Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication in Tourism and Excursion Activities

• Practical conflict management in tourism
• Prospects for development of international tourism activities in Russian regions
• Developing new guided tours and the possibility to market them at the international
• level
• Strategic tourism destination brand management
• Excursion work with children
• International practices of event tourism development
• Experience tourism and the potential for its development in Russian regions
• Regional studies
• History and Culture of St Petersburg

• The curriculum is aimed at training next-generation specialists in intercultural communication in the field of tourism: highly qualified guides, interpreters, and expert specialists in international tourist activity support. This is the first higher education programme designed not only for linguists but also for specialists in other areas (art historians, museologists, historians, cultural scientists, civil servants). They will be interested in in-depth learning of English, acquisition of translation skills, and obtaining a sought-after profession in the field of tourism;
• A unique synthesis of disciplines includes the study (in English) of the history of art and architecture, as well as the history of the city and cultural heritage. This is accompanied by a thorough acquisition of sightseeing material and practical classes that enable communication skills to be developed and improved. The undoubted advantage of the programme is the inclusion in the training programme of the second foreign language of choice (Italian, Spanish or Chinese), as well as a special course of public speaking;
• A modern specialist has to know well the history of their Motherland as well as navigate themselves freely through the events and cultural realities of the target language countries. That is why the curriculum includes a course on country studies of the UK and the USA;
• The key goals of the curriculum among others are the formation and consolidation of the undergraduates' skills of consecutive interpreting. The possession of this skill is one of the features of the profession. Professional guides-interpreters will reveal the secrets of the craft’s art. They will teach how to design independently different excursion itineraries regarding the specific features of tourists;
• Special attention is paid to the economics of tourism. The issues of pricing and channels of tourist product promotion at the international level are also studied;
• The teaching language of the major part of the curriculum disciplines is English;
• Already after the first year of study and upon successful licensing in museums, undergraduates are given the opportunity to use their knowledge in practice, developing a career in the tourism sector;
• The training is carried out with partial use of e-learning and distance learning technologies.
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Organisations for training practice

• Alla Tours Tour Operator
• St Petersburg Tourist Information Bureau

Professions

• Specialist in support of tourism activities
• Guide-interpreter
• Guide
• Specialist in historical, cultural and educational tourism
• Developer of individual tours
• Organiser of international events in the field of culture and art
• Specialist in incoming tourism (manager of a travel agency)
• Employee of the international department of a museum
• Lecturer
• Translator

Graduates are ready to work in travel agencies, companies specialising in the organisation of events, in international departments of museums, as well as in government agencies responsible for tourism. Graduates are ready to organise and implement cultural, educational, research, methodological, organisational and management activities in the field of tourism.