Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
can help to arrange visits to hotels, attractions, etc. and
suggest guest speakers for talks in the destination. Your
tutor may have some good contacts to help with this
as well. Try to get visits and talks that give an overview
of the different component industries in travel and
tourism found in the study area, rather than an endless
round of visits to hotels!
Features
Benefi ts
Good transport links
Fast journey times
English widely spoken
Easy to communicate
Many different types
of accommodation
Suitable for a wide variety of
visitors
Long, sandy beaches
Opportunities for watersports
Means of transport
Close to ferry terminal
Easily accessible
As a team, you will need to think about how you are
going to travel to your study visit destination. This is
likely to involve slightly less work if you are staying in
the UK, whereas if you are intending to travel abroad
you will need to consider such matters as access to
departure points, e.g. train stations, airports and ferry
ports. The transport you choose will also be a refl ection
of the budget you have available for the study tour.
Fig 23.1 - Examples of features and benei ts
of destinations
traffi c jams. Choose a location that offers accessibility,
but is not too off the beaten track. It is best to avoid
extremes of weather, so don't pick a destination that is
likely to be very hot, very humid, very cold or very wet
at the time you are travelling.
Constraints
Seasonality
There will be constraints on what it is possible to
arrange for your study tour. These are likely to include:
Travel and accommodation will be cheaper out of peak
season, but you must weigh this up against the fact that
a resort will not be as busy and some tourist amenities
may not be open. This could restrict the number of
travel and tourism facilities you can visit as part of the
study visit. Choosing a time either side of the peak
season is likely to be best, but don't pick a time when
you will have lots of college/school work to fi nish!
•
Financial - it is likely that you will have to pay the
whole cost of the trip yourself, plus spending money
on top. The amount you have available (your budget)
will have a bearing on the type of accommodation
you choose, the length of the trip, mode of travel
and what activities you can take part in while at the
destination;
Health, safety and security
•
Legal - you will need to investigate visa, passport
and health requirements for certain destinations, as
well as issues such as drinking, driving and religious
codes;
Health, safety and security are of the utmost importance
on any study visit, whether in the UK or abroad. Your
tutors will brief you fully on health, safety and security
before you go on the trip and later in this unit we will
be investigating risk assessments.
•
Distance - be realistic in how far you can travel in
the time that you have available. Remember that
you will be working hard while at the destination
so don't be too ambitious in selecting an area that
takes a long time to reach;
Opportunities for learning
The study visit is primarily a learning activity and an
integral part of your BTEC course, so the possible
opportunities for learning and availability of educational
visits and talks by guest speakers while on your trip is an
important consideration. Some tourist boards are very
willing to help and support students on study tours and
•
Risk - recent global incidents have highlighted the
importance of issues such as personal safety and
reducing risks while travelling. You may even have to
consider the impact of natural disasters and political
instability when deciding where to choose for your
study visit. The Foreign and Commonwealth Offi ce
