Follow your passion and see the world
Every year, students embark on a residential trip to inspire their projects in class. Recent destinations have included Naples, Montenegro, Amsterdam, Cyprus and Shanghai!
Gain insights into the industry
Whether it is Jet2holidays visiting our campus to host a workshop, or students visiting the headquarters of P&O Cruises, there are lots of opportunities to meet industry-leading hospitality and travel companies and find out about careers.
Have you always wanted to travel the world as part of your job? Maybe you like the idea of running unforgettable events for customers?
Whether you're flying to far-flung lands as part of an airline cabin crew or taking the lead on organising a local music festival, you will learn the key skills needed to succeed in these fast-paced workplaces.
You will develop a great understanding of how to manage events and market them, and will gain financial skills and an understanding of business strategy for the travel industry.
Naturally, there is a lot of focus on planning, designing and delivering a diverse range of exciting events. On top of that, you'll visit leading employers in the sector to learn how the industry really works. British Airways Global Training Academy, Cadbury's World and P&O Cruises are a few of the major companies our students have visited in the past.
Staff Profile: Rita Sale
Having previously spent over 20 years in the restaurant and catering industry in Canada, Rita moved to England in 2006, obtained her Certificate in Education at the University of Westminster and a Master's in Gastronomy and Food Management from the University of West London.
She has taught Business, Events and Hospitality Management from BTEC through to Postgraduate level, and is in her second year as Course Leader for the Events & Tourism courses the College.
"I enjoy the energy my students bring to the classroom and seeing them develop in confidence and talent. If I can make a difference in even one student’s life, I am thrilled!
This is my second year at the College and I have big plans for the Level 3 course, bringing students innovative content from guest speakers, planning trips and organising informative outings to enhance the student experience.
With the support of the diverse group of Events & Tourism lecturers who all have lots of industry knowledge, our students get the fundamental skills they need to start an exciting career."
Martin Burgess
Martin graduated in 2010 with a BSc from the University of Gloucestershire, and went on to gain his MSc and Certificate in Education in 2011/12.
He has been working at the College since 2011 with experience teaching full-time and higher education courses. Prior to teaching, Martin spent several years working at managerial level for Royal Mail and is a keen dealer in contemporary and modern British art.
He is also a governor at Kempsford primary school, where he sits on the resources and standards committees.
"As a tutor on the course, I really love seeing our students succeed and progress onto the next level, whether that is university, an apprenticeship or full-time employment. By being exposed to highly-qualified and experienced lecturers, they can soak up a lot of knowledge and use that to influence whatever they enjoy doing most.
At college, students have an opportunity to develop their transferable and employability skills alongside their course too. It could be a someone improving their teamwork or taking that first attempt at using a bit certain software – we find that as their confidence grows in gaining more soft skills, their projects improve and they become more successful."
Did you know?
Nathan
Previous school:
King Alfred's Academy
I enjoy the college atmosphere, and the networking skills and opportunities to create good industry contacts, such as the visit from Jet2 and the trip to the British Airways Global Training Academy.
The residential trip to Naples was superb – we took part in a multi-cultural experience of the local industry, foods, tours and everything the city had to offer. It helped me apply some of the knowledge from the course and revealed how important budgeting for residential trips is.
I intend on doing the second year of my Level 3 course before progressing on to an apprenticeship with a local airport. I did my work experience at Oxford Airport and learnt a lot of valuable things about the industry.
Evan
Previous school:
King Alfred's Academy
My favourite part of college was when we had to plan our own residential trip for our course. This really challenged us and took us out of our comfort zones, but when we went on the trip at the end of the year it was really rewarding.
The environment at college was really fun, social and stress-free and I was encouraged to work in a way that was best for me.
In the future, I plan to work abroad leading a team of people to deliver top class holidays and experiences.
Nanci
Previous school:
Wood Green School
Working in the travel industry is something I've always wanted to do, seeing the world and it seems like a very outgoing and sociable industry.
I particularly enjoy learning as part of small and focused group of students, where everyone gets along and we all want to be there for the right reasons. My tutors are really supportive and friendly, and they share their industry knowledge and experiences in a way we can understand and adds context to what we learn in class.
I also like the way the college days are structured and I enjoy having more freedom and independence than I did at school.
Your future career
Events Co-ordinator
Events Manager
Luxury Holiday Planner
Travel Agent
Tour Planner
