To allow the graduating class of Tourism Business Management Programme to deepen their understanding of principles through experiential learning and to widen their international exposure to tourism, a field trip to the UNESCO site in Hue, Vietnam was organised by Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT). 20 students of Tourism Business Management Programme and a faculty member took part in the field trip from 4 to 10 April 2012. In 1993, the Complex of Hue Monuments was inscribed on the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. UNESCO involvement in heritage preservation and the restoration in Hue started as early as the 1980s. Despite the promising achievements in safeguarding the heritage sites in Hue, there are new challenges emerging in the current context such as lack of master plan for Heritage Management, the pressure of urbanisation and lack of professional staff etc. With these challenges ahead, it is necessary to do research scientifically for the conservation and development of Hue's cultural heritage. The field study trip comprised of five full days of workshop, fieldwork and survey conduction. IFT students and faculty member were warmly welcomed and received by the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism (HAT) of Hue University. Faculty members and students from HAT worked jointly with IFT students. For the five field study days, students discussed their survey strategies and conducted research related to tourism development in Hue. Students analysed and presented the findings and they had a good exchange of opinion. UNESCO office in Hanoi talked highly about IFT students and expressed that the research findings would be useful for their office. IFT students also got high praises from Faculty members of HAT for their tourism knowledge, team spirit and learning attitude. Students revealed that the field study trip helped them develop deep understanding of the heritage perseveration and tourism development challenges facing by Hue. Team spirit was highly built up between IFT and HAT students. Moreover, being in a foreign country, the involvement of local students in the learning process and extended interactions with stakeholders helped the students learn how to deal with heritage and tourism issues in an unfamiliar place and culture.
