How Studying Hospitality Made Me Feel Like Anything is Possible

Hospitality has opened opportunities for travel, adventure, and a solid career path for Swedish student Lukas Vidfar.

How did you discover you wanted to work in the hospitality industry?

I started out bartending right after high school in Sweden. I enjoyed it and eventually moved to London where I dove right into the very vibrant British bar culture and worked in various great bars and participated in cocktail competitions across the city. The turning point for me was when I met Levi from Swiss Education Group. We talked a lot about hospitality and the working culture and for the first time I realized there were so many opportunities available to me beyond working in a bar while using the skills I had already developed.

I could go far in the industry if I wanted to, and suddenly it felt it was both reasonable and possible for me to work towards big projects including maybe even one day opening a hotel.

What motivates you to study and work in hospitality?

I’m getting very high results. It’s probably the strong desire to work towards something bigger than myself.

It's wonderful to work with people! And the fact that I love the practical side of it helps me be passionate about the theory too. The courses and teachers are so good at IHTTI – the studies really give depth to the practical side of things. I struggled with my grades in high school, but I’ve discovered that now that I’m motivated, I’m getting very high results. It’s probably the strong desire to work towards something bigger than myself and the strong feeling of family I have with everyone at school.

You landed your first internship in Iceland – Wow! How has it been?

It’s been an amazing experience! I am working at CenterHotels In Rejkjavik, Iceland as Night Auditor. I collect and compile the financials from the day. What makes it interesting is that I get a holistic overview of the daily operations of the hotel. The company treats us interns very positively with great care, respect, and patience!

What has been the best part of working in Iceland?

Working the night shift means that I work 7-day shifts then get a full week off. The week off means I get 7 full days in a row to explore Iceland! Iceland is a dream setting to explore with nonstop hiking, whale watching, volcanoes, glaciers, wildlife, and so much more! As a Swede, I’ve also really come to appreciate and learn about Iceland’s unique Nordic culture.

What makes studying at IHTTI special?

The people here are very inspiring. I think the design concept of the school attracts many creative people here.

What I appreciate the most is the positive thinking everyone seems to have and because of that, no problem feels too big to solve.

Why did you choose to focus on design?

I have been interested in good design for as long as I can remember. My sister is a fashion designer and my brother works with product design and they are my two biggest role models. So, when I found the opportunity to combine a design focus with my passion for hospitality, I thought this would be the best of two worlds.

I am especially interested in understanding design on a deeper level and the direct impact it has on people in their environment.

When I found the opportunity to combine a design focus with my passion for hospitality, I thought this would be the best of two worlds.

What is your ultimate career goal?

My goal is to start an adventure-focused hotel that has a zero-negative environmental impact. And on my way, I would love to do my next internship at the Svart Hotel in Norway to learn more about their environmental ambitions and how they plan to implement them. I want to work with like-minded people focused on building a better future.

And the best part is that with all of the people I have now met who live around the world everything feels possible!

About Lukas Vidfar

Lukas graduated from IHTTI School of Hotel Management with a BA in Hospitality Administration/Management.