This is an exciting course if you are interested in following a career in the fast-developing Travel & Tourism industry. You will be encouraged to develop your independent learning skills whilst studying modules relating to worldwide and UK destinations, promotions and sales, tour guiding, and package holidays. You will have the opportunity to take part in a work placement within the travel industry to gain relevant skills and experience. Whatever area of travel or tourism you are interested in, the course can provide a range of transferable skills and knowledge areas. The course is ideal for you to move onto university or to enter the workplace because of the combination of a theoretical background that’s reinforced with practical learning and assessment. The course is available as a one A level equivalent.


During the course you will complete a number of units with focus on different key areas of the industry

Mandatory Units 

Unit 1 – World of Travel and Tourism 

The travel and tourism industry in the UK is growing and is of major importance to the economy. In this unit, you will develop the skills needed to examine, interpret and analyse a variety of sources that measure the importance of tourism to the UK. There are many influences on the industry and they are changing all the time. Some of them are within the control of travel organisations, while others are beyond their control. You will need to know how organisations react to changes and trends to determine their present and future operating policies. You will gain an understanding of the scope of the industry, its terminology and its key components.

Unit 2 – Global Destination 

In this unit you will use a range of resources to investigate the location and features of global destinations and explain the features that give appeal to global destinations and support different types of tourism. You will evaluate how travel plans/routes/itineraries meet customer needs. You will investigate consumer trends and the reasons the popularity of global destinations may change.

Optional Units

  • Events, Conferences and Exhibitions
  • Visitor Attractions
  • Principles of Marketing in Travel and Tourism

Students on this course have the opportunity to participate in a number of trips to tourist attractions and will also visit local tourism businesses. As part of the course students work as a group to organise an event to develop their team working and organisation skills. Additional courses in first aid, customer service will enhance the student experience. All students will enjoy a period of work experience within the industry in their second year

(Exam board – Pearson) 

(Travel qualification number (QN): 601/9023/1)

A variety of methods are used including teacher led discussion, individual and exploratory tasks, group work and collaborative learning, project based research, use of case studies and live projects with travel and tourism industry partners. All units are linked to the industry via visits and guest speakers. Throughout the course you will develop independent research, essay writing, time management and organisational skills.

You will be assessed in a number of ways which provide variety and opportunities for creativity. These include internally assessed coursework and external exam.

It is strongly recommended that you should have at least a grade 4 in GCSE English.

In this subject, particular skills and aptitudes will be required, many of which will be demonstrated by students’ GCSE profiles.

Students will also need to meet the general College entry requirements. Entry requirements are subjects to change.

Studying Travel and Tourism at Level 3 will develop core academic and employability skills such as oral and written communication, team work, resilience and independence. Furthermore, the course is designed to make the content vocationally relevant in order to prepare you with the skills and knowledge leading to further study or careers in Travel and Tourism or the wider business world. Specific career paths include: Event Management, Tourism Management, Airline Management, Business Management/ Administration, Retail and Commerce and many more.

Travel combines well with other subjects as it appeals to students who are interested in the wider world. Popular combinations include History, English Language, Geography, Business Studies, Media Studies, and Film Studies.