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Purpose of this assignment This assignment gives a learner the opportunity to gain understanding of current issues and trends, and the impacts of and responses to change in travel and tourism. TASK 1 to TASK 4: You are required to follow the instructions as specified towards each task and support with a research by using supportive materials like books, websites, etc., and give a feedback on the findings by relating your arguments to the relevant case studies/scenarios as specified towards each task. TASK 1 (LO1, AC1.1, 1.2) You work as an assistant manager for a UK based tour operator focusing on UK inbound and outbound tourism markets. Different issues drive change in the travel and tourism sector and you will need current, accurate, and relevant information to make appropriate decisions. Your line manager has asked you to prepare an information pack to support training of new employees joining the business strategy team on current issues driving change in travel and tourism. 1.1- Analyse issues currently driving change in the travel and tourism sector for a selected tourist destination. You have to include at least three issues and give a detailed explanation of the issue and its impact on the travel and tourism sector. 1.2- You should analyse at least two different current issues using appropriate methods and resources in depth focusing mainly on the impact of political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, terrorism and counter-terrorism measures, severe weather, local and international laws. TASK 2 (LO2, AC2.1, 2.2) You work as an assistant product development manager for a UK based tour operator. Your team’s brief includes developing new profitable tour packages. Your manager has asked you to give an oral presentation to the new employees who recently joined the product development team on current trends influencing change in travel and tourism. You will need to prepare an information pack to give to the team before the presentation addressing the following: 2.1 You should evaluate current trends influencing change in the UK travel and tourism sector. Your information pack should include latest available statistics regarding the number of tourists and main tourism markets in UK. You need to make use chart, data and text tables. Your assessor may provide an observation record to confirm whether this has been achieved. 2.2 Your company wants to expand into the niche tourist market. You should analyse a current trend using appropriate techniques and resources and produce a fact sheet to be included in your information pack. You need to analyse one niche tourism market and provide detailed description about it, including reasons for its increasing popularity, and most recent travel statistics. You should include data and text tables, and charts in the fact sheet. (Approximately 1,000 words). TASK 3 (LO3, AC3.1, 3.2 3.3) You recently joined the strategy development team at International Airlines Group. Your brief includes analysing the travel and tourism business environment and developing new strategies for the group businesses. You should produce a management report summary addressing the following: 3.1 Analyse how International Airlines Group businesses could respond to change. 3.2- Develop strategies on how International Airlines Group businesses such as British Airways, Iberia, Vueling and Aer Lingus could respond to change. You need to select and develop strategies for at least two businesses. Provide detailed explanation of your strategies. 3.3 Justify strategies for how selected International Airlines businesses could respond to change. Your strategies in 3.2 need to be clearly justified with supporting arguments. TASK 4 (LO4, AC 4.1, 4.2) Scenario You work for Myla Travel an independent travel agency specialising in luxury travel with 10 offices in UK. The success of the company has attracted the attention of a multiple travel agency Thomas Cook interested in expanding in this market segment. The directors of the company have also received an invitation to join The Travel Network Group currently the largest UK travel consortia with over 800 Members. One of the directors likes the idea of joining consortia. A second director supports the acquisition by Thomas Cook arguing that “the number of ABTA agencies has decreased by 100 every year since 1991 and that you either grow big or you perish”. However, the third director is concerned does not support being acquired by Thomas Cook arguing that “this will lead to job losses and change in business practices” and has referred to the article from the Daily Mail to support his arguments. Thomas Cook to axe 2,500 jobs in the UK and shut 195 high street travel agents as cash-strapped families shun package holidays By RUPERT STEINER FOR THE DAILY MAIL PUBLISHED: 6 March 2013 Thomas Cook plans to axe up to 2,500 jobs – one in six of its workforce. The troubled holiday firm is to close 195 stores in Britain as part of a three-year plan to transform its fortunes. The 172-year-old company said jobs at its head offices at Peterborough and Preston were also at risk, and that it would close its Accrington office. Thomas Cook also has offices in Egham in Surrey, Brighton, and Birkenshaw in West Yorkshire. It has already closed 168 stores and shed 1,100 workers in recent years as customers have tightened their belts and spent less on foreign holidays. It has also battled the euro crisis, high fuel costs and unrest in key destinations such as Egypt and Greece. A spokesman for Thomas Cook insisted it would maintain a ‘strong presence on the high street’. He added that the stores earmarked for closure did not meet performance targets or were in areas where the group has more than one retail outlet. The company slumped to a £590million loss in its last financial year and wants to slash costs. Having been forced to turn to its banks for an additional £200million of loans in 2011, the UK’s second-biggest travel company has already trimmed its airline fleet and sold off hotels. Many of the stores being closed in the latest cutbacks are Co-operative Travel stores. Thomas Cook and the Co-op merged their high street businesses in 2011. UK chief executive Peter Fankhauser said yesterday: ‘We firmly believe these proposals will mean a better, more profitable Thomas Cook that continues to be a major employer in the UK.’ He added that Thomas Cook was planning to open its travel agencies on bank holidays and Sundays, while also potentially extending opening hours during the week in an effort to meet customer demand. Stores will likewise be better staffed in peak trading times, such as lunch hours. But he confirmed this will mean changes in working patterns for many of its retail staff. Group chief executive Harriet Green, who took over last May, has been busy trying to transform the group. She has boosted the firm’s finances following a series of disposals to slash its £1.5billion debt mountain, including the sale of its Indian business and several Spanish hotels. Oliver Richardson, of the union Unite, said the job cuts were ‘a devastating blow for Thomas Cook staff across the retail network’. He added: ‘It is yet another dark day for Britain’s high streets.’ The Transport Salaried Staffs Association, which represents employees, said it was ‘shocked and angry’ at the scale of the job losses. General secretary Manuel Cortes said: ‘This constant policy of slash and burn, with the axing of one in four stores and the loss of jobs, is simply self-defeating. ‘The company needs new products if it to come to come to terms with the age of the internet and prosper in the 21st century. ‘That is the only way to stop this spiral of decline which repeated bad management decisions over the past five years has led them.’ Earlier this week Thomas Cook said it had decided not to sell its under-performing French business and would instead kick off a restructuring programme to turn the unit around. Thomas Cook last month reported reduced first-quarter operating losses and said its turnaround plan was on track. Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2288930/Thomas-Cook-axe-2-500-UK-jobs-close-195-travel-agents-cash-strapped-families-shun-package-holidays.html Your line manager has asked you to write a management report summary that will be presented to the directors of Myla Travel addressing the following issues: 4.1 Analyse the impacts of issues and trends that drive change in the travel and tourism sector with reference to Myla Travel, Thomas Cook and The Travel Network Group. 4.2 Discuss the likely consequences of businesses failing to respond to market change with reference to Myla Travel, Thomas Cook and The Travel Network Group. Assignment Guidelines:  Use a standard report structure where requested, Word-process the report and use Normal script of a proper font size 12.  Produce evidence towards each task as specified.  Complete the title page and sign the statement of authenticity.  It should be uploaded on E-Learning platform before the deadline and sign the submission form of the college.  Assignments submitted after the deadline will not be accepted unless mitigating and may be entitled for a late fee.  Collusion and Plagiarism must be avoided.  Start each answer on a new page and pages should be numbered. Highlight each question clearly.  Include a Bibliography at the end of the assignment and use the Harvard referencing system.  All work should be comprehensively referenced and all sources must be fully acknowledged, such as books and journals, websites (include the date of visit), etc.  Try to give the page numbers, publishers’ details and the year of publication  In order to pass you need to address all the LO  In order to get a merit you need to first pass and then address the characteristics of M1, M2,M3  In order to get a Distinction you need to first pass, address all the merit characteristics Plagiarism: Any act of plagiarism will be seriously dealt with according to the colleges and awarding bodies’ regulations. In this context the definition and scope of plagiarism are presented below: Plagiarism is presenting someone’s work as your won. It includes copying information directly from the web or books without referencing the material; submitting joint coursework as an individual effort; copying another student’s coursework; stealing coursework form another student and submitting it as your own work. Suspected plagiarism will be investigated and if found to have occurred will be dealt with according to the college procedure. (For further details please refer to the plagiarism policy and the student code of conduct.) Commonly used command words Analyse These tasks require you to explore the different aspects of an issue, considering the relative significance of each. You would normally need to explore causal relationships, examining how an action will lead to a particular reaction. This type of task would not normally require you to make judgements, but rather to drill down into an issue, exploring relationships in depth. Assess This requires you to weigh up the positive and negative aspects of something. Alternatively, it might require you to explore the important and unimportant aspects of an argument. You should build these strands into a balanced argument before reaching a final balanced conclusion. Critically analyse This is when you have to explore the strengths and weaknesses of the ideas of a theorist or claims made by a professional body before reaching a final, balanced conclusion. You would normally begin by presenting the initial idea and arguments in favour of it, before introducing contradictory arguments. When you present the arguments, you should present their relative merits (e.g. their strengths and weaknesses) before summarising your arguments and reaching a final conclusion. Develop Grow or progress a plan, ideas, skills and understanding Discuss Consider different aspects of a theme or topic, how they interrelate, and the extent to which they are important. Give an account that addresses a range of ideas and arguments. Evaluate This type of question will require you to give an opinion on an issue, which you should support with relevant evidence. You should ensure that your response provides a balanced view of the issue, exploring points for and against your argument. This should lead to an overall conclusion where you summarise your main arguments and explain how you have come to your final decision. Justify Learners give reasons or evidence to: ● support an opinion ● prove something is right or reasonable. Learning Outcome Assessment Criteria In this assessment you will have the opportunity to present evidence that shows you are able to: Task Number LO 1: Understand current issues in the travel and tourism sector 1.1 Analyse issues currently driving change in the travel and tourism sector for a selected tourist destination 1 1.2 Analyse different current issues using appropriate methods and resources for a selected tourist destination 1 LO2 : Understand current trends in the travel and tourism sector 2.1 Evaluate current trends influencing change in the travel and tourism sector of a tourist destination or country of your choice 2 2.2 Analyse a current trend using appropriate techniques and resources for a tourist destination or country of your choice 2 LO3: Understand how the travel and tourism sector responds to change 3.1 Analyse how travel and tourism businesses could respond to change 3 3.2 Develop strategies on how selected travel and tourism businesses could respond to change 3 3.3 Justify strategies for how selected travel and tourism businesses could respond to change 3 LO 4: Understand the impacts of change on the travel and tourism sector 4.1 Analyse the impacts of issues and trends that drive change in the travel and tourism sector 4 4.2 Discuss the likely consequences of businesses failing to respond to market changes 4 Guidance in addition to the Pass criteria’s, this assignment gives you the opportunity to submit evidence in order to achieve the following Merit and Distinction grades. Assessment Grid indicating their pass, merit and distinction: Unit 6: Contemporary issues in Travel & Tourism Outcomes/criteria: Indicative characteristics Contextualised Feedback Merit grade Description: Contextualisation M. Identify and apply strategies to find appropriate solutions. . An effective approach to study and research has been used An effective approach to study with good research skills has been used across the assignment to demonstrate understanding of current issues and trends, and the impacts of and responses to change in travel and tourism. M2. Select/ design and apply appropriate methods/ techniques. . A range of sources of information used. A range of information used across the assignment to demonstrate understanding of current issues and trends, and the impacts of and responses to change in travel and tourism correctly referenced. M3. Present and communicate appropriate findings. A range of methods of presentation has been used A range of methods of presentation used and appropriately structured addressing the assessment criteria as instructed such as producing an information pack, fact sheet, formal management report with a range of charts, data and text tables. Distinction Grade Description: D1. Use critical reflection to evaluate own work and justify valid conclusion. . Realistic improvements have been proposed against defined characteristics for success. To achieve D1 you will have addressed the Criteria’s with valid conclusions, clearly justifying improvements and characteristics of success for how selected travel and tourism businesses such as British Airways, Iberia, Vueling and Aer Lingus could respond to change (3.3) D2. Take responsibility for managing and organizing activities. . Autonomy/independence demonstrated To achieve D2 you will have demonstrated autonomy across your assignment, with effective independent research and met the deadlines to submit all the tasks and achieve the unit merit criteria and interdependence with each learning outcome has been demonstrated in analysing the impact of issues and trends that drive change in travel and tourism sector with reference to Myla Travel, Thomas Cook and The Travel Network Group (4.1) D3. Demonstrate convergent, lateral and creative thinking . Capacity for innovation and creative thought has been used. To achieve D3 your work demonstrates compelling thought on the current issues and trends, and the impacts of and responses to change in travel and tourism sector, and your work shows some creative thinking making it look different. Evidence checklist Summary of evidence required by student Evidence presented Task 1 An information pack Task 2 Observation record, PowerPoint slides/presentation notes/handouts, fact sheet Task 3 Management report summary Task 4 Management report summary Achievement Summary The Following Sections to be completed by the assessor: Qualification HND Travel and Tourism Management Assessor name Unit Number and title 6 Contemporary issues in Travel & Tourism Student name Criteria Reference To achieve the criteria the evidence must show that the student is able to: Achieved? (tick) 1.1 Analyse issues currently driving change in the travel and tourism sector 1.2 Analyse different current issues using appropriate methods and resources 2.1 Evaluate current trends influencing change in the travel and tourism sector 2.2 Analyse a current trend using appropriate techniques and resources 3.1 Analyse how travel and tourism businesses could respond to change 3.2 Develop strategies on how selected travel and tourism businesses could respond to change 3.3 Justify strategies for how selected travel and tourism businesses could respond to change 4.1 Analyse the impacts of issues and trends that drive change in the travel and tourism sector 4.2 Discuss the likely consequences of businesses failing to respond to market changes Higher Grade achievements (where applicable) Grade descriptor Achieved? (tick) Grade descriptor Achieved? (tick) M1: Identify and apply strategies to find appropriate solutions D1: Use critical reflection to evaluate own work and justify valid conclusions M2: Select / design and apply appropriate methods / techniques D2: Take responsibility for managing and organising activities M3: Present and communicate appropriate findings D3: Demonstrate convergent/lateral/creative thinking