Live Life Team
GCSE Travel and Tourism is another new course on offer, and is run by some schools as an indefinite option. This means that, when your school presents the GCSEs on offer to the year 9s and asks them to make their choices, they will offer more than they actually intend to run. Sadly, this could mean if you choose the course but not enough of your peers do, then you will have to choose again and the course will be cancelled.
However, if you do choose this course and the school have enough interested students, this is an excellent choice for those who are curious about the world, and want to know how tourism works as an industry. The course has three main areas, and looks at what makes an area of interest to tourists; why do some countries attract a massive holiday business, yet others seem to be of little interest to the rest of the world. You will look as issues such as climate and weather, the economic state of the country and why certain towns and cities appeal more than others.
You will look at how the industry creates employment in hundreds of roles, from the high street tour operator and travel agent shop to the hotel staff in the resort itself, consider the transport links to get you there, and develop an understanding of how important the tourist trade is to the world.
