BTEC Level 2 First Certificate in Travel and Tourism: 2 compulsory units and optional units giving a total of 15 credits. This book is designed to help you with your BTEC Level 2 First Travel and Tourism course.
Credit value: 5
Learning outcomes
The UK travel and tourism sector
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
This unit has opened my eyes to the size and scale of the UK travel and tourism sector and the impact it has on the UK economy. I thought tourism was just about taking holidays and visiting attractions, but this unit has helped me see that there is much more to the sector than that. We designed a questionnaire and asked many visitors outside our local train station why they were traveling to the area.
The research made me realize that people travel for many different reasons and they all spend money on many different companies along the way. I also enjoyed working as part of a group to find out what different travel and tourism companies actually do. I had no idea there are so many different types of organizations in the travel and tourism industry, from hotels and travel agencies to tourist agencies and car rental companies.
Shabaz, 15-year-old learner How you will be assessed
Main types of tourism
Those who travel but do not stay away from home overnight are sometimes classified as day visitors or day tourists. Domestic tourism – taking holidays and tours in your own country Outbound tourism – traveling to another country for a visit or holiday Inbound tourism – visitors from abroad coming to the country Here are some examples of tourism: 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. A group of American travelers visiting the UK for a three-week tour of the country would be classed as inbound tourists, and a couple from Newcastle going on a one-week package tour to Greece would be classed as outbound tourists.
Warm up
Understand the concept of the travel and tourism sector
- Reasons why people travel
People travel for many different reasons, but mainly for leisure, business and to visit friends and family (FFR), whether in the UK or abroad. Business travel can be within the UK or overseas and often involves visits to major cities and commercial areas that have the facilities to hold large conferences and events. Another very common reason for a trip is to visit your friends and family, known as VFR.
People may travel within the UK or abroad to visit their friends and relatives, especially if they have emigrated to another country or moved for work or study. The charts on page 6 show the different reasons why people travel within the UK and why they leave the UK to go abroad. Work in pairs and think about your, your friends' and family's vacations, trips and visits.
Case study: Business class travel with British Airways
Did you know?
Economic contribution of tourism
Whatever the reason for travel, or the type of tourism, the travel and tourism sector makes a major contribution, both directly and indirectly, to the UK economy in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) and employment. Tourism is the fifth largest industry in the UK and is worth over £85 billion to the economy (which is around 3.7% of GDP). Tourism also benefits those not directly linked to the tourism industry, for example a business traveler to the UK can also spend money in shops, bars and restaurants and buy gifts to take home.
Domestic and inbound tourism contribute to the UK's GDP, but not all outbound tourism does, as some of the money spent by outbound tourists will be in another country. Tourism contributes to the direct employment of around 1.4 million people (around 4.3% of the UK workforce) in a variety of different jobs. These are jobs created to provide services and facilities to those people directly employed in the travel and tourism sector.
Case study: Tourism economic multiplier
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) identifies tourism-related employment as including jobs in the following industries: accommodation; restaurants; This can be direct, indirect or induced employment and can be referred to as tourism-related employment. Direct jobs are those created by travel and tourism organizations themselves and may include jobs in hotels, in visitor attractions and with transport providers.
These are jobs created to provide the goods and services purchased by travel and tourism organizations to meet the needs of visitors. The UK is a very popular tourist destination for overseas visitors, the sixth most popular in the world, attracting millions of tourists from around the world, especially the USA, the Republic of Ireland, France and Germany. Holidays of one night or more 52.0 million £11.4 billion Overnight business trips 18.2 million £4.5 billion Overnight trips to visit friends.
Remember
Assessment activity 1.1
Grading tips
Functional skills
PLTS
Roles and interrelationships of organisations within the UK travel
- Travel and tourism sectors
Limited companies – there are two types of limited companies: a limited liability company (Ltd.) or a limited liability company (PLC). A limited company is still a private organization but can sell its shares on the stock market to any member of the public, while a limited company cannot. There are many different organizations working across the whole of the UK travel and tourism sector.
The travel and tourism sector can be divided into three main sectors - private, public and voluntary. The private or commercial sector consists of many travel and tourism organizations of various sizes, from very large international companies to independent small and medium-sized businesses. Private sector organizations in the travel and tourism sector may include accommodation providers, transport companies, tour operators and travel agents, and some visitor attractions.
Case study: Merlin Entertainments Group
Case study: Virgin Group
The voluntary sector, also known as the third or charitable sector, includes organizations that are not part of the government (public sector) and do not exist to make a profit (private sector). They are independent organizations whose purpose is to provide a particular service or promote a particular cause or point of view. Members of voluntary organizations often volunteer to keep organizations open and meet the needs of tourists and visitors.
Examples of voluntary organizations in the travel and tourism sector include the National Trust, Youth Hostel Association and Tourism Concern.
Case study: English Heritage
Roles of organisations
This may include salable products and services such as hotel rooms, souvenirs, travel, holiday packages or free (complimentary) services such as tourist information and advice. Many public sector organizations have been set up to regulate the quality of a service provided to tourists and travellers, for example the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which regulates air travel in the UK, or the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR ), which ensures that British rail travel is safe and well maintained.
Case study: Tourism Concern
Interrelationships between organisations
You have already explored a range of domestic, outbound and inbound tourism organizations from both the public and private sectors. For example, many transportation companies have partnerships with visitor attractions to offer travelers discounts and incentives for planning a visit. Most travel agents and tour operators are members of trade associations to provide their clients with peace of mind and booking protection.
In small groups, select one of the following organizations and research the various companies and brands it owns and controls.
Domestic organisations
Domestic transport providers are bus and coach companies, railways and airlines (which offer domestic flights). Each type of transportation has different advantages and disadvantages depending on the needs of the traveler. Road passenger transport providers include bus and coach companies, operating locally and nationally in the UK.
There are many such companies in the UK that provide transport for a specific purpose, such as a touring holiday in Scotland or Wales. The role of the train operating companies is to provide a safe and reliable transport system to the general public. Train operating companies are generally privately owned and seek to make a profit through the sale of tickets and on-board services.
Case study: Superbreak
Scheduled bus companies such as National Express and Megabus are familiar sights on the country's roads and highways, ferrying tourists and commuters to their next destinations. A variety of cards are available to offer discounts to certain groups, such as students, families and senior citizens. An increase in low-cost scheduled (budget) airlines, the number of daily flights available and the expansion of regional airports have made it much easier for travelers to choose air travel to get around the UK.
They usually pay for all the extras like food and drinks, checked baggage and seat allocation. In pairs, carry out some research on the internet for a major company that operates trains such as Virgin Trains or First Group. There are a variety of different accommodation options for tourists in the UK depending on their needs and budgets.
Case study: National Quality Assessment Scheme
Case study: Ambleside Youth Hostel
Similar to self-catering accommodation, serviced apartments offer private kitchens and bathrooms, but have a range of other hotel-like services, such as housekeeping and concierge service. Self-catering accommodations are accommodations with their own kitchen and bathroom, such as cottages and apartments. Many accept pets and self-catering accommodation tends to be particularly popular in rural and coastal areas.
The holiday village includes a range of purpose-built accommodation such as cottages and lodges, with a range of on-site facilities and services such as restaurants, bars, swimming pools, leisure facilities, outdoor activities and live entertainment. Many holiday villages are located by the sea or in forest parks such as Center Parcs, Haven, Butlins and Pontins. Holiday parks can offer a range of different services to domestic tourists, such as holiday homes and caravans for hire, pitches for visitors to bring their holiday caravans or camping and tenting facilities.
Think about it
