Travel & Tourism, BTEC Level 3 Extended Certificate

This is an interesting and practical course directly related to the vibrant, exciting and rapidly expanding Travel & Tourism industry. Students will study a wide range of travel related topics, in a practical and work based environment. The course has been designed to help students acquire the necessary skills and qualifications for a career in the Travel & Tourism Industry.

The Extended Certificate is a two year course that is the equivalent to one A Level.

The course combines well with a wide range of other subjects such as:

• Geography
• Modern Languages
• Business

It also has links with:

• Sociology
• History
• Economics

Travel & Tourism students may decide to take up a place at university studying one of a number of degrees related to this subject. Popular degree courses include Event Management, Tourism Management or Hospitality Management.

Other students may opt to gain some valuable industry experience, for example in the Airline Industry, Resort Services, Tourism and Hospitality or Trainee Management posts.

A qualification in Travel & Tourism will provide students with essential knowledge of the industry and help prepare them for Higher Education, Apprenticeships or employment.

See what some of our former Travel & Tourism students have gone on to do.

This course covers a wide range of Travel & Tourism topics including:

• The World of Travel and Tourism
• Global Destinations
• Principles of Marketing in Travel and Tourism
• Events, Conferences and Exhibitions

Course Specific Trips, Visits & Experiences

Travel & Tourism students have the opportunity to take part in a variety of course related experiences. In recent years, these have included:

• A visit to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to learn about sustainable developments and the legacy of the Olympic Games
• A trip to Madame Tussauds in London to learn about visitor attractions and how technology is transforming the visitor experience
• A visit to ‘Destinations: The Holiday and Travel Show’ in London to learn more about the global appeal of travel destinations
• A study visit to Brighton looking at the city’s appeal to visitors
• A trip to Thorpe Park to research customer service
• A visit to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London
• A planned study visit to Long Acres Caravan and Camping Park, in Lingfield, Surrey to carry out some market research
• A study visit to Aerozone Stanstead to look at airport operations
• A study visit to Gatwick Airport to learn about the services and facilities they provide

The department also arranges for students to hear first-hand from people working in the industry, as well as from Travel & Tourism students who have studied the course and are now employed in one of the many sectors.

In addition to course specific experiences, students also have the opportunity to get involved in the College’s Activities Programme.

All students need to gain an experience of the work place during their time at College and for students studying vocational courses it should ideally be linked to one of their subject areas.

The course is assessed through coursework, set tasks and externally assessed exams.

The exam board for the BTEC Level 3 Extended Certificate in Travel and Tourism is Pearson BTEC.

All students need to have at least five GCSEs at Grade 4 or above (and a satisfactory school reference) in order to be accepted on an A Level/BTEC Level 3 Programme.

In addition, students should meet the following minimum GCSE requirements:

• Grade 4 in a literate subject such as English Language, English Literature or History

A Merit or above in BTEC Level 2 Travel & Tourism will also be considered.

Students will enjoy this course if they:

• Are happy to be assessed by a combination of coursework and exams  
• Enjoy new challenges
• Enjoy practical work and demonstrating customer service skills 
• Can complete independent research

Students should be interested in the Travel & Tourism industry and enjoy meeting people.

How much homework will I be expected to do?

Students will typically have a worksheet to complete on each topic area. So, for example, the Lower Sixth start with ‘Types of Travel and Tourism’ and ‘Types of Travel and Tourism Customer’.

Students are expected to prepare for their lessons, undertake any further reading as directed, and complete activities in their workbooks.

At the end of each content area, students will normally sit a test. The teacher will usually go through a similar paper in lessons beforehand, to help with understanding and preparation.

What is a typical lesson like?

It may start with a discussion about the industry, then go on to look at what’s in the news and which organisations are making the headlines. Students can be asked to prepare a story to share with the class.

Students are taught using a variety of methods, including discussions on different topics, looking at case studies, completing activities and answering questions via worksheets. Class work is usually supplemented with out of classroom trips.

Do students have to purchase any equipment or textbooks?

Students are issued with an online student book which covers the majority of the units. We purchase the licences for these so there is no cost to the student.

How many students are typically in a class?

The average class size is 18.