Get the Skills for a Professional Career in Travel and Tourism

• Minimum Grade 12 or equivalent Canadian qualification OR relevant experience or mature students
• In the case of students from non-English-speaking countries/territories, students will have to demonstrate their English proficiency at a minimum IELTS Band level of 6.0 or equivalent. (In a case where a prospective student has no proof of English proficiency or an English proficiency level below IELTS Band 6.0, that student will be required to take the Focus College ESL “Crash Course”)

Air Travel

This unit is designed to enable the student to demonstrate that they can process routine air travel requirements, including those for low cost carriers, and carry out reservation and associated procedures on an airline computer reservation system. It is intended for candidates wishing to seek employment in the retail travel industry (particularly business travel agents or airline consolidators) or with airlines. Candidates will also gain an understanding of current trends in the industry.[/accordion}

Applying Marketing Principles in Travel and Tourism

This unit is designed to provide the student with an introduction to the principles of marketing as a management discipline, and to their application within the context of the travel and tourism industry. This will include a study of consumer motivation and market segmentation as well as identification of the factors which influence demand for the travel and tourism product.

Business Accounting

This unit is designed to enable candidates to develop their knowledge and understanding in the preparation and use of accounting information within a business organisation. Candidates will develop the skills required to prepare basic financial and management accounting reports and, in addition, will also develop the skills, knowledge and understanding to enable them to interpret and use financial information for decision making.

Communication: Business Communication

This unit is designed to develop skills in analyzing, summarizing, evaluating, and producing complex written business information. It also develops skills in presenting and responding to complex oral business information.

The unit enhances skills for learning, life and work and there is a particular emphasis on employability.

Developing Skills for Personal Effectiveness

This unit is designed to enable candidates to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes which underpin personal effectiveness. It will equip them with the skills to audit their own personal effectiveness; and to create an action plan to develop their own personal effectiveness – based on the audit of their existing strengths and development needs. Students will be provided with a framework to implement their action plan and the course will require them to evaluate their plan, its implementation and its contribution to developing their personal effectiveness. Candidates will be able to apply the Unit to personal effectiveness in personal and/or vocational contexts.

Economic Issues: An Introduction

This unit introduces students to fundamental issues in economics with a particular emphasis on the business environment. Candidates will learn about the basic economic problem and how the consumer and other economic agents address this problem. Students are introduced to the operation of markets and actions that can be taken to help avoid market failure. The unit introduces the theory of National Income and the circular flow of income model.

Information Technology: Applications Software 1

This unit is designed to enable students to use Information Technology (IT) systems and applications independently to support a range of information processing activities. The Unit is designed to develop a broad knowledge of the theoretical concepts, principles, boundaries and scope of IT applications. These activities will be centred on using software applications packages to meet complex information requirements while paying attention to security and the needs of other users.

International Tourist Destinations

This is a practical Unit which involves the candidate in acquiring and applying knowledge about the principal worldwide tourist destinations and attractions. It is intended for a candidate studying a Higher National course in Travel and Tourism. It is also suitable for employees in airlines, tour operators and travel agencies who wish to improve their working knowledge of destinations. A good working knowledge of tourist destinations is a necessity for candidates seeking employment in all areas of the travel industry. The scope of the unit is broad with the candidate developing a working knowledge of a range of tourist destinations around the world. Key aspects of tourist destinations are studied including physical features and attractions. Candidates develop their knowledge and skills in researching worldwide tourist destinations through reference materials such as atlases, brochures, tourist guides and the internet. Candidates who successfully complete the Unit will be able to provide resort and destination information to customers of airlines, travel agencies or tour operators in a professional manner.

Retail Travel Practices

This Unit is designed to enable the candidate to demonstrate technical skills and apply product knowledge to process and administer client requirements for general travel and ancillary services.

Presentation Skills

This unit is designed to develop the skills required for the advanced use of presentation software, including a range of multimedia, and to apply these skills to deliver effective presentations. It would be suitable for candidates involved in preparing and delivering presentations.

Research Skills

This Unit is about developing the candidate’s ability to access and evaluate information from a variety of primary and secondary sources by planning and reporting on a research investigation. It is aimed at those who need to access and analyze information as part of their course of study.

Travel and Tourism: Graded Unit 1

This Graded Unit is designed to show that the candidate has achieved the following goals of the program:

• Develop research and study skills.
• Develop the ability to manage and absorb large amounts of information.
• Develop the ability to take responsibility for one’s own learning.
• Develop key skills and knowledge of marketing, economics and customer service applied to the travel and tourism sector.
• Develop generic skills in ICT, communication and personal effectiveness.
• Develop sound product knowledge of international destinations, and depending on options selected, relevant practical technical skills in for example, tour guiding, itinerary preparation, fare calculations and document completion.

Air Travel: Advanced

This unit is designed to enable the candidate to demonstrate that s/he can process advanced air travel requirements including complex fare calculations, document issue and reservation and associated procedures on an airline computer reservation system. It is intended for candidates intending to seek employment in the retail travel industry (particularly business travel agents or airline consolidators) or with airlines.

Developing the Individual within a Team

This unit is designed to enable the student to demonstrate the knowledge and skills required to participate effectively in team projects and to lead teams completing projects. This unit would be suitable for anyone wishing to develop the skills required for effective team participation and leadership.

Information and Communication Technology in Business

This unit is designed to develop learners’ knowledge and skills in identifying, evaluating, managing and presenting business information to facilitate and influence decision-making. The Unit requires learners to consider the role of information in the decision-making process, evaluate data communications systems and ICT innovations, use planning and control tools for project management and use software application presentation tools to present findings and recommend actions.

Marketing Planning in Travel and Tourism

This unit is designed to enhance basic knowledge of marketing by providing the candidate with the opportunity to put theory into practice through the gathering of marketing information and the development of a marketing plan for a travel or tourism business, based on an assessment of the marketplace. It will also give candidates some insight into practices in marketing research and some exposure to designing and administering a questionnaire for the purposes of gathering data for travel and tourism businesses. This reflects the fact that the vast majority of businesses in tourism are small in size and are therefore unlikely to retain the services of marketing research agencies on their behalf.

Although designed with a clear emphasis on the travel and tourism sector, the Unit could also be applied to service-oriented sectors such as hospitality.

Planning and Sustainable Development in Tourism

This unit is designed to enable candidates to understand the concept of planning and sustainable development in tourism. It examines sources of funding for tourism development in Canada, as well as taking account of the need to adopt policies, strategies and practices within planning, that takes account of the sustainable use of natural and built resources, and the economic, as well as the socio-cultural wellbeing of the local community.

This unit is relevant to any person working within the tourism industry as it gives them an understanding of the planning system and a vital insight into the positive and negative impacts arising from tourism development.

Micro & Macro Theory and Application

This unit is designed to build on candidates’ knowledge of introductory economics and expose them to microeconomic and macroeconomic applications of theory. The Unit allows the introduction of current issues in economics and provides an opportunity for candidates to analyze and evaluate these issues.

Economics 2: The World Economy

This unit introduces the world economy, the main focus being the key features of the global economic environment. It advances economic concepts and allows candidates to develop their research and analytical skills. The core economic issues that are focused on in this Unit are trade, international payments, exchange rates and economies undergoing change.

Tour Guiding and Resort Representation

This unit equips the candidate with the skills and knowledge necessary for the various types of tour work with inbound and outbound tour operators and coach companies. It gives an insight into tour management including itinerary planning, resort representative duties and procedures, and tour guiding skills involving presentation of a live tour.

Tour Operations

This unit is designed to enable candidates to develop an in-depth knowledge of the tour operations sector of the travel and tourism industry and to demonstrate competence in applying techniques used by tour operators launching a new tour operating program. It is intended for candidates who are studying advanced Diploma Programs in Travel and Tourism. It will look at tour operations in relation to both inbound and outbound sectors. It is also suitable as a stand-alone unit for individuals who have experience of the travel and tourism industry and who wish to develop their career in tour operations.

Travel and Tourism: Graded Unit 2

This graded unit proves that the candidate has achieved the following goals of the program:

• Provide a basis for future career and personal development
• Develop organizational, research and investigative skills. The AD will develop skills in planning and organizing and require candidates to investigate in depth problems
• Develop the ability to manage and absorb large amounts of information
• Develop transferable skills
• Develop the ability to be flexible and work cooperatively with others
• Develop the ability to take responsibility for one’s own learning
• Develop key skills and knowledge in marketing, economics and customer service applied to the travel and tourism sector
• Provide scope for an in depth look at the key issue of sustainability
• Develop managerial competencies in the meaningful travel and tourism context of tour operations and retail travel agencies

Review our program pricing for full details.

Scholarships and other financing options are available for qualified candidates.

• This program is offered at the Kelowna and Surrey campuses
• Students are required to maintain 80% attendance throughout the program
• Approximately 10–15 hours/week is required from students to be successful in this program
• In order to graduate, students must pass all units through the program with a grade of C or higher