Farewell Party before the big departure for Osaka

On 27 March 2025, the joyous excitement was palpable at the departure ceremony organised for the twenty pupils and students selected to take part in the Osaka World Expo. They will all be working in the Luxembourg pavilion, which has been christened “Doki Doki”, an expression that refers to the beating of a heart filled with curiosity and excitement, like that of the lucky ones about to embark on an extraordinary internship. They will have the honour of representing the school and Luxembourg to the whole world.

After a rigorous selection process and various preparatory workshops on the Japanese language and culture, cutlery and marketing, the day of departure is fast approaching: the first group will take off on 5 April to travel to the other side of the world and enjoy a unique experience.
Parents were also invited to the Farewell Party to get the latest information and reassurance. They were also able to meet Alain Hostert, who will be heading the EHTL delegation to Osaka, and the teachers who will be supervising the youngsters during their stay in the Land of the Rising Sun.

As Michel Lanners, Director of the EHTL, is fond of saying: “These are young people who are leaving, but when they return they will have become adults, such is the enriching and formative nature of this experience”. The pupils and students will be working for three full months at Expo 2025 Osaka, giving them time to settle in, acclimatise and, finally, to fully enjoy this adventure, which will show them how the hospitality sector offers career opportunities in the four corners of the world. “You’ll see,” joked the Director to the parents, “they’ll be so busy living this experience that they’ll forget to send you any news. But don’t worry, we’ll remind them to contact you from time to time.

“They should keep a diary, a kind of logbook that they’ll enjoy leafing through later”, explained one enthusiastic mother. What’s certain is that the young adventurers will be sharing their experiences on the EHTL’s social networks.