My name is Aleksandra Ryszkowska and I am participating in the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme in Spain. My Host is Hellotickets, an international company in the tourism and ticketing industry. My business idea is Costa del Women, a tourism project offering camper surf trips around Andalusia for women. The concept combines motorhome travel, surfing or kitesurfing lessons, sightseeing and local experiences. The mission is to create a unique travel experience based on sport, freedom, nature and discovering Andalusia. I discovered the EYE programme through friends and decided to participate because I wanted to learn how a tourism company works from the inside. I expected to gain practical knowledge about online sales, marketing, product development and customer experience, which could help me develop my own business idea.
During my EYE stay, I have been working mainly on Google Things to Do, analysing tourism products, their visibility, product data and possible reasons for low conversion. My tasks included researching correct points of interest, checking Google Action Center errors, reviewing product presentation and suggesting improvements. I also worked with reports and internal tools to compare traffic, product titles, availability and organic or paid visibility. These activities required cooperation with the content, IT, marketing, supply and affiliate teams. My relationship with my Host has been very positive. I receive support and feedback, but I am also trusted to work independently. This cooperation helps me understand the tourism industry better and connect my daily tasks with my future business idea.
During my EYE stay, I have developed many practical skills that are useful for my future business. I improved my understanding of tourism products, online sales, digital marketing, product visibility and customer experience. Working with Google Things to Do helped me learn how important correct product presentation, data quality and conversion analysis are in the tourism industry. I also gained experience in cooperation between different departments, such as marketing, IT, content, supply and affiliates. This helped me understand how a tourism company works in practice and how business decisions are made. Another important benefit is the network I have built inside Hellotickets. Conversations with my Host and different team members gave me useful insights for developing Costa del Women. The exchange also helped me become more confident, independent and prepared to continue working on my own business idea.
This experience showed me that entrepreneurship is not only about having an idea, but also about testing, analysing and improving it step by step.