The 20th century saw an explosion in tourism, due to technological advances people were able to visit countries all over the world. People had greater disposable income and so looked for more interesting ways to spend their leisure time. In the 21st century, this trend has increased, and it means that the travel and tourism sector is now one of the most thriving parts of our economy. There are so many exciting careers associated with this sector and so many opportunities, both nationally and internationally.
What is involved in the Travel and Tourism course?
The course is split into three components:
Travel and Tourism Organisations and Destinations: you will investigate travel and tourism organisations, their aims and how they work together. You will explore types of travel and tourism and the features that make destinations appealing to visitors.
Customer Needs in Travel and Tourism: you will investigate how organisations use market research to identify travel and tourism trends, and customer needs and preferences. You will apply your understanding by selecting products and services and planning a holiday to meet customer needs and preferences.
Travel and Tourism Organisations and Destinations: you will explore the different factors that may influence global travel and tourism, and how travel and tourism organisations and destinations respond to these factors. You will examine the potential impacts of tourism at global destinations and how destinations can manage the impacts of tourism and control tourism development to achieve sustainable tourism.
How will you be assessed?
As this is a vocational course, much of the assessment is through work that you complete during the lessons and at home throughout the two years on the course. The first two components are assessed internally, and there will be a mixture of written assessments, presentations, case studies and can include video diaries, posters and graphs.
The Travel and Tourism Organisations and Destinations unit is an externally assessed unit, which is a synoptic examination lasting 2 hours. In this exam, you will use knowledge and skills developed throughout the course to answer questions which focus on different areas of the UK Travel and Tourism industry.
What can you do with Travel and Tourism in the future?
The skills that you will develop whilst learning Travel and Tourism are complementary to the skills that are required to be successful in many jobs, both inside and outside the service sector. Travel and Tourism allows you to develop skills such as self-management, interpersonal skills leading to good customer service, analysis of society and the economy, teamwork, communication, problem solving and digital literacy.
This subject fits closely to other Business courses, which can be studied at Key Stage 5, both through A Levels and with BTEC Nationals. The subject is seen as an academic one which promotes self-discipline whilst building on collaboration, making it an excellent option subject for anyone wanting to go onto university in the future.
What do you need to do to prepare for the course?
You can prepare for the course by being aware of what is around you, what your family and friends do as part of their leisure activities, keep up to date with the news stories relating to travel and explore tourist destinations online to see what makes them successful. Why does everyone want to go to Disneyland?
Travel and Tourism is a fantastic subject that can be the doorway to an exciting future career or can support your learning in other subjects such as Geography or Business. You must be committed to working hard, thinking creatively and be self-motivated. To be successful in Travel and Tourism, you need to have an enquiring mind and be ready to explore your ideas through your assignments.
Student/Staff/Famous Person quote about the subject
“Studying Travel and Tourism was like walking through a gateway to the world”
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