Diploma in Tourism Management

Purpose

The purpose of the Diploma in Tourism Management is to facilitate the education of learners to acquire tourism management skills in support of economic growth, for employment and employment creation that can contribute to responsible and sustainable tourism management practices, and play an integral part in the future the development of new and emerging markets and policies. The interactive learning environment will equip learners to collect and critically evaluate tourism information on various platforms, through technological interfaces, industry engagement platforms, and Work-Integrated-Learning components, in order to develop strategies to manage to change tourism environments and niche markets. Learners will be able to execute suitable practical skills such as calculating advanced fares and ticketing, select and review tourism destinations and effectively incorporate technological applications in tourism management for client management.

Learners will be able to work in a diverse, culturally inclusive groups to develop tourism management skills in human resources and tourism operations management and engage with industry products, procedures, policies, and legislation. Learners will be well-positioned to further their learning, practice, and careers within the tourism industry. Learners will further be positioned to become independent entrepreneurs capable of developing innovative tourism marketing and management strategies with an emphasis on sustainable and responsible tourism. Learners will be knowledgeable about the importance of research and the role they can play in the social, economic and environmental contexts of tourism. Learners will be equipped to do research and implement sustainable tourism management and development plans as a productive member of society.

Rationale

The National Scarce Skills lists the area of specialisation: Tourism and Travel Advisers and Travel Attendants under the occupational grouping of Personal Service and Travel Workers as a scarce skill. The descriptor seeks that tourism and travel advisers plan and organise travel and accommodation for clients, and provide travel and accommodation information to tourists. Furthermore, the tourism industry requires learners to conduct research and to formulate ground-breaking policies for the industry. The rationale is to provide the South African tourism sector with high-level skilled learners in the areas where skills shortages have been identified. The qualification also takes into account the particular tourism management needs of Cape Town and the Western Cape as a world-class tourism destination where needs are aligned to findings amongst the industry bodies of Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA); Tourism Educators South Africa (TESA); Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) and Association of Southern African Travel Agents (ASATA) and Culture, Arts, Tourism Hospitality, Sports Sector Eductiona and Training Authority (CATHSSETA). Learners achieving this qualification will be able to address the skills shortage by demonstrating relevant knowledge and the ability to apply the knowledge in practice by supporting, monitoring, managing and developing tourism to the level of competence and professionalism expected by the national and international tourism industry.

The qualification will contribute to the full personal development of each learner as a productive member of society, recognising the importance of research and evaluation within sustainable tourism, responsible tourism, tourism development and tourism policies, legislations, and regulations. Employment opportunities exist within the hospitality, travel, and tourism and event arenas of the private sector and examples include Travel Agencies, Tour Operators, and Game Reserves. In the public sector, examples include the national, provincial and local government agencies where the development and monitoring of integrated tourism plans, policies and procedures require skilled tourism developers and planners. The learner achieving this qualification, in combination with in-context experiential (workplace) learning will be able to seek employment with Tourism Service Providers, Tourism Brokers, Travel Consultants, Destination Management Companies (DMC's), Accommodation Suppliers, Transport Providers, Adventure Tourism Providers, and Business Tourism Providers and engage in entrepreneurial opportunities.

The contextual and conceptual alignment of the qualification with the tourism industry allows learners to enter a variety of tourism management career paths, with options for further tourism research advancement and further tourism specialisation area of event tourism, tourist guiding, and tourism hospitality establishment management.

In keeping with national policy frameworks and the institution's mission and vision, the widening of access is promoted through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). RPL is a process of identifying the knowledge and skills of a learner against a qualification or part thereof. The process involves the identification, mediation, assessment, and acknowledgement of knowledge and skills obtained through informal, non-formal and formal learning. This qualification can be achieved in part through Recognition of Prior Learning, which was necessary, must be contextualised in terms of the tourism management industry and the legislation that governs it.

The RPL process is multidimensional and multi-contextual, aimed at the individual needs of learners and is handled following the institutional RPL policy.

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4.

Or

• National Senior Certificate (NSC), NQF Level 4 granting access to Diploma studies.

Or

• National Certificate Vocational (NC(V)), NQF Level 4 granting access to Diploma studies.

This qualification consists of compulsory and elective modules at Levels 5 and 6 totalling 360 Credits.

Compulsory Modules at Level 5: 156 Credits

• Travel and Tourism Operations 1, 22 Credits.
• Tourism Development and Planning 1, 22 Credits.
• Destinations 1, 18 Credits.
• Tourism Management 1, 22 Credits.
• Communication, 18 Credits.
• Business Computer Applications, 18 Credits.
• Destinations 2, 18 Credits.
• Tourism Marketing 2, 18 Credits.

Elective Modules at Level 5: 18 Credits (Select one module)

• Event Management, 18 Credits.
• Hospitality Management, 18 Credits.

Tourist Guiding, 18 Credits.

Compulsory Modules at Level 6: 186 Credits

• Travel and Tourism Operations 2, 22 Credits.
• Tourism Development and Planning 2, 22 Credits.
• Tourism Management 2, 22 Credits.
• Tourism Marketing 3, 14 Credits.
• Tourism Management Workplace-based Learning 3, 60 Credits.
• Tourism Management 3, 16 Credits.
• Travel and Tourism Operations 3, 14 Credits.
• Tourism Development and Planning 3, 16 Credits.

1. Perform the necessary functions of a tourism manager demonstrating responsible decision-making, effectively managing a team and identifying and solving problems.
2. Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate tourism information to attend to the management needs of the industry and stay continuously updated with changing environments and niche markets.
3. Execute suitable practical skills such as calculating advanced fares and ticketing, select and review tourism destinations, organise and manage travel and tourism operations in a socially responsive manner.
4. Use business principles and business management concepts to manage a tourism budget and enterprise as well as operational tasks effectively.

5 Develop entrepreneurial skills and opportunities within the tourism industry.

1. Effectively use technology applications and knowledge in tourism management related environment and to illustrate competency in tourism allowing capability.
2. Manage tourism activities responsibly and efficiently that is focused on developing and promoting sustainable tourism.
3. Develop and obtain tourism management industry product knowledge, procedures, policies and legislation systematically.
4. Develop innovative marketing and tourism management strategies to ensure tourism.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level 1

• Demonstrate an understanding of a tourism management enterprise and evaluate the external and internal factors that may influence the tourism business sector at large as well as the opportunities and threats that may impact the business sector.
• Demonstrate knowledge and competence in the conceptual and contextual application of decision-making and human resource management.
• Demonstrate understanding of the inter-related nature of the tourism business sector and the role players in decision-making.
• Develop and implement tourism business strategies.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level 2

• Analyse and systematically manage tourism research projects critically.
• Demonstrate conceptual and contextual knowledge and competencies related to gathering relevant industry data and using technological resources.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level 3

• Demonstrate an understanding of the components and role players of the travel and tourism industry.
• Analyse, evaluate and implement tourism client management systems in destination management, travel itineraries, airfares and ticketing and travel operations.
• Organise extensive travel plans and design tourist products and services in a socially responsive manner.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level 4

• Demonstrate conceptual knowledge about the tourism economy and financial accounting.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the financial documentation involved with tourism enterprise budgets.
• Apply the principles of tourism accounting and financial management by designing operational tourism budgets for a variety of tourism operations, enterprises and services.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level 5

• Develop strategic entrepreneurship plans for a variety of tourism products and services.
• Demonstrate an understanding of policies to leverage tourism development opportunities.
• Establish and implement triple bottom line tourism development plans for tourism enterprises.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level 6

• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance, availability and working of technological applications in the tourism sector.
• Demonstrate the competence to develop strategies to use digital media platforms for tourism products and service marketing and management.
• Interact with technological advancements in tourism specific software and computer reservation systems.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level 7

• Develop strategic plans for sustainable tourism and green tourism operations in South Africa and the Western Cape.
• Demonstrate extensive knowledge of responsible tourism product offers, services and travel packages in South Africa and the Western Cape.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level 8

• Engage actively with tourism-related policies, procedures and legislation.
• Analyse and evaluate policy information for implementation critically.
• Demonstrate extensive industry product knowledge related to national and regional tourism products.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level 9

• Develop and implement a strategic marketing plan for a tourism enterprise, tourism destination, and tourist attraction

Integrated Assessment

Integrated assessment forms part of continuous assessment at the institution and takes the form of an appropriate mix of both formative and summative assessment methods. Assessment policy and practices at the institution promote constructive alignment of the curriculum, qualification centred-learning and assessment, and the importance of feedback to enhance qualification engagement. Assessment practices should be fair, reliable and valid. It should also be in keeping with academic disciplinary and professional field norms and standards.

An assessment strategy and approach is in place for the Tourism and Events Management Department whereby the Qualification in Tourism Management follows an approach of outcomes-based or competency-based learning; the emphasis is placed on the practices of continuous assessment as well as self-assessment, peer assessment, and integrative assessment. The assessment strategy governs by institutional policies and procedures, including sound moderation practices. Assessments are developed to focus on theoretical disciplinary application and practically applied competence as per the subject learning outcomes and assessment criteria. Assessment evidence is collected using various inclusive assessment methods appropriate to the NQF level descriptor and context of the subject.

The dominant assessment approach of the qualification is an integrated approach where theory and practice are assessed using various and innovative assessment methods. Learners' performance in terms of the acquisition of skills (experience) and the supportive theory (cognitive knowledge) is assessed using continuous evaluation. The exit level outcomes direct the holistic assessment of learners and include components related to learner attributes as well as specialised subject knowledge.

Formative assessment aims at enhancing learner learning and provides learners with an opportunity to reflect critically on their learning and to improve their levels of personal accountability and time management.

Formative assessment consists of a variety of assessment tasks relevant to the field of study and the level of study: Knowledge tests; role-play simulations; oral presentations; assignments; formal presentations with a variety of technology; group and peer assessment; tourism projects in partnership with industry; written examinations and Service Learning portfolio of evidence as well as research assignments; tourism business plans; case studies; role-play simulations and Work Place Based (WPB) Learning.

Summative assessment will take place at the end of a section of work/quarter or semester and is aimed at assessing learners' attainment against the learning outcomes of the qualification and subject(s). Summative assessments are internally and externally moderated based on institutional policy and requirements. Summative assessments usually consist of a variety of formal assessment tasks relevant to the field of study, including written tests, reports and examinations.

In this qualification, it will consist of written assessments in the form of written class tests and examinations conducted during and at the end of the academic semester/year.

Integrated assessment cuts across several subjects/modules of qualification and is aimed at the holistic development of learners and contributes to learners' personal and professional development in the field of study in terms of foundational, practical and reflexive competence.

The assessment of WPB learning will consider the main thrusts of knowledge and skills relevant to tourism management. As this is a career-focused subject, lecturers will be involved, along with the workstation mentor, in assessing learner's ability to link theory and skills in an effective, professional manner. Organisational behaviour, teamwork in a professional environment will be assessed through assignments with a cognitive challenge, in depth-discussions (performance appraisals) between mentor, lecturer, and learner during visitations and a portfolio of evidence will aim to substantiate professional career-focused learning and indicate skills acquired at the workplace along with an oral presentation.