Hani Golestaneh grew up in Iran, where he learned a lot from travellers of various countries who his family would host in their home, and he also lived in Turkey for two years. Upon discovering that his true passion lay in travel and tourism, Hani decided to emigrate to Canada.
Hani is now a proud graduate of the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) and completed a Sales and Catering internship at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver as part of his Marketing and Tourism Management degree.
After being chosen as a winner of the 2018 Baxter Student Ambassador Program, Hani was the lucky recipient of a pair of round-trip tickets to Paris with Air Transat and a 7-night stay at a partner hotel. Now, he works as a Leisure Travel Consultant with UNIGLOBE Specialty Travel in Vancouver.
TRAVEL COURIER: What did you love most about Paris?
HANI GOLESTANEH: Paris was even better than I hoped it would be! You will experience the exact atmosphere described in books or seen in the movies. The city is full of art, history and culture.
TC: How did the trip affect your career ambitions?
HG: Paris is probably the most symbolic city for travel and tourism. I took this trip about four months after I started my career in the travel industry, and it absolutely confirmed that I had made the right decision. Travel is my passion!
TC: What did you gain from participating in BSAP?
HG: Participating in BSAP was one of the most valuable experiences that I had as a student. Researching and preparing for my own webinar presentation was a big project, and I participated in some extremely worthwhile networking events as well. BSAP was the closest thing to experiencing the real-world travel industry that I could hope to get as a full-time student.
TC: Would you recommend BSAP to future graduating students?
HG: There is a wide range of activities and programs to join during the school period, but I would like to share my success story to answer this question. It took me only one week after my graduation to find my current job, and BSAP was the catalyst for this. I applied for a few jobs, then my boss found my profile in Travel Courier (which I mentioned in my application) and so began my professional career in the travel industry!
In 2020, 15 winning Baxter Ambassadors will have the opportunity to choose a once-in-a-lifetime internship, bursary, or travel prize from program sponsors like the Jamaica Tourist Board, Transat, FlyGTA, Elmhirst’s Resort, ACTA, TIAO, Skål Canada, and Independent by Flight Centre.
BSAP applications for the 2020 season open December 1. Interested students at participating schools should visit www.BaxterAmbassadors.com for more information.
Interested in getting involved with BSAP? If so, reach out to BSAP Program Director, Wendy McClung, at [email protected].
