'to make a difference in Prague' - ERASMUS MUNDUS SCHOLARSHIP: TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND CULTURE (MSC)

application for TourDC programme

Hi guys,

I am at the process of applying for a postgraduate degree and as a part of the scholarship form I am required to write a maximum 400 words personal statement, which address the following issues:

·You should outline your motivation for choosing the TourDC programme (i.e. how it complements and develops your previous studies; how it relates to your career path; how it relates to your personal and academic interests).

·Explain why you think you are a good candidate for the programme given your previous studies and the courses offered on the programme in both years.

·You should highlight your participation in conferences, internships, non-governmental organisations, summer schools, and other activities connected to the area of tourism development and culture.
·Explain why you think you should be considered for a scholarship.

Please have a look, what I have done so far:

In 2017, Prague has become the fifth most visited destination in Europe and is it is predicted to grow. The increasing number of tourists has led to uncontrolled development of tourism and the historic centre has become the honeypot of tourist ghetto. From my own experience, living in one building with Airbnb platforms is problematic as visitors often did not respect quiet hours in the night. Understanding the consequences of mismanagement of tourism-related development pursued me to study International Tourism Management in the UK as any tourism courses are not taught in Czech universities.

During my first year of studies, I was doing the Join Honours Event and Tourism Management as I wanted to explore the power of event on urban renewal of the destination. To expand the gained knowledge, I would like to take in year 2 courses at University Institute Lisbon, where modules like Large events and event management are taught. From the second until the final year of the university I am an active member of Tourism society at my university, which aims to increase awareness of the general public about Tourism and Sustainable Development goals. My responsibility is to select, and post news related to tourism on the official Instagram account and university blog. It has enhanced my knowledge and skills about the importance of marketing.

In order to enhance my project management skills and step out from my comfort zone, I went for a two-month volunteering trip in Sri Lanka on my won. The job required organizing the fundraising events for local non-profit organisations to promote democratic right among young women.

My main motivation for applying for the EMJMD Tourism development & Culture programme is the opportunity to work as tourism officer, developing and implementing tourism policies and strategies, specializing on the need for a systematic conceptualisation of sustainable urban development. I believe that it is the best way how to manage the overtourism of destinations and most importantly prevent the negative impacts (in this case the mobility opportunity of the programme represents the great chance to experience a diversity of regional strategies of tourism in European cities). I desire to work for organisations such as the Ministry of Regional Development of the Czech Republic or The Association of Czech Travel Agents.

In overall, by furthering my education in tourism I do believe I could make a difference in my hometown-Prague.

The last paragraph should be the opening paragraph of this essay. It carries your actual motivation for your desire to pursue these studies. The current reasoning you have in the present introductory paragraph is too shallow and does not really contain information that will impress the reviewer. There is also a problem with your relevant education and participation skills presentation. It does not indicate any academic achievements nor extra curricular activities relevant to your desired line of studies. Running a social media account is not the same as having physical participation in tourism events where you could have sharpened your theoretical skills through practical applications. These are the problem points that I see which you should work on to strengthen your essay.