Our perspectives on the Inspire project - from 2 visiting French intern students

The INSPIRE project is an association of seven higher education institutions and NGOs from Europe who are passionate about supporting post-conflict refugee tourism entrepreneurship. This project was funded by an Erasmus Key Action 2 grant for 2023 - 2025 to develop training and education resources to support this unique population. The main issue is to train refugees to start post-conflict tourism businesses, aiding their economic resilience and social integration.

Introducing Maël and Lisa

Now, we are going to introduce ourselves. First, our names are Mael and Lisa. We are working on the INSPIRE project as two interns. We are both 19 years old students in our second yeard of marketing techniques at the Institute Universitary of Technology of Quimper, in France. Our studies focuses on marketing, sales and communication. So, we are going to be in Ireland for 2 months, we are very happy to be there. Thanks to our internship supervisor, Tony Johnston, our work placement with INSPIRE project is an incredible opportunity for us. Working on INSPIRE project allows us to apply our skills, work as a team and of course improve our english language. Through this blog, we are looking forward to share our experience.

Actual Issue Of INSPIRE

INSPIRE current challenge is the need to integrate and empower refugees across Europe, for example those affected by the war in Ukraine, by helping them build sustainable solutions within the tourism sector. Europe is coping with an unprecedented number of refugees and displaced persons due to ongoing conflicts, notably in Ukraine, which has led to millions fleeing their homes. These individuals require immediate humanitarian assistance, including housing and education, but also face long-term challenges, such as employment and self-sufficiency.

The war has also placed pressure on the European tourism industry, repurposing infrastructure to accommodate refugees and experiencing economic strain due to inflation and disrupted travel. INSPIRE seeks to address these combined issues by offering refugees training and skills needed to start tourism-related businesses, aiming to alleviate the strain on public systems, foster economic independence among refugees, and support the recovery of the tourism sector. In doing so, INSPIRE aims to create a dual benefit: aiding social integration of refugees and the economic stability, while revitalizing tourism industries across the EU through inclusive business opportunities.

The Impact of Working On INSPIRE

Depending to us, working on the inspire project is very enriching, both professionally and personally.

It’s not a typical internship, it’s really an opportunity to be part of something meaningful. In fact, INSPIRE project is dedicated to help the refugiees, which feels especially important with the war in Ukraine for example. This crisis affects countless lives and has accelerated needs for help.

For us, being part of Inspire project gives new purpose to our studies. We are learning about marketing, sales and communication strategies, but applying those skills to help people makes our works even more fulfilling. Helping refugiees integrate and find their place in society is a powerful goal, and being part of that project make us feel like we are contributing to something positive.

On a personal level, INSPIRE project allows us to grow in adaptability. We are learning to communicate in different languages than ours. This experience is pushing us out of our comfort zones.

This project daily reminds us if the impact we can have and inspires us to continue making a positive difference in our careers.

You can find more information’s on the website :

https://www.inspireproject.eu

Thank you for reading.