16 Students, 2 destinations, 1 trip: Educating students through an innovative knowledge exchange based internship

This paper reports on the development, implementation and key outcomes of a tourism internship program, revolving around a ‘destination immersion experience’ comprising both work and research experience objectives. The project was conceptualised to establish collaboration between regional tourism communities and the higher education sector to enhance destination competitiveness and sustainability through workforce development and community engagement. The foundation of the project is embedded within academic-industry partnerships, student learning and engagement, and knowledge exchange. These three themes are addressed in the paper in terms of both the opportunities and challenges associated with the immersion-style 10 day internship period delivered concurrently in two regional destinations, as are lessons for tourism educators