A Travel & Tourism student from Solihull College & University Centre has recently returned from the working trip of a lifetime to South Africa.
Emily McManus, 17, secured work experience on the Safari Swing event – which brings dancers from all over the world together on a west coast swing bootcamp.
Emily’s work started in Solihull. She was at the heart of organising – which involved booking tickets, sorting logistics and ensuring everyone was in the right place at the right time.
She then got on a plane to Johannesburg. She comments: “I spent one night in a hotel in Johannesburg before moving onto the Game Lodge. I was on hand to ensure all the dancers were all transported to the right place!”
Emily then spent 5 nights in a safari lodge and was lucky enough to go on safari with the clients. She had a once in a lifetime experience and managed to see the ‘Big 5’ safari animals.
She feels as though the experience will help her when it comes to her next step in her career. “The whole trip has given me so much confidence. Overseeing the organising, meeting new people, and being able to solve problems has really made me more confident. It’s a great event to have on my CV. I want to continue my journey in travel and tourism and am currently looking at International Tourism courses at universities.”
Emily has already been booked to work on the next Safari Swing event in 2 years’ time.
