Week 45: a visit of companies in Turku
В этой неделе мы съездили в Турку, где посетили три компании связанные с туризмом.
The main event of week 45 was a trip to Turku, where our group visited three companies related to tourism: Viking Line, Sokos Hotels and Ukkopekka. That was part of the Tourism Theory course.
We left the school at 6.45 a.m. and first walked to the Pargas centre. I walked faster than the others, so I could take an earlier bus from Pargas. In Turku I had enough time to come to the harbour on foot, while others took a city bus. At 9 o’clock our group and the teacher gathered at the Viking Terminal in the harbour.
We were met by a sales promoter, Helli. She showed to us the terminal, the halls for the passengers and premises for employers who took bookings. I had visited this terminal two months earlier, when I went with Viking Lines to Sweden.
Then Helli gave us a talk about the company showing a PowerPoint presentation, which included information on the company’s history, organisational structure, mission statement, passenger statistics, ships, safety and environment issues, as well as competitors. She supplied us with brochures about the company and answered our questions.
The second company was a Sokos hotel. From the harbour we went by bus to the Market Square, where it was located. This particular hotel is called Hamburger Börs and was built in 1832. The hotel manager, Sanna-Liisa, showed to us various hotel rooms (prices range from 70 to 300 euro per night), as well as the sauna with a pool, a small gym and various restaurants and bars. I found the restaurants elegant, but the rooms looked a bit too dark. Some of the room types were practically the same; the only difference being the contents of the mini-bar.
After the hotel we took a long walk in the direction of the harbour, along the Aura River, till the Fori ferry. Near the ferry crossing, we went aboard of a ship with a vegetarian restaurant. The food was simple and inexpensive - the student price of a lunch was only 2.50 euro.
The last company that we visited called Ukkapekka. It is a cruise company, and its ship stood near the boat restaurant. We were met by the owner, Petri, who invited us inside. It turned out that the ship was one of the two remaining steamships in Finland. Petri said that it was very expensive to operate a steamship, because it required more personnel and the boiler needed to be heated one week before sailing. We were allowed to go down to the machine room as well. Ukkapekka also owns two other, ordinary ships. It also has a subsidiary company, Herrankukkaro, operating a resort with cottages, a restaurant and the biggest sauna in Finland.
After that visit we were free. As for me, I went to a barber’s and to a Lidl food shop. Both places were cheaper than in Pargas.
Then I went to the bus station in order to get a Matkahuolto card for students (for some unclear reason, they do not make such cards in Pargas). However, it turned out that the letter from my school, proving that I am a student, was too old and I had to get a new one.
The Matkahoulto card enables students to travel in buses and trains at half price. For me it won't be of much use, because there is no discount for trips between Pargas and Turku (less than 30 km). Still this card is worth having.
Turku castle
Viking Line presentation
At the Sokos hotel
The Aura River
Lunch at the boat restaurant
Ukkopekka, one of the two Finland's steamer boats, and its owner
The main event of week 45 was a trip to Turku, where our group visited three companies related to tourism: Viking Line, Sokos Hotels and Ukkopekka. That was part of the Tourism Theory course.
We left the school at 6.45 a.m. and first walked to the Pargas centre. I walked faster than the others, so I could take an earlier bus from Pargas. In Turku I had enough time to come to the harbour on foot, while others took a city bus. At 9 o’clock our group and the teacher gathered at the Viking Terminal in the harbour.
We were met by a sales promoter, Helli. She showed to us the terminal, the halls for the passengers and premises for employers who took bookings. I had visited this terminal two months earlier, when I went with Viking Lines to Sweden.
Then Helli gave us a talk about the company showing a PowerPoint presentation, which included information on the company’s history, organisational structure, mission statement, passenger statistics, ships, safety and environment issues, as well as competitors. She supplied us with brochures about the company and answered our questions.
The second company was a Sokos hotel. From the harbour we went by bus to the Market Square, where it was located. This particular hotel is called Hamburger Börs and was built in 1832. The hotel manager, Sanna-Liisa, showed to us various hotel rooms (prices range from 70 to 300 euro per night), as well as the sauna with a pool, a small gym and various restaurants and bars. I found the restaurants elegant, but the rooms looked a bit too dark. Some of the room types were practically the same; the only difference being the contents of the mini-bar.
After the hotel we took a long walk in the direction of the harbour, along the Aura River, till the Fori ferry. Near the ferry crossing, we went aboard of a ship with a vegetarian restaurant. The food was simple and inexpensive - the student price of a lunch was only 2.50 euro.
The last company that we visited called Ukkapekka. It is a cruise company, and its ship stood near the boat restaurant. We were met by the owner, Petri, who invited us inside. It turned out that the ship was one of the two remaining steamships in Finland. Petri said that it was very expensive to operate a steamship, because it required more personnel and the boiler needed to be heated one week before sailing. We were allowed to go down to the machine room as well. Ukkapekka also owns two other, ordinary ships. It also has a subsidiary company, Herrankukkaro, operating a resort with cottages, a restaurant and the biggest sauna in Finland.
After that visit we were free. As for me, I went to a barber’s and to a Lidl food shop. Both places were cheaper than in Pargas.
Then I went to the bus station in order to get a Matkahuolto card for students (for some unclear reason, they do not make such cards in Pargas). However, it turned out that the letter from my school, proving that I am a student, was too old and I had to get a new one.
The Matkahoulto card enables students to travel in buses and trains at half price. For me it won't be of much use, because there is no discount for trips between Pargas and Turku (less than 30 km). Still this card is worth having.
Turku castle
Viking Line presentation
At the Sokos hotel
The Aura River
Lunch at the boat restaurant
Ukkopekka, one of the two Finland's steamer boats, and its owner