BTEC Tech Award

Examination Board:

Pearson

Assessment:

What will you learn?

Component 1: Travel and Tourism organisations and destinations

There are many organisations involved with different aspects of travel and tourism, including travel agents, tour operators, transport and accommodation providers and visitor attractions. In this component, you will learn about the wide range of different travel and tourism organisations and their aims such as making a profit, providing services, promoting a cause or contributing to the community. You will explore how different travel and tourism organisations work with each other to offer products and services, and the importance of the travel and tourism sector to the UK economy, including direct and indirect contributions.

People travel for different reasons, including leisure, business and to visit friends and relatives. Tourist destinations are likely to have several features that appeal to visitors such as coastal scenery, beaches, different types of accommodation and local attraction. They are often easy to travel to with a choice of transport options. You will gain an understanding of the different types of travel and tourism and the features of destinations that appeal to visitors.

This component will give you an understanding of the role of different travel and tourism organisations, and the features and appeal of tourist destinations.

Component 2: Influences on global travel and tourism

There are many factors that may influence global travel and tourism, and they are constantly changing. For example, severe weather events, political and economic factors, and the publicity a destination receives can all affect the decisions visitors make and the way some travel and tourism organisations operate. Tourism can have a positive and a negative impact on local communities, the economy and the environment, and the issue of sustainability is a concern for many destinations, organisations and governments.

In this component, you will consider the factors that may influence travel and tourism and the ways that travel and tourism organisations, destinations and governments respond to these influences and their reasons. For example, to maintain sales and income, diversify economies, increase tourist numbers or reassure visitors. You will explore the possible impacts of tourism such as leakage, habitat loss and employment creation, and consider ways these can be managed by destinations, organisations and governments. You will investigate how tourism may bring change to destinations over time and how destinations can encourage, manage and develop tourism.

Component 3: Customer needs in Travel and Tourism

The travel and tourism sector has to meet the needs and preferences of many different types of customer. This can include customer needs such as wanting a holiday at a certain time of year or within a certain budget, and preferences such as individuals wanting an adventure holiday and families wanting a beach and activities for young children. Customers may also have other considerations when making travel and tourism choices, such as safety and security. In this component, you will investigate how market research is used by travel and tourism organisations to identify trends such as types of holiday taken, when they are taken and where. You will consider how organisations respond to these trends to meet customer needs and preferences.

You will learn about the basic and specific travel and tourism needs of different types of customer and the factors that can influence their needs and preferences. You will also learn how travel and tourism organisations meet these needs and preferences by offering a variety of products and services, including different types of holiday and accommodation. You will apply your understanding by selecting products and services and planning a holiday to meet the needs of specific customers.

In this component, you will have the opportunity to apply learning from Components 1 and 2 when considering how organisations use research to identify and respond to tourism trends and when selecting and planning products, services and holidays to meet customer needs and preferences.

Who is this course for? 

The Travel and Tourism course is suitable for students who have an interest in travelling and how tourism influences destinations. The course gives students the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills in a practical learning environment through coursework rather than exam dependant. 

This Award complements the learning in GCSE programmes such as GCSE Geography and GCSE Business by broadening students experience and skills participation in different contexts, with the opportunity for them to practically apply their knowledge and skills through project work such as investigating different travel and tourism organisations, how they identify trends and customer needs to provide products and services, the factors influencing tourism, and the impact of tourism on destinations. 

What happens when you finish? (Career Pathway)

The thriving travel and tourism industry provides exciting opportunities requiring a wide range of skills including self-management, team working, business and customer awareness, problem solving, literacy, numeracy, IT and communication skills. BTEC Tech award in Travel and Tourism provide a practical, real-world approach to learning and develop specific knowledge and skills learners need to work successfully in the industry.

The travel and tourism sector is the UK’s third-largest employer, accounting for nearly 10% of total employment. Tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the UK in employment terms and could lead you to careers such as event management, tour operators, Hotel or tour management or even working abroad.