Credit value: 5

1

The UK Travel and Tourism Sector

Travel and tourism is now one of the largest sectors in the world in terms of generating jobs and income. It is a dynamic and vibrant sector which makes a major contribution to the UK economy with many different industries forming part of this sector. Travel and tourism has become an important part of how we live today and most people travel regularly for work and leisure. The UK also attracts many visitors from overseas, who arrive to visit friends and relatives, for business and pleasure. This unit explores the main types of tourism, the motivating factors for travel and the contribution that travel and tourism makes to the UK economy. You will learn about the wide range of organisations that operate within the sector, their roles and inter-relationships.

Learning outcomes After completing this unit you should: 1. understand the concept of the travel and tourism sector 2. know the roles and inter-relationships of organisations within the UK travel and tourism sector.

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BTEC’s own resources

Assessment and grading criteria This table shows you what you must do in order to achieve a pass, merit or distinction grade, and where you can find activities in this book to help you. To achieve a pass grade the evidence must show that the learner is able to:

P1 review the main types of tourism and the reasons why people travel Assessment activity 1.x

P2 assess the economic contribution of UK tourism Assessment activity 1.x

To achieve a merit grade the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass criteria, the learner is able to:

M1 explain how the different types of tourism contribute to the UK economy Assessment activity 1.x

To achieve a distinction grade the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass and merit criteria, the learner is able to:

D1 evaluate the positive aspects of inter-relationships on UK travel and tourism organisations Assessment activity 1.x

M2 analyse the inter-relationships between organisations in the travel and tourism sector Assessment activity 1.x

P3 outline the roles of the different types of organisations in the UK travel and tourism sector Assessment activity 1.x

P4 describe the different types of inter-relationships between travel and tourism organisations Assessment activity 1.x

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Unit 1 The UK travel and tourism sector

How you will be assessed This unit will be assessed by one or more internal assignments that will be designed and marked by teachers and tutors at your centre. Your assignments will be subject to sampling by the Internal Verifier and may also be subject to sampling by your centre’s External Verifier as part of Edexcel’s quality assurance process. The assignments are designed to allow you to show your knowledge and understanding related to the unit. The unit outcomes indicate what you should be able to do after completing this unit. Your assessment could be in the form of: • •

presentations with accompanying notes and observation records. case studies or reports supported by statistics, graphs and charts.

Shabaz, 15-year-old learner This unit has really opened my eyes to the size and scale of the UK travel and tourism sector and the impact it has on the country. I thought tourism was just about taking holidays and visiting attractions but this unit has helped me to see there is much more to the industry than I first thought. I really enjoyed carrying out research with other students in my class to identify the reasons why people were travelling to my town. We designed a questionnaire and asked visitors outside our local train station why they were travelling in the area. The research helped me to realise that people travel for lots of different reasons and that they all spend money with many different businesses as they go. I also enjoyed working as part of a group to find out what different travel and tourism organisations do. I had no idea there are so many different types of organisation in the travel and tourism sector, ranging from hotels to travel agencies to tourist boards to car hire companies. I liked creating a presentation about my chosen organisations to show what they do and how they work with other organisations to offer a better service to their customers.

Over to you • • •

What areas of this unit might you find the most challenging? Which section of the unit are you most looking forward to? What preparation can you do in readiness for the unit assessment(s)?

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BTEC’s own resources

1. Understand the concept of the travel and tourism sector Set off

Travel or tourism? On your own, make a note of any trips you or people you know have taken. Who went? Where did you/they go? What was the reason for the trip? You might find it helpful to record your information in a table. Where was the visit to?

Who was travelling?

What was the reason for the journey?

Manchester

Me and my cousin

To visit my friend Jack

Table 1.1

In groups, compare your lists. Were the reasons for travelling the same or different? In each case, would you think of the person travelling as a tourist? What do you think are the differences between travel and tourism?

1.1 Main types of tourism What is travel and tourism? Travel is about getting from one place to another, often making a journey using a method of transport such as a train, plane or car. However, not all travel is classed as tourism. Tourism is often understood as the activities of people travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for leisure, business and/or other purposes, for not more than a year at a time. It may involve an overnight stay but this is not always the case. There are many different types of tourism:

• Domestic tourism – taking holidays and trips in your own country. • Outbound tourism – travelling to a different country for a visit or holiday.

Key term

• Inbound tourism – visitors from overseas coming into the country.

Staycation – is when people choose to stay at home on holiday and visit a selection of places in their local area. It has become more common during the financial crisis of 2008/2009 as it is considered to be a good way to save money.

For example, if a family from Birmingham in the Midlands were to take a short break to the seaside resort of Blackpool, they would be classed as domestic tourists. People taking a staycation would also be classed as domestic tourists. A group of American travellers visiting the UK for a three week tour of the country would be classed as inbound tourists and a couple from Newcastle who take a one week package holiday to Greece would be classed as outbound tourists.

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Unit 1 The UK travel and tourism sector

1.2 Reasons why people travel People travel for lots of different reasons but mainly for business, for leisure and to visit friends and relatives (VFR), either in the UK or abroad. Business travellers will often attend meetings, conferences, exhibitions and events. Leisure travellers may be on holiday or taking a trip of particular cultural or personal interest. The table below highlights some other types of tourism (table 1.2). Agro tourism

Short for ‘agriculture’ where visitors are interested in farms and the countryside.

Dark tourism

Visiting sites associated with war, death and tragic events, for example concentration or death camps (including Auschwitz near Krakow) and ‘ground zero’ at the former World Trade Center site.

Education tourism

A visit for specific educational reasons, for example people learning about war might visit the Imperial War Museum, or people studying a language might visit a country where people speak the language they are studying.

Faith tourism

Religious travel for pilgrimage and to sacred sites of religious importance, such as Jerusalem and Mecca.

Green tourism

Tourism which is environmentally friendly and sustainable. This might include not travelling by plane, but bus across Europe.

Medical tourism

Travelling to have operations or receive dental treatment, which may be cheaper and faster than at home.

Pink tourism

Attractions and events aimed at the LGBT community, for example Pride and Mardi Gras festivals.

Sports tourism

Travelling to play in or watch sporting events and competitions such as the Olympics and the Football World Cup.

Did you know? The term ‘MICE’ is often used to refer to business tourism which involves travel for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions. Incentive travel is often used as a reward for good business performance, such as meeting a particular target.

What different reasons might people have for travelling to London?

Table 1.2

Activity: Tourism types Think again about the holidays, trips and visits taken by you, your friends and family in the Travel or Tourism activity. Try and label each activity as: leisure, business or VFR tourism; domestic or outbound tourism and any other category that may describe each activity (see the example below). Where was the visit to?

Who was travelling?

What was the reason for the journey?

Tourism type(s)?

Manchester

Me and my cousin

To visit my friend Jack

VFR Domestic

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e c a p S Work

Ben Townsend Tourist Information Assistant

I work in a busy Tourist Information Centre (TIC) dealing with a wide range of enquiries from members of the public. We help domestic tourists visiting the city just for the day or for a short break as well as many visitors from overseas, who are travelling around the country and visit the city as part of their tour. We also get enquiries from business travellers and those visiting the local university for a conference or event. The best thing about my job is that no two days are ever the same. We get asked a lot of similar questions but you can never know what someone will ask when they call, email or visit the centre.

My main duties include: • answering enquiries from visitors either in person, over the telephone, by letter or by email. • booking accommodation. • selling a range of products and keeping the shelves fully stocked. • finding out train and bus times for visitors and booking tickets. • representing the city at trade shows and tourism events. • making attractive displays to promote local events and attractions.

Typical day A typical day for me involves arriving at the TIC thirty minutes before we open to make sure the office is ready to welcome visitors. I open the post, make sure the shelves are fully stocked with leaflets and brochures and that all posters are displayed clearly. I spend most of the morning dealing face-to- face with enquiries from visitors to the centre. I also answer any telephone enquiries and deal with email requests in quieter periods. The afternoon is often spent ordering leaflets and brochures and making sure the retail items for sale are fully stocked and displayed clearly.

Think about it! 1. Staff working in the Tourist Information Centre deal with a variety of domestic and inbound tourists and their enquiries. In small groups, make a list of the organisations that your local tourist office works with. Are they in the public or private sector?

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2. Consider why your local TIC has relationships with other organisations in the travel and tourism sector. Explain the positive aspects of having these inter-relationships.

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Edexcel’s Assignment tips • Visit Britain, Britain’s national tourism agency, has the most recent data on UK tourism spending and visitor numbers. Check out www.tourismtrade.co.uk. • Remember that tourism contributes to the UK economy both directly and indirectly. Direct contribution refers to spending and jobs specifically in the travel and tourism sector. Indirect contribution is made by other sectors which support travel and tourism activities, such as retail and manufacturing. • This unit has links to Unit 2: Development of the UK Travel and Tourism Industry, where you will further explore the development of travel agents and transport providers and some the economic issues surrounding the sector. • There are also links to Unit 11: Preparing for Employment in Travel and Tourism, where you will explore the range of different jobs in the sector. • You should support your evidence with print-outs of the details of the packages you use as examples. • You need to explore across the sector to gain a wide understanding of how it is made up. • Use a variety of sources, not just the internet.

Just checking • •

Name the three main types of tourism. Complete the table (below) to give an example for each reason why people travel.

Reasons why people travel

Example

Leisure Business VFR • • • • • • • • • •

Define the term Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Why is outbound tourism spending not included in a country’s GDP value? Around how many jobs in the UK are directly linked to tourism? Describe the difference between the public and private sector. Identify four different types of accommodation provider. Name the two largest UK tour operators. Describe the role of the CAA. Describe the role of Visit Britain. Identify two travel and tourism organisations that work together. Explain why they do this. Identify one benefit of a tour operator joining and working together with the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO).

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