Tourism, Travel and Events 2024 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• read the question carefully to ensure that they do not miss important components of the question
• have a clear understanding of key words in the question and recognise the intent of the question and its requirements
• use the first page of the answer booklet for an extended response to develop a plan to assist in the logical sequencing of information
• engage with what the question is asking rather than presenting a pre-prepared response
• relate to the question throughout the response rather than just at the beginning
• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the HSC content from the syllabus
• communicate ideas and information using relevant tourism and travel or events industry workplace examples, and industry terms
• be prepared to address a range of relevant tourism and travel or events industry issues
• demonstrate knowledge of employability skills relevant to various situations
• include relevant annotations when including a diagram
• present a logical and cohesive response that answers the question
• review their response to ensure that it addresses the question requirements.

Question 16(a)

In better responses, students were able to:

• relate directly to a tour setting to meet the needs of a hearing-impaired customer
• provide a clear outline of a relevant strategy and examples that could be put in place to meet the additional needs of a hearing-impaired customer, for example, the use of captioning on a television to play tour commentary.

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing an industry specific strategy that could be used on a tour to meet the additional needs of a hearing-impaired customer
• outline one strategy to meet the additional needs of a hearing-impaired customer as opposed to listing multiple strategies that may not be relevant in a tour setting.

Question 16(b)

In better responses, students were able to:

• clearly explain the reasons cultural awareness is important in a tourism, travel or events workplace
• relate the importance of an understanding of different cultures to a tourism, travel or events workplace, for example, cultural diversity amongst airline employees increasing the staff understanding of differing beliefs and reducing the likelihood of offending customers
• provide more than one benefit of an understanding of different cultures to a tourism, travel or events workplace, for example, reducing cultural stereotyping and increasing communication options. If staff members can speak more than one language, they may be able to communicate with customers that do not speak English as their first language more easily to clarify their needs when making a booking.

Areas for students to improve include:

• ensuring direct tourism, travel or events workplace examples are included in responses
• providing more than one industry example to demonstrate a clear understanding.

Question 17(a)

In better responses, students were able to:

• outline two benefits of adopting sustainable work practices for a tourism, travel or events business with an understanding of the difference between sustainable work practices and the benefits
• use examples in the outline, such as a hotel attracting additional visitation by those wanting a more sustainable experience.

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing two benefits of adopting sustainable work practices for a tourism, travel or events business
• relating to the business benefits rather than environmental benefits. For example, reducing energy costs for the business rather than the impact on the environment
• ensuring sustainability is addressed rather than work, health and safety practices.

Question 17(b)

In better responses, students were able to:

• explain a range of strategies  to reduce the environmental impact to become more sustainable. For example, implementing a strategy to remove shampoo and conditioner in small plastic containers and refill large permanent containers to reduce waste reduce energy consumption by offering to not wash towels each day
• provide examples specific to hotels, rather than events.

Areas for students to improve include:

• ensuring specific hotel examples are used rather than generic examples that could apply to any workplace
• avoiding listing strategies, rather than explaining and not relating to the impacts.

Question 18

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify both positive and negative effects of social media on a tourism, travel or events business. For example, an airline may receive negative comments on Facebook when a flight is delayed or use Facebook to promote special airfares which results in increased sales
• provide more than one positive and negative effect of social media on a tourism, travel or events business
• use relevant industry examples and terminology, for example, influencers visit and promote destinations as seen on Instagram, Facebook pages providing information for festival goers, TripAdvisor providing reviews for potential travellers.

Areas for students to improve include:

• relating to both positive and negative effects on the business
• providing a range of specific industry examples and terminology, for example, travel and tourism businesses can benefit from a social media post and hotels can benefit from online reviews on TripAdvisor.

Question 19(a)

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify the main purpose of work health and safety (WHS) induction training. For example, ‘so workers understand their responsibilities and help to maintain safety standards’
• provide an example of the purpose in conducting the training.

Areas for students to improve include:

• identifying what the main purpose of WHS induction training
• using an example to highlight the purpose of WHS induction training.

Question 19(b)

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a range of responsibilities for workers applicable to WHS. These could include wearing correct protective clothing or equipment, reporting incidents, or implementing hazard reduction practices
• identify the responsibility of the worker in understanding WHS. For example, wearing of safety boots when working at a festival to protect workers from heavy items falling on their feet, and to protect them from anything laying on the ground that may cause injury if skin penetration occurs.

Areas for students to improve include:

• relating the work, health and safety practice to the responsibility of a worker
• ensuring the examples are relevant to a tourism, travel or events workplace.

Question 20(a)

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify appropriate travel industry sources of information including the website it came from rather than saying websites are a source. For example, The Tourism Queensland website provides information on all regions of Queensland including Brisbane and surrounds
• identify a range of sources of information such as, suppliers, wholesalers, travel agents, brochures, government websites.

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing specific websites or tourism bodies as examples that relate to the destination outlined in the question. This could include independent websites such as ‘Holidays with kids’
• using industry terminology, for example, wholesalers and supplier brochures.

Question 20(b)

In better responses, students were able to:

• outline attractions located in Brisbane that are suitable for a family with young children
• discuss the reason why the attractions have been recommended

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing examples in the city named in the question rather than elsewhere in the State
• outlining a range of attractions suitable for families with young children, rather than generic places like parks and rivers that are not specific to Brisbane.

Question 20(c)

In better responses, students were able to:

• outline two different day trips that a family could do that are accessible from Brisbane
• provide a reason why these day trips are suitable for a family with young children
• identify accurate examples of attractions that may be visited on each day trip. For example, a day trip from Brisbane suitable for a young family could be to Movie World which is on the Gold Coast, about 1 hour south of Brisbane.

Areas for students to improve include:

• outlining a range of different destinations that could be accessed from Brisbane, rather than mentioning two differing theme parks in the Gold Coast.

Question 21(a)

In better responses, students were able to:

• explain the purpose of anti-discrimination legislation in a tourism, travel or events business
• provide industry examples, for example, anti-discrimination legislation protects customers from being unfairly treated at, or excluded from, tourism experiences or events.

Areas for students to improve include:

• explaining how the law is useful in a tourism, travel or events industry using an industry example
• avoiding generic responses, such as, ‘to protect workers’ and explain what they are being protected from.

Question 21(b)

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a detailed explanation of two strategies a business could put in place to reduce discrimination in a tourism, travel or events workplace
• use examples of strategies like multicultural days to celebrate and educate workers.

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing detail in responses rather than outlining in basic terms
• including specific examples with strategies that demonstrate how they will reduce discrimination.

Question 22(a)

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a range of other products and services that would be suitable for a group of university students. For example, relating to their age, by suggesting some local bars and night clubs, or visiting other surf clubs on the Gold Coast.

Areas for students to improve include:

• focusing on the customer type and location of the trip.

Question 22(b)

In better responses, students were able to:

• prepare the quote using appropriate formatting and correct industry terminology. For example, a letter format with valid dates included, and any terms and conditions
• present all costs and calculations clearly.

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing correct amounts and total, for example, noticing that a three-night stay will require four days vehicle hire.

Question 22(c)

In better responses, students were able to:

• explain a range of both selling techniques and strategies to close the sale
• use correct industry terminology and examples
• relate to the specific client type, university students, by suggesting benefits that appeal to them, for example proximity to a bar
• upsell by pointing out the benefits, for example, paying a little more for a much larger room
• provide additional value by including other products such as a dinner
• refer to visual aids, for example brochures.

Areas for students to improve include:

• avoiding using slang, for example, ‘cheap’
• finalising the sale by using closed questions to help the customer make a decision
• applying deadlines, for example, booking by this date or the deal will not be available.

Question 23(a)

In better responses, students were able to:

• show an understanding of documents required that are specific to planning an event
• include a broad range of documentation required using industry terminology, for example, risk assessments, run sheets, and budgets.

Areas for students to improve include:

• ensuring a range of documentation is outlined, rather than focusing on the run sheet
• focusing on the planning stage of the event rather than the operations at the time of the event.

Question 23(b)

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a detailed run sheet outlining activities as well as timings for the event
• use industry terminology to describe activities such as ‘bump in’ and ‘bump out’.

Areas for students to improve include:

• ensuring timings are included with each activity occurring
• describing the tasks that take place during bump in, for example, venue access and sign in, security checks or screening, set up of room and briefing staff.

Question 23(c)

In better responses, students were able to:

• explain the relationships of both the production requirements and the service providers, to ensure the success of the event
• include a range of production requirements using appropriate industry terminology for example, a registration desk, theming, staging including sound system, tables, lectern and microphone
• include a range of service providers that would be required at a fund-raising dinner, including caterers, entertainment, waste management.

Areas for students to improve include:

• explaining the purpose of each production requirement and service provider, rather than listing
• ensuring a range of both production requirements and service providers are included
• ensuring necessary providers for a dinner such as caterers are not overlooked.

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify current trends in the tourism and travel or events industry using appropriate terminology. For example, online reservation systems, eco-friendly events and resorts
• outline the impact both positive and negative trends have on the tourism, travel and events industry using specific examples like ‘loss of revenue’.

Areas for students to improve include:

• avoiding rewording the question in response
• providing industry sector examples when technology is referenced as a trend. For example, a new digital check in facility at a hotel may save customers time on arrival, but will reduce the need for face-to-face staff at the hotel check in desk, so jobs may be lost
• outlining specific social media trends that directly relate to the tourism and travel or events industry, rather than providing a generalised statement about social media
• including current trends, rather than focusing on previous trends, for example, COVID-19 restrictions which are not current in terms of impact on tourism, travel or events workplace
• focusing on the impacts on the tourism, travel or events workplace rather than the impacts on the customer.