LNF Cymru Literacy and numeracy for Wales

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VCSE Travel and Tourism

VCSE Travel and Tourism is heavy on literacy: learners read and compare sources, write a destination fact file, a trip proposal, an itinerary and marketing materials using persuasive language tailored to an audience, present their trip and answer questions, and write a reflection on their own performance. Numeracy is lighter but real, with the Unit 1 sector test asking learners to extract information, spot trends and make calculations from Welsh tourism data, and Unit 3 needing a trip budget, costings, a schedule and a feedback survey whose responses are collated. The single biggest thing KS3 should build is persuasive, well-structured writing for a named audience, backed by accurate facts and simple costings.

Awarding body
WJEC
Level
Level 1 and Level 2
First taught
September 2027
Amount of literacy work
High
Amount of numeracy work
Medium
Specification
Open the specification
Step before
Foundation Travel and Tourism, Entry Level and Level 1
How this qualification is assessed
  • Unit 1: Introduction to the Travel and Tourism Industry: External assessment (sector test) 1 hour, 50 marks, 20%, set and marked by WJEC, paper-based or onscreen
  • Unit 2: Tourist Destinations: External non-examination assessment 6 hours (plus 2 hours of research beforehand), three tasks based on an assignment brief that changes every year, 50 marks, 20%, set and marked by WJEC
  • Unit 3: Travel and Tourism in Action: Non-examination assessment 15 hours, five tasks based on an assignment brief, 90 marks, 60%, set by WJEC, marked by the centre and externally moderated by WJEC

Skills that use Strategic competence

  1. Calculating with tourism figures

    Assessed: In the exam

    Learners must make calculations using a range of data on the Welsh travel and tourism industry, such as large figures for visitor numbers and spending, for the Unit 1 sector test. The specification does not say whether a calculator is allowed.

    Numeracy: The number system, Calculation, Strategic competence, Conceptual understanding

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils read visitor numbers in the hundreds of thousands for three Welsh attractions, put them in order and find the difference between the highest and lowest.
    Year 8
    Pupils work out the average spend per visitor from total spending and visitor numbers for a Welsh town, and what percentage of visitors came in summer.
    Year 9
    Pupils calculate the percentage increase or decrease in visitors and spending for Wales between two years, then check whether their answers make sense in context.
    Show the specification wording and the LNF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 1, Section 1.3.3, page 19

    “make calculations using a range of data relating to the Welsh travel and tourism industry”
    Progression step 3

    • I can read and write numbers to 1 million and numbers to 3 decimal places.

    • I can calculate a percentage, fraction and decimal of any quantity with a calculator where appropriate.

    • I can add and subtract numbers using whole numbers and decimals.

    Progression step 4

    • I can calculate a percentage increase or decrease.

    • I can express one quantity as a percentage of another.

    • I can read and write numbers of any size.

    Progression step 5

    • I can use multipliers as an efficient method when working with percentages, e.g. multiply by 1.2 to increase an amount by 20%.

    • I can choose an appropriate mental or written strategy and know when it is appropriate to use a calculator.

    • I can interpret answers within the context of the problem and consider whether answers, including calculator, analogue and digital displays, are sensible.

  2. Budgeting and costing a trip

    Assessed: In coursework (non-examination assessment, NEA)

    In Unit 3 learners include a budget in their trip proposal with estimated costs for travel, accommodation, meals and entry fees, and include costing in their itinerary. Insurance is also listed among the health and safety considerations.

    Numeracy: Financial literacy, Strategic competence, Fluency

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils plan a class trip to a local attraction with a £15 per pupil limit, adding up entry, travel and lunch costs and deciding what fits the budget.
    Year 8
    Pupils compare two coach companies and a train option for a group trip to Cardiff, including group discounts, and decide which is best value.
    Year 9
    Pupils cost a two-day residential trip in Wales for 30 pupils, including travel, accommodation, meals, entry fees and insurance, find the cost per pupil and check the total a second way.
    Show the specification wording and the LNF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 3, Section 3.2.1, page 28; Unit 3, Section 3.2.2, page 28; Unit 3, Section 3.3.2, page 29

    “budget: such as estimated costs for travel, accommodation, meals, entry fees”
    Progression step 3

    • I can manage money, compare costs from different retailers and determine what can be bought within a given budget.

    • I can make comparisons between prices and understand which is best value for money.

    • I can add and subtract totals less than £100 using correct notation, e.g. £28.18 + £33.45.

    Progression step 4

    • I can appreciate the basic principles of budgeting, saving (including understanding compound interest) and borrowing.

    • I can make informed decisions relating to discounts and special offers.

    • I can describe why insurance is important and understand the impact of not being insured.

    Progression step 5

    • I can identify, measure or obtain required information to complete the task.

    • I can prioritise and organise the relevant steps needed to complete the task or reach a solution.

    • I can select and apply appropriate checking strategies.

  3. Scheduling dates, times and durations

    Assessed: In coursework (non-examination assessment, NEA)

    Learners set the duration and dates of their trip, sequence activities in a logical order and produce an itinerary with a schedule. This needs accurate times, durations and use of transport timetables.

    Numeracy: Measurement, Strategic competence

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils use a bus timetable to plan a morning trip to a nearby town, working out departure and arrival times and how long they will have there.
    Year 8
    Pupils build a one-day itinerary for a visit to Swansea with 24-hour times, journey lengths and activity durations that add up to the school day.
    Year 9
    Pupils plan a two-day trip including a train connection, work out total travel time and waiting time, and adjust the schedule if a train is delayed by 40 minutes.
    Show the specification wording and the LNF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 3, Section 3.2.1, page 28; Unit 3, Section 3.2.2, page 28; Unit 3, Section 3.3.2, page 29

    “duration and dates: such as start and end times, seasonal considerations”
    Progression step 3

    • I can use and interpret calendars, timetables and schedules to plan events and activities, and make calculations as part of the planning journey.

    • I can estimate how long a journey takes.

    Progression step 4

    • I can use timetables and time zones to calculate travel time.

    • I can prioritise and organise the relevant steps needed to complete the task or reach a solution.

    Progression step 5

    • I can prioritise and organise the relevant steps needed to complete the task or reach a solution.

    • I can select, trial and evaluate a variety of possible approaches and break complex problems into a series of tasks.

Good to know

Links with other qualifications

Climate graphs, places and tourism impacts overlap with GCSE Geography, persuasive marketing and budgeting overlap with GCSE Business, and the trip budget and timetable work draws on Mathematics, so KS3 departments could share one model of a costed, persuasive trip plan.

Source: WJEC Level 1/Level 2 VCSE Travel and Tourism specification, approved by Qualifications Wales, teaching from September 2027, for award from 2029 (© WJEC CBAC Ltd 2026).