Filipino hoteliers-to-be recently concluded their extensive seven-week internship at the prestigious Vatel International Business School Hotel and Tourism and Management in Nimes, France.

Vatel is a worldwide network that trains younger generations to build their professional careers in the international hospitality and tourism management industries.

The summer exchange program exposed the participants to the global standards and processes in the international hospitality scene, plus the hosts’ culture, as they immersed themselves in the various restaurant and hotel operations of the institution.

The Philippine delegation was welcomed by Patricia Esbrayat Cnockaert, director of corporate relations of the Vatel Group. 

The team was composed of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) students Wayne Dennise Arisme, Andrea Zoila Bautista, Janna Makaela Catral, Warren Kenneth Larraga Jr., Kriza Elaine Macatangay, Berndean EarlOrtega, and Melissa Audrey Perona. 

They were accompanied by International Hospitality Management (IHM) program chairperson Juan Paolo Sumera.

With the opportunity to work alongside other worldwide Vatel students of diverse backgrounds, such as from Tunisia, Russia, and Uzbekistan, it served more than just a requirement for the completion of various courses, but also a prospect for the young aspirants to create connections in the industry. 

“International internship programs are a dream for future hospitality practitioners and being a Vatel student makes it all possible,” said Sumera. “The Nimes internship is part and exclusive to the Vatel program and it already includes lodging and meals for the whole stay—that itself is a plus. It is truly an advantage because they get to experience diverse cultures, standards, and practices in addition to local settings, which leads to a different perspective in the industry.”

With over 50 campuses in Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa, Vatel’s alumni of 45,000 occupy leadership positions at premier hotels and restaurants around the world.

For years, the revered organization has partnered with De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) to jointly offer the first international double bachelor degree under the new transnational guidelines of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

With this collaboration, the college’s International Hospitality Management (IHM) program is known as Vatel Manila.