Barcelona Vibes

Placement organization

Name of organization: Barcelona Vibes
Town/city: Barcelona
Country: Spanje
Website: https://www.barcelonavibes.com/

Student

Name of student: Nina Taekema
Specialist area: Tourism Management (NL)
Placement period: 2021-2022

Information about placement organization

Type of organization: Tour operator & Event organizer
Organization’s activities: Barcelona Vibes are specialists based in Barcelona and with their knowledge and experience of the city are second to none and enables them to offer the best prices. They make tailor-made solutions for business trips and organized tours for not only business travel but also for groups, families, students, and also stag & hen trips. They deal with providers based in Barcelona and design full trips including accommodation (apartments, hotels, and hostels), activities, tours(in and around Barcelona), venues, company parties, transfers, and visits. We usually deal with large groups or educational trips. Since the start, the company has broadened its specialties with Madrid Vibes and Belgrade Vibes in Serbia.
Target group of the organization: Groups
Company culture: The company culture is really informal.
Number of employees: 2
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 as a project manager and also I work on marketing for Barcelona, Madrid, and Belgrade Vibes.

Brief description of your daily activities: Brief description of my activities:
– how to communicate the best way with the client
– how to keep a database updated
– how to look for new providers and recruit them
– preparing the activities
– design itineraries
– contact the providers
– coordinate the guides if needed
– marketing activities such as creating content and text on the website and social media
Brief description of your company assignment: Barcelona Vibes is renovating their websites and wants to expand their company with those websites. I will be mostly busy with the website project Barcelona Vibes is having. Therefore I will work on the marketing plan, communication plan, content plan, product plan and I will going to analyze the competitors. With those elements, I can also assist in developing the product that Barcelona Vibes provides and offers. So my assignment will be a mix of elements whereby mostly regarding the marketing components of Barcelona Vibes. They now have not so many followers on social media so I will work on creating content whereby Barcelona Vibes and mostly referring to their expansion are getting more and more known of their name and what they do and for that getting more followers and clients/customers.
Comment briefly on your supervision by the organization: My supervisor is really kind and relaxed.
He has much patience and is good at explaining things.
Communication can be better because this sometimes can go past each other.

Requirements for students on placement

What kind of personal skills are required for this placement? Independent, teamplayer, social, flexible, stress-proof, representable, well organized, communicational skills
Additional company requirements for this placement? Mail, MS office, Canva, SEO, Social Media platforms, Writing skills
English: Advanced
Spanish: Intermediate
French: Basic
German: Basic
Italian: Basic
Other languages:

The trip

Mode of transport to reach your destination: Airplane

Accommodation

How did you arrange your accommodation? Through internet, SH Barcelona
How did you go to work every day? By public transport

Visa / work permit / vaccinations

Do you need a visa? No
Do you need a work permit? No
How did you arrange the necessary documents: No
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? No

The costs in euros

Travelling expenses (e.g. return ticket): € 300
Accommodation (monthly): € €800
Local transport (monthly): € 30
General costs of living (monthly): € €400
Costs of visa: €
Costs of work permit: €
What did the company pay for/to you? They gave me compensation for a public transportation card for three months of €80.

Culture

How did you prepare for the country’s culture?
I did not really prepare anything because I have been to Spain many times before.
One thing I did prepare myself for was the language and certainly in Barcelona because a lot is in Catalan and not in Spanish but nevertheless when you can speak the basis of Spanish you can help yourself out.

Also, I prepared myself that the people in Spain are more chill and relaxed than back in the Netherlands and that they are more unorganized and that kind of things. Also, I prepared myself that the people in Spain where you work are working differently than back in the Netherlands. They respond after a few days instead of instantly because they have a lower urgent matter feeling.
Did the culture of the country influence your performance during the placement in any way? No

Future students on placement

Future students are free to contact me for further information: Yes
My e-mail address: 183653@buas.nl

Other information

Recommendations on what to do and what not to do: – Be on time to search for a housing place because that was really difficult to do at the last moment.
– Don’t go living in the neighborhood of El Raval because it is really unsafe there to walk on your own and there are a lot of pickpockets.
– Hold onto your things and especially don’t lose them out of your sight because they are going to be stolen. Don’t bring the most valuable things with you when you go out for example or at night. When you go clubbing don’t bring your wallet or that kind of things, a picture of your ID is enough.
Leisure possibilities in the city/surroundings of where the placement took place: Barcelona is a big international worldwide city which has a lot to offer.
You are going to have the best time ever because there is so much to do.
There is so much that you can’t even do it all during your internship.

– There are so much good brunch places, restaurants, bars and cute boutique shops in the neighborhood of El Born and Gotico. These two are the old city center of the city and they are really the most nice ones. Here is where all the students are going especially.
– La Barceloneta is where the beach is and it is really great to chill and hang-out on the beach for sure and eat at really nice restaurants at the beach.
– Also don’t forget to do a lot of sightseeing and see the most populair buildings which Barcelona has to offer.
– Go to Parc Guell, Tibidabo and the Bunkers because here you have the most magnificent views over the city.
-Also go on trips of Erasmus because they are really nice and hear you can meet a lot of people.

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