Friday, August 24, 2018
Six Nova Scotia tourism and hospitality post-secondary students were awarded bursaries this week for their outstanding volunteer work during Rendez-vous Canada (RVC) 2018 in May. All six students delivered a welcoming experience for RVC delegates that went above and beyond expectations.
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada, Tourism Nova Scotia, and Ambassatours Gray Line are proud to contribute a total of $5,000 towards Nova Scotia’s next generation of tourism and hospitality professionals.
Congratulations to the following RVC 2018 bursary recipients:
On August 23, Tourism Nova Scotia CEO Michele Saran met with the recipients to award their bursaries and learn more about their tourism industry interests and aspirations.
William MacDonald is about to begin his first year at NSCC and will be working toward his diploma in Business-Tourism Management. He says he would recommend volunteering to anyone considering a career in tourism as a great way to learn about the industry and the opportunities that exist.
“Volunteering at RVC was a great networking opportunity, I got to meet a lot of people and get an idea of what the tourism business involves,” says William. “It gave me reassurance that this is something I could be passionate about doing. It’s a huge industry and there are a lot of different routes you can choose from.”
Sarah O’Connor recently graduated with a Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management from MSVU. She is now working with Atlantic Tours as Operations Assistant. She says her favourite part of volunteering at RVC was hosting delegates on the shuttle bus from the airport to their hotels when they arrived.
“Tourism has been such a passion of mine since my first summer job working at a visitor information centre in British Columbia when I was 15,” says Sarah. “I love the industry and loved having the opportunity to showcase the beauty of Nova Scotia at RVC.”
Tourism is an important industry in our province. It employs approximately five per cent of the population and generates billions of dollars in revenue each year. RVC 2018 alone injected an estimated $4.8 million in direct spending into our local economy. Over the long-term, we expect many vacations to Nova Scotia will be sold thanks to the positive exposure of this event, bringing even more money into the province.
Thank you, Chloe, Hui-Wen, Pamela, Sarah, Sara, and William, for your contributions to RVC 2018 and to Nova Scotia’s tourism industry. We wish you all the best in your studies and careers!
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