Tourism and Hotel Management (Faculty of Business) second-year students Rugilė Griciūtė and Austėja Vitunskaitė achieved exceptional results this week, 17–20 March, at the prestigious Youth Hospitality Summit (YHS2025) event, held at EHL Hospitality Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland. In this international competition, which attracts the most talented students of hospitality study programmes from all over the world, Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution (HEI) students won prizes, proving their high level of professionalism and excellent abilities. This is a particularly significant achievement, considering that EHL Hospitality Business School is one of the oldest and most famous hospitality management schools in the world.

The students were joined at the event by Aušra Liorančaitė-Šukienė, a lecturer at the Department of Tourism and Leisure Management, who emphasises that events of this level provide students with a unique opportunity to experience the highest level of hospitality standards.

‘Direct experience allows us to best understand how the global hospitality industry actually works. The mere fact that Kauno kolegija HEI students are invited to participate in events of this scale confirms the quality and international recognition of the institution’s study programmes, as only students from the best hospitality study programmes in their countries are admitted to this event, and the fact that our students, together with their teams, took the prize places proves the high level of not only theoretical knowledge but also practical skills and competencies,’ A. Liorančaitė-Šukienė shares her impressions after the event.

YHS2025 is not just academic knowledge but also valuable connections

YHS (Young Hospitality Summit) is the world’s largest student-organised hospitality industry event, which brings together the most promising students from the highest-ranked universities and hospitality schools. The event provides an opportunity to deepen knowledge about the most pressing industry issues and find innovative solutions to real-world business situations.

This year’s event focused on sustainability and innovation in the hospitality industry. Participants analysed the following challenges:

• • Overtourism: Keeping the Balance – how to manage tourist flows in the world’s most popular destinations, such as Venice or Barcelona, ​​while preserving local culture and the well-being of communities. In this challenge, second-year Tourism and Hotel Management student Rugilė Griciūtė and her team took third place, demonstrating excellent abilities to solve complex issues of sustainable tourism.
  • Engaging Young Generations with Bordeaux Wine Culture – how to maintain the historical traditions of the Bordeaux wine region while attracting a new generation of consumers. The most innovative and effective solutions in this category were demonstrated by the team of second-year Tourism and Hotel Management student Austėja Vitunskaitė, whose members were awarded exclusive bottles of red wine from the Bordeaux region, each worth up to 500 euros.

The event culminated in a luxurious banquet at the 5-star Lausanne Palace Hotel on the shores of Lake Geneva, the elegance of which was emphasised by the black tie dress code. Guests experienced the highest level of service, enjoying exquisite dishes, delicate music and unique views of Lake Geneva.

Such challenges not only complement academic knowledge but also stimulate creativity, strategic thinking and the ability to cooperate in an intercultural environment – these are extremely important skills for achieving success in the hospitality sector.

Jūratė Dabravalskytė-Radzevičė, Head of the Department of Tourism and Leisure Management at Kauno kolegija HEI, emphasises that participation in international events increases the attractiveness of study programmes and strengthens the international recognition of the Kauno kolegija HEI. ‘Such events provide students with new learning and collaboration opportunities, promote academic exchange and contribute to the improvement of study programmes. In addition, they create conditions for exchanging experiences with the best specialists in the tourism and hospitality sector, gaining new insights into sector trends and applying international best practices in study processes,’ J. Dabravalskytė-Radzevičė summarises the benefits of the event.

Networking: new ideas, projects and career opportunities

YHS2025 provides students with a unique opportunity to network with world-class hospitality industry leaders. It is not only an opportunity to gain knowledge but also an opportunity to meet potential employers, hear about the latest trends and innovations and find internships or job opportunities in international companies.

Lecturer A. Liorančaitė-Šukienė points out that such events provide an invaluable networking opportunity. According to her, new ideas are born here, international projects are initiated, and opportunities for cooperation with other academic institutions and industry professionals arise. Participation in YHS2025 has already yielded the first results – the Department of Tourism and Leisure Management has attracted new international lecturers who teach in the study programme, and two new international projects have been initiated, which are successfully implemented at the inter-institutional level.

This experience will undoubtedly enrich the students’ professional path and open up even more international opportunities in the future.