Six tourism students send examiners on a trip around the world

If the smell of coriander and lime fills your nose when you think of Mexico and you hear a mixture of car horns and mariachi music in your mind, you've come to the right place: six students from the Cruise Tourism Management Bachelor's degree programme have created the cruise "World Cruise 2025 - a journey around the world with all the senses" as part of their "Sensory Marketing" course - a journey that appeals to the eyes, ears, nose, touch and palate.
Denise Banna, Rashida Husain, Christin Schröder, Justin Lam, Maxine Clausen and Katharina Wolter check in with their travelling guests, food technologists Kirsten Buchecker and Lisa Nitze, and Gina Wagener, Professor of International Tourism Management, in the sensory laboratory at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences. "Our route starts in Italy, then takes us to Mexico, Japan, Thailand, India and ends in Turkey," explains Maxine Clausen. She is studying Cruise Tourism Management in her fifth semester and is introducing "her" country, Mexico. "My aunt lives in Mexico and I'm going to visit her in April."

The tour group starts in Bella Italia

But before heading to Baja California, Denise Banna welcomes her guests to Italy. Like the others, she has decorated a table with accessories typical of the country: Bright red tomato panicles are draped on a green tablecloth, ciabatta on a wooden board and a spicy-smelling basil plant in a white planter. "Everything is in the Italian national colours of green, white and red," explains Denise Banna, cutting the freshly baked, crispy ciabatta into slices. "I'm serving bruschetta, a typical Italian starter," says the student, topping the slices with a mixture of chopped onions, garlic, diced tomatoes, pepper, salt, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. "You should see the ingredients - for the eye." The testers' palates audibly savour the start of the tour. "Delicious," praises sensory specialist Kirsten Buchecker. She has already realised similar sensory projects with students: "Our fictitious travel agency has already offered a kale world tour and a curry route," she says with a laugh before sniffing her bread. "The seminar is about staging a marketing situation for sensory marketing. How do I arouse the interest of potential customers with colours, sounds, smells and shapes?" She nods to Denise Banna, who is now playing Italian music to her chewing guests via YouTube and projecting a self-designed poster onto the wall. It shows a red Fiat Cinquecento, the beach, antipasti and other typical Italian motifs. "If we imagine this is a trade fair for a cruise operator, then it's really about catering to stereotypes," explains tourism expert Prof Dr Gina Wagener. When travelling around the world, you usually only have a short stay in the countries along the route. "And the classic cruise audience simply wants to see the classics."

Cumin for the nose and mariachi sounds for the ear

In the sensory lab, the journey continues to Mexico, where Maxine Clausen invites you to join her. On a tablecloth in bright candy colours, she has draped tacos on flowered crockery and added freshly scented lime wedges. "The colourful tablecloth is intended to reflect the variety of colours in Mexico," says the student. She plays lively mariachi music to accompany the spicy-hot tacos. "My stand offers cumin and coriander as an olfactory experience." Lisa Nitze, scientific and technical employee in the "ReformBIO" project, who runs the seminar together with Kirsten Buchecker, likes this. "A trip around the world for all the senses gives people the opportunity to discover the world and its cultures." The group continues "travelling" with Justin Lam to Japan, where images of blossoming cherry trees, the majestic Mount Fujiyama and ninja fighters await them. "My stand serves classic sushi, but with omelette and not fish, because not everyone likes fish," says the student, presenting diamond-shaped works of art made from rice, dough and seaweed leaves. The tranquil sounds of a bamboo flute round off the Japanese experience. "Music to wind down," he says and smiles, "perfect for a trip around the world." At the neighbouring table, Christin Schröder welcomes the group to Thailand. She is in her seventh semester of studying Cruise Tourism Management, and her stand smells of cucumber, mint, peanuts and garlic. The source of the aroma lies appetisingly on the table in front of her, draped on palm leaves: spring rolls with peanut sauce. The sense of smell is powerful: "There are actually travel providers who send out smell cards," says Dr Kirsten Buchecker. "We associate odours with memories and they trigger feelings in us."

The smell of incense sticks brings back memories

The journey continues to the Indian metropolis of Mumbai, Rashida Husain's home town. It gets lively here. The tourism student plays traffic noises to get you in the mood: loud honking, human shouts, engine noises and rattling trains. "Mumbai is loud," she says with a laugh and switches to a recording of hypnotic drum rhythms. She lights two clay lamps and sandalwood incense sticks. For some members of the tour group, this immediately brings back memories of their own youth. On a woven piece of fabric with metal threads running through it, she presents a tray of vada pav, "classic Indian finger food". These are deep-fried balls of potato, chilli and coriander, which Rashida Husain serves with various chutneys. "There are a few good shops in Bremerhaven's pedestrian zone where I got almost all the ingredients."

"That was the most relaxed test"

The last "port" that travellers call at is Istanbul. Katharina Wolter has designed her stand to match: Glasses full of bitter-smelling chai are steaming on a silver tray. "And when I think of Turkey, the flavour of baklava is always on the tip of my tongue." The sweet delicacy made from puff pastry, walnuts, pistachios and honey is now available for the tour group to try for dessert. "We would be delighted if you would book your trip around the world with us," says the student with a laugh. "Great!" Kirsten Buchecker is delighted. "I really have travelled around the world with you." Lisa Nitze echoes the praise: "You really paid attention to detail." Tourism professor Gina Wagener also clearly enjoyed the trip: "You really appealed to all the senses." The six now have to work out a concept for their trip, which will be graded. The students also had a lot of fun working on their world tour of the senses. "And it was the most relaxed exam," says Christin Schröder happily. For the examiners, it was certainly the tastiest!

(translated by DeepL)