<p><span class="p-body">Allison Jungkurth graduated from NYU SPS in 2018 with a MS in Tourism Management from the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality. She is currently a communications coordinator at VisitBritain, the national tourism office for Great Britain—a position she believes her time at NYU prepared for her in many ways.</span></p>

<p><span class="p-body">VisitBritain's mission is to motivate US travelers to visit Great Britain, which includes England, Scotland, and Wales. As part of the PR team, Jungkurth connects with journalists in the US and shares information and story ideas to help them write articles encouraging Americans to visit the UK. &nbsp;</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">&quot;We read a lot of travel outlets to understand what the media are writing about and what the current trends are, then reach out to pitch new openings or stories from Britain that we think people in the US will want to read about,&quot; she explained. &quot;Hopefully what they read will inspire them to plan a trip to Britain in the future!&quot;</span></p>

<p><span class="p-body">Jungkurth worked full time during her master's degree program, so when she graduated in the spring of 2018, she was able to stay in New York and look for a new position that would really be a good fit.</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">&quot;I knew I wanted to work for a DMO (destination management organization), and eventually there was an opening in the New York office for VisitBritain, which had always been one of the top places I'd dreamed of working for,&quot; she recalled. &quot;I had met a few people from VisitBritain as speakers at NYU, so I reconnected with them and between my previous work experience, schoolwork at SPS, and product knowledge from having traveled around Britain before, I got the job and started here in spring of 2019.&quot;</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">Jungkurth's favorite part of her job is connecting with people in the UK and hearing what they've been working on. &quot;It's difficult to keep up with all of the new events, attractions, hotel openings, etc. that come up across England, Scotland, and Wales, but it helps a lot to go visit and see what's happening on the ground, or just to have a call and hear what they're excited about sharing,&quot; she explained. &quot;It's very inspiring to talk to them and be reminded of the real people—the business owners and smaller DMOs—that we're working to support from over here.&quot;</span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 12pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;" id="docs-internal-guid-e4762905-7fff-ea89-996d-30feaba68fdf"><span class="p-body"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jungkurth found the Tourism Management program at SPS to be critical in her professional journey, because it covered a wide range of topics and helped her narrow down the part of the industry she wanted to work in.&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 12pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span class="p-body"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&quot;Destination management was always the most interesting to me, the idea of really knowing a place, evaluating its resources, and building tourism attractions in a way that is environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable,&quot; she shared. </span></span></p>

<p><span class="p-body">Jungkurth recommends that current SPS students who wish to break into the tourism industry read about what movers and shakers in the industry are currently doing, and talk to people about their work when you get a chance.  </span></p> <p><span class="p-body">&quot;The tourism and hospitality industry is so wide and varied, and learning directly from other people is the best way to understand how everything is connected and what kinds of jobs are even out there to pursue,&quot; she explained. &quot;Personal connections are also very inspiring—people are usually really happy to tell you about their destination or the work they're doing, and it's energizing to see how you fit into that.&quot;</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">She also recommended staying open to the possibility of applying and taking a job that you aren't 100% sure about. &quot;I didn't really know what PR and communications involved when I took this position, I just knew I was excited to join VisitBritain and learn how it all worked,&quot; she divulged. &quot;There are always opportunities to move or grow into something else, so don't be afraid to give something really interesting a try.&quot;</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">Earning an <a href="/content/sps-nyu/explore/degrees-and-programs/ms-in-travel-and-tourism-management.html" title="Master's of Science in Travel and Tourism Management">MS in Travel and Tourism Management</a> at NYU SPS can open doors that you may have never imagined were possible. See where you can start the next chapter of your career with a degree from the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality.</span></p>