In today's competitive society, students are faced with an increasingly selective job market, which places a premium on experience. Therefore while academically based, at all levels the course will emphasise active engagement with 'real world' situations and professionals. We have a varied guest speaker programme and fieldtrips form an integral part of the programme. Tourism issues such as sustainability and the management of natural and man-made tourism resources and environments are explored at local, regional and national levels. Further afield, international trips, will seek to place tourism development within a wider international context.

Amidst calls for degree programmes to meet the needs of employers more positively, and to enhance the experience and employability of graduates, our external consultancy work provides an invaluable contribution to teaching and learning strategies, an important link to ‘real world’ situations and professionals, and a distinct value-added component for students. Scholarly activity has enhanced the quality of experience, for example through the inclusion of industry accreditation, and the development of innovative, teaching, learning and assessment strategies. Moreover, it has ensured the development of a degree programme that has a clearly defined vocational focus, which ensures that student experience is thus contextualised by a practical and informed understanding of the external and internal issues facing the tourism sector, as identified in the National QAA Subject Benchmark Statement for Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism.