Tourism and Hospitality of Univali. It is tool used by the university as well as by the managements of the island; it has the finality to control the tourist sustainability, apart from identifying the profile of the visitants and monitor their satisfaction, making possible to adjust of the structure and services for the next seasons.
The sustainability research aims to monitor the recreational-tourist activity of the structured installed on the island. This research has a qualitative character, and method used is the direct observation, photograph register and noise pollution measure. The results reveal the positive aspects and the limitations caused by the tourism in the island’s environment.
It also sails in the communities of orkut!
