TCI Research

Placement organization

Name of organization: TCI Research
Town/city: Brussels
Country: België
Website: http://tci-research.com

Student

Name of student: Meike Palinkas

Specialist area: ITMC
Placement period: 2013-2014

Information about placement organization

Type of organization: Tourism Research Company
Organization’s activities: TCI Research (Tourism Competitive Intelligence) is a market researching company, which advises different organizations, stakeholders, authorities or companies in the tourism sector. Based on their research they consult their clients in order to improve their performance and competitiveness as a tourism attracting destination. This aim is reached by collecting data of traveller’s perception and expectations of a destination. Their clients are mainly tourism authorities, such as French Ministry of Tourism Denmark Tourism Board, Aruba Tourism Authority, Vienna Tourism Board but also other stakeholders that are involved in the tourism planning like META (Mediterranean Tourism Association, Organization of Latin American and Caribbean Tourism or ECM (European City Marketing).
To collect the data the client demands for the company works with a special research tool which was awarded by the UNWTO.
Target group of the organization: Tourism authorities, NTOs/RTOs/CTOs, Tourism stakeholders involved in the tourism planning process
Company culture: informal
Number of employees: 4
Dress code: casual
Did the organization meet the agreements you made beforehand? yes

Information about your placement

In which department(s) are you working? Research Department
Brief description of your daily activities: Firstly, I am involved at various stages of the projects of the company. This reaches from data checking, tendering, prepare analysis and reports, up to newsletter and PR work. Secondly, I need to draft reports and powerpoint presentations with results or different presenting. Another office task I am busy with are the survey emailings. Moreover, I am involved in fieldwork monitoring, dating-up the database of contacts and recruitment of visitors. Other general and daily tasks is to assist the employees of the company in their daily activities.
Brief description of your company assignment: My main company assignment is to conduct market research for several projects and clients of the company. Hereby, I will assist in the coordination of the project. This refers to the communication with suppliers and partners. Moreover, I need to prepare the project, which means the questionnaire or research design. I also need to collect data by means of desk-and field research, which also involves me going to different tourism locations. Afterwards an analysis and processing of the data is done.
Comment briefly on your supervision by the organization: Everything went well.

Requirements for students on placement

What kind of personal skills are required for this placement? Flexible, sociable
Additional company requirements for this placement? advantage: ppt, excel
English: Advanced
Spanish:
French: Basic
German:
Italian:
Other languages:

The trip

Mode of transport to reach your destination: car

Accommodation

How did you arrange your accommodation? internet
How did you go to work every day? by foot / metro

Visa / work permit / vaccinations

Do you need a visa? –
Do you need a work permit? –
How did you arrange the necessary documents: –
How much time did it take to arrange the necessary documents? –
Did you need certain vaccinations? No
How long in advance? –

Language course

Did you take a language course before you started your placement? No
Would you recommend to have a language course prior to this placement? Depends on the French level when starting the placement

The costs in euros

Travelling expenses (e.g. return ticket): € 80
Accommodation (monthly): € 520
Local transport (monthly): € 10
General costs of living (monthly): € 650
Costs of visa: € –
Costs of work permit: € –
What did the company pay for/to you? Financial compensation

Culture

How did you prepare for the country’s culture?
Reading about the city / country and the difference / tensions within the country
Did the culture of the country influence your performance during the placement in any way? more effort in French

Future students on placement

Future students are free to contact me for further information: No
My e-mail address: meike.palinkas@gmail.com

Other information

Recommendations on what to do and what not to do: –

Leisure possibilities in the city/surroundings of where the placement took place: Enjoying the city (a lot of interns & expats!)
visiting cities/areas in sourrounding (Paris ~3h, London ~ 1h, Seaside ~1h)
Weekend trips (good airport connections)

Media

Youtube link Youtube placement video link