Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
UNIT 1
Investigating the Travel and
Tourism Sector
INTRODUCTION TO THE UNIT
Travel and to
u
rism is a very dynamic sector that offers a wide range of job opportunities for people with the
right skills, kn
o
wledge and attitude. It has developed into one of the world's most important sectors, with
more than 880 million international tourist trips taken in 2009. It is also one of the fastest-growing areas
of the UK economy, worth in excess of £115 billion in 2009 and supporting more than 2.6 million jobs in
industries such as
hot
els, airlines, tourist attractions and travel agencies.
This unit sets the scene for investigating the travel and tourism sector. You will study the different component
industries and how they link together, exploring different organisations and the products/services they
provide to customers. You will also learn about the developments that have shaped present-day travel and
tourism. Finally, you will exp
l
ore the factors that currently infl uence the development of travel and tourism,
as well as those likely to affect the sector in the near future. When you have completed the unit you will have
a solid base from which to develop a detailed understanding of the travel and tourism sector through the
other units you study on your co
u
rse.
WHAT YOU WILL STUDY
When you have completed this unit you should:
1.
Know the travel and tourism component
industries and their organisations;
2.
Understand the role of travel and tourism organisations and their interrelationships;
3.
Know the developments that have shaped t
he
present day travel and tourism sector;
4.
Understand how trends and factors are currently af
f
ecting the travel and tourism sector.
You will be guided through the main topics in this unit wit
h
the help of the latest developments, statistics, industry
examples and case studies. You should also check out the weblinks throughout the unit for extra information on
particular organisations or topic areas and use the activities thro
ug
hout the unit to help you learn more.
ASSESSMENT FOR THIS UNIT
This unit is internally assessed, meaning that you will be given an assignment (or series of assignments) to complete
by your tutor(s) to show that you have fully understood the content of the unit. A gra
d
ing scale of pass, merit or
distinction is used when staff mark your assignment(s), with higher grades awarded to students who show greater
depth in analysis, evaluation and justifi cation in their assignments. An assignment for this
u
nit, which covers all the
grading criteria, can be found on page 56. Don't forget to visit
www.tandtonline.co.uk
f
o
r
a
ll the latest industry
news, developments, statistics and links to websites in this unit to help you with your assignm
e
nts.
ON
Line
t
and
t
