During the second phase of the master programme in Tourism Destination Management, the students carry out assignments at three different locations in the Asia Pacific. They are currently in the first of three destinations: the city of Melbourne in Australia. This is an account of the first impressions of group three: Renske, Borislav, Preeti, Eva-Maria and Wouter.

Down Under, Melbourne. There are not many places in the world which are further from Breda then this one.  When I stepped out the plane I really felt that I had achieved something. And this was only the beginning! What I have seen in the next days was very impressive.

Firstly, the city of Melbourne itself is very relaxed, multicultural and a bit “European.” Every neighborhood has its own charm. You are in a city of 4 million inhabitants but it doesn’t really feel like that.
Moreover, as it should be in a real metropolis, there is always something to do. Seen that Melbourne presents itself as an event-city we experienced the first weekend already the St. Kilda Festival. Absolutely a “must-do” when you like the beach, good music and the sun on your head.

Secondly, the enthusiasm of all the people who welcomed us in Melbourne is great. Varying from the City of Melbourne to Destination Melbourne to the Eureka Towers, everyone seemed very happy that we were there. They provided us with lots of information and that’s always helpful when you have to start a research. In the coming weeks we will contact these people again to ask them some more in- depth questions about the current and future tourism situation of Melbourne.

What also impressed us was the weather. The day we arrived the extreme heat was already over but it was still pretty hot. Then the temperature increased to 44 degrees and the day after it was 20 degrees. Unbelievable! “Wait a minute,” is what a taxi-driver told us, “you will see four seasons in one day.”
I sincerely hope that the outcomes of our research do not fluctuate that much and is steady and sound!

If you want to know more about the master programme in Tourism Destination Management, visit our website at www.nhtv.nl/tdm