The background of the Diploma in Travel and Tourism
The Diploma Development Partnership was tasked by the Government to lead on the design and development of the Diploma in Travel and Tourism. This was to ensure that the voice of the sector is evident, so that the emerging Diploma effectively contributes to meeting the needs of the sector and the wider community and provides learners with the best life chances and progression opportunities the reformed curriculum will offer.
The substantial involvement of employers in the qualification design is what makes the Diploma qualification unique. This employer involvement ensures that the Diploma effectively develops the required essential knowledge, skills and attributes, to support a responsive and effective service within the travel and tourism sector.
The breadth and scope of the Diploma in Travel and Tourism:
- Travel services - retail travel (business and leisure), tour operations, cruises, car hire, currency exchange, car parking and other services
- Tourism Services - tour guiding, national and regional destination management organisations (tourist boards), tourist information centres, tourism planning, overseas tourist boards (in the UK) and promotion of tourism by local authorities
- Passenger Transport - bus, coach, aviation, (airports, airlines and ground service operations) rail, inland waterways, maritime, taxi and private hire, transport planning
- Visitor Attractions - museum and galleries, theme and leisure parks and piers, zoos and animal attractions, historic houses, churches, cathedrals and places of worship, heritage railways and historic transport, landmark attractions, parks and gardens, farm attractions, science and discovery centres, workplace attractions
- Conferences and Events - including meetings, incentive travel and exhibitions
- Accommodation services - including hotels, holiday parks, caravans
Meeting overall aims of the Diploma in the following ways:
- developing the knowledge and skills needed to progress into employment, training or further or higher education and
- meeting the skills needs of employers