Smart Trip Europe

Placement organization

Name of organization: Smart Trip Europe
Town/city: Florence
Country: Italië
Website: https://www.smarttrip.it/en

Student

Name of student: Kalina Drashkova

Specialist area: Tourism Management (EN)
Placement period: 2018-2019

Information about placement organization

Type of organization: Tour Operator
Organization’s activities: Smart Trip Europe organizes enjoyable & alternative trips in Italy and all around Europe for students who want to make the most of their study semester abroad.
Target group of the organization: Students – aged 18-25 – mainly from the U.S
Company culture: I would say the company culture is rather informal. Everyone here is equal and treats each other well. Of course, there are the bosses and the managers, but they are part of the team and do not put themselves on a pedestal. In short, we are one big family with parents to look after us.
Number of employees: <50
Dress code: casual
Did the organization meet the agreements you made beforehand? Yes!

Information about your placement

In which department(s) are you working?

I am working in the Marketing Department, so I am responsible for the social media development and the online presence of the business.

Brief description of your daily activities: *updating all social media accounts – search for creative content, make compelling posts
*answering the LiveChat inquiries and contact customers by phone for changes & cancellations
*sending out Customer Satisfaction Surveys and keeping track of the results
*collecting photo & video material
*making graphics
*working on the brochure, flyers, promo material in general
*sending out emails with important information to customers & staff
*leading a social media analysis
*reacting on reviews
*making relevant researches
…and many more
Brief description of your company assignment: My company assignment consists of creating a new tour – a trip to Slovenia – as it is my own responsibility to come up with the itinerary, find accommodation, etc. In addition, I have to think of a proper way to advertise the trip and create awareness about it among travelers.
Comment briefly on your supervision by the organization: Perfect! My boss Andrea is tracking my progress and always gives me feedback on how I am doing so far.

Requirements for students on placement

What kind of personal skills are required for this placement? stress-proof, time-management, performable, responsible, independent
Additional company requirements for this placement? writing skills, MS Office, graphic design
English: Advanced
Spanish:
French:
German:
Italian:
Other languages:

The trip

Mode of transport to reach your destination: Airplane

Accommodation

How did you arrange your accommodation? My boyfriend found it for us from Erasmus!
How did you go to work every day? By bus

Visa / work permit / vaccinations

Do you need a visa? No
Do you need a work permit? No
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? If you are comfortable with your English, then no I do not recommend.

The costs in euros

Travelling expenses (e.g. return ticket): € €300 – two-way ticket
Accommodation (monthly): € €750 for an apartment that I share with my boyfriend.
Local transport (monthly): € €35 – monthly card; €1.50 for a single-use ticket
General costs of living (monthly): € Around €400-€500
Costs of visa: €
Costs of work permit: €
What did the company pay for/to you? There is no financial compensation provided by the company. Nevertheless, I have the opportunity to join several trips for free.

Culture

How did you prepare for the country’s culture?
I have Italian friends who introduced me to the Italian culture and I also have read some articles on the Internet.

In general, nothing to worry about – you will get used to the chaotic, but fun life here.
Did the culture of the country influence your performance during the placement in any way? Yes, in a positive way.

Future students on placement

Future students are free to contact me for further information: Yes
My e-mail address: kalinadrashkova98@gmail.com

Other information

Recommendations on what to do and what not to do: Things to do – smile, have a positive approach towards the job and keep yourself motivated. But most of it, have fun.

Things not to do – don’t be cocky & know your place.
Leisure possibilities in the city/surroundings of where the placement took place: More than enough. Italy is the country with highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, so one thing I can assure you is that you won’t be bored here. In addition, Florence is at a good location, so almost everything can be reached easily. Moreover, it is part of Tuscany and Tuscany has a lot to offer to travelers.

In general, Florence is a great city and will for sure keep you busy.

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