Ethics and Values in Hospitality – A SAP by Run-Eu

Author : Vignesh Reddy Kandi

“Please note that this experience is mainly for people who attended Sap and others who want to explore the basics or go through my journey”

Introduction :

On 21st April 2024, i got a chance to attend the RUN-EU Short Advanced Programme (SAP) ‘Ethics & Values in Hospitality and Tourism Management’, is jointly organised by the NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences (NHL Stenden), and the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS).

In this SAp i explored the complex intersection of sex tourism and human trafficking, with a understanding of global dynamics, legal frameworks and socio-economic influences.

‘Coming up next in the Article i will be sharing my day to day experience, which you might not relate personally but it could be in a way informative and understand my perspective of viewing topics.’

Day 0: Arrival in Leeuwarden

The best and most convenient way to travel to Leeuwarden from Finland is either by taking a Finnair or KLM flight, which operates a non-stop route between Helsinki, Finland, and Amsterdam, Netherlands. However, I found the best deal with SAS, and a one-way ticket cost me €120, which is half the price compared to Finnair or KLM. (Air Baltic is also a cheaper option.)

From Amsterdam, the best way to travel to Leeuwarden is by train. Unfortunately, there is no direct train from Amsterdam Central to Leeuwarden, but there is a direct train from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Leeuwarden. Tickets cost between €27 and €50, but if you travel in a group, the price will be. reduced. For example, I traveled with six people from Amsterdam Central to Leeuwarden with a group ticket, and it cost just €8 per person, which is much cheaper compared to the individual ticket price.

I booked a hotel in Leeuwarden city centre called Hotel Café ‘t Anker, and they charged me €340 for 6 nights. However, it’s not really a hotel; it’s more like renting a private room, so you don’t get anything extra other than a bed and a toilet. Additionally, this place doesn’t have a kitchen, and you might end up paying a lot for dining out because there isn’t even a microwave available.

A good thing in both cities is that almost everyone speaks English.

Day 1 : Intro,kick off, and campus tour

On the first day, the first meeting started exactly at 9:30 AM, and I made it on time. It was a great start to the morning as we saw each other onsite for the first time, with an introduction and kickoff session. The next activity was a campus tour. At that point, I wondered why every university can’t be like NHL Stenden. The architecture, spaces around the campus, and infrastructure for studying were amazing , and it became my dream campus.

The next class after the introduction and campus tour was really surprising for me because it was disturbing to learn about sex tourism and how women are being trafficked and the consequences they face. However, after that kind of introduction to the topic, I became more self-aware about the subjects I would be studying and prepared myself to handle my emotional triggers.

During my campus tour, I learned an interesting fact about the NHL Stenden campus: there are restaurants where hotel management students are the chefs cooking the food. I was excited to try my first meal on campus. There were several options available, and that week they were serving Indian cuisine, so I chose rice and chicken curry. It tasted really good compared to some restaurants that serve the same dish, but the portion size was relatively small for the price. I would be happy if it is. a larger portion.

After lunch, there was a personal and professional development session with the SAP organizers, Rainer and Sean. It was more like an icebreaker session for us, and that’s when I learned about journaling. Before this, I had never thought about it or knew its literal meaning, but in that class, I realized I had been doing something similar, just not in an appropriate way. By the end of the session, I found a new hobby.

Afterward, we had a city tour in groups. We went around the city with a guide who shared some insights related to our SAP, specifically about the prostitution scene in Leeuwarden back in the day.

End of the day thought: The day felt insanely long and. informative, especially for the first day, which I enjoyed because our deadline was already approaching.

Day 2 :

Morning class started at 9:00 AM, and the topic was. informative. I learned about the AMP model (Action, Means, Purpose). This class changed my perspective on how I view and behave in hotels because the indicators of human trafficking are almost always normal general behaviours. with slight variations. This is why hotels struggle to have sufficient indicators to effectively stop or control human trafficking at a. level.

Discussions are going well, and the whole class is becoming interesting as it is fully engaged by asking questions. However, we had a limited amount of time, I felt there might still be some unanswered questions by the end of the day. I even noticed people using their breaks to break their doubts( the topic we is that heavy)

The next session was somewhat relaxing and focused on understanding how openly the Dutch discuss sex tourism. Coming from a culture and country where this topic is considered taboo, I was personally open to learning more about it and exploring my capabilities.I felt I deserved some self-appreciation for taking this step to learn more. Having students from different countries and cultures was helpful, as it allowed us to learn about various cultural perceptions.

After that, we had a lunch break and then time to work on our presentation and discuss the upcoming field trip to Amsterdam. Then, there was a class about criminology, where we received information that impacted our final presentation. However, since the class didn’t go in-depth on the topic, I didn’t find enough information to fully integrate into our presentation.

End of the day thought: There shouldn’t be any third factor, like religion or culture, that prevents people from understanding and being open about sex education.

Day 3 : Most exciting part of the onsite meetings.

It was a hard morning for me as I had to wake up at 5 AM, giving me just three hours of sleep after a rough night. Luckily, I was able to sleep on the bus during our journey, and luckily, I didn’t miss the Dutch marvel engineering project, which is a must-see.

The first meeting of the day was with the Amsterdam municipality, where they provided insights into how they are trying to tackle human trafficking. Some key points include their initiative with some hotels participating in pilot programs (around 60 out of a couple of hundred), how they are organizing prostitution legally, and the measures they are implementing for sex workers. Overall, they are doing an amazing job, and I feel that if they maintain this effort in the long run, they might solve real-world problem.

Then, I had an amazing lunch at a Lebanese restaurant with a Finnish and an Irish friend. Afterward, we went to Dam Square and walked around the Red Light District. The place kept surprising me in every way possible. I noticed people talking to sex workers, families walking in the street, and couples conversing with a prostitute. We ended up at the Red Light Secrets Museum, which gave a detailed description of the working process of a prostitute in the Red Light District, their accessories, and how everything works. However, at the end, there was a section with confessions written by strangers, which I found very funny and creepy at the same time.

A much-needed shoutout to the game organized called Scavenger Hunt. It was a great idea as it built team spirit, allowed us to explore the city, and we had a lot of fun while doing the hunt. We wanted to win, but we ended up in 5th position (which was last :D).

After finishing the game, we started commuting to the WestCord Art Hotel. The hotel is amazing and quite expensive. The presentation given by the general manager was top-notch (not kidding). It consisted of just three slides with basic information, but what made it the best was that they gave more room for questions. One thing I didn’t like about the Netherlands is that if a hotel is caught in a trafficking act, they must stop their operations for four months, even if they had no idea what was happening. However, one great thing is that the hotels have an amazing portal where they can look up ongoing trafficking situations using their customer database, which is crucial for stopping trafficking from the hotel’s side.

End of the day thought: The Dutch are an inspiration for many countries to be open and have broad-minded perspectives.

Day 4 : Workshops and final countdown

After an exhausting day in Amsterdam, the next day started with a morning lecture about understanding the business model of sex trafficking. Again, it’s more of a subjective opinion, but I felt trafficking is like a guilty pleasure for the government – they know how and where it’s happening but don’t shut it down because trafficking is indirectly proportional to government income. Then, we had enough time to work on our presentation. We used this time to complete it and enjoy the evening, although some last-minute changes had to be made.

Another lecture focused on how trafficking could take place in the wellness industries. During this session, we learned about the differences between slavery and trafficking, went through some examples, and covered legal aspects and other business strategies related to trafficking.

End of the day thought: Trafficking is literally everywhere and can happen in any place.

Day 5: Hard good byes

Sadly, this was the last onsite class, and I felt the pressure of the upcoming presentation since I’m not really into presentations. On the final day, the first lecture was with a public prosecutor, and my energy was lower compared to the previous days because of the presentation pressure. However, the discussion with the public prosecutor was as interesting as expected. I learned how they favor victims and the kind of support they provide. After that lecture, we focused on making final changes and preparing for the presentation.

Finally, it was time for our presentations and to receive reviews from the lecturers. The Irish group was leaving on that day itself, so we had a little farewell with them. Those who remained and were interested stayed to celebrate King’s Day, which turned out to be a really memorable experience during SAP.

This is how I ended up gaining a lot of information, knowledge, and connections through this SAP.

An important point: Every global citizen should understand human trafficking and learn how to tackle it effectively.

A final thanks to the organizers and student assistants for providing the best possible outcome with this SAP and showing exceptional hospitality in Leeuwarden.