Foundation Travel and Tourism
WJEC Foundation Travel and Tourism is a two unit portfolio qualification for learners in Years 10 and 11 working at Entry Level or Level 1, with the VCSE Travel and Tourism as a natural next step. Unit 1 explores the travel and tourism industry in Wales and Unit 2 has learners research, design, present and review a new tourist attraction. Nothing requires a computer, so digital work is mostly the teacher's choice. It sits most naturally in Unit 2: researching attractions on sites such as Visit Wales and Tripadvisor, running a survey and charting the results, and making slides or pitch materials. Unit 1 also asks Level 1 learners to explain how technology such as virtual tours, e-tickets and travel apps can make tourism easier and more sustainable.
- Awarding body
- WJEC
- Level
- Entry Level and Level 1
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of digital work
- Low
- Specification
- Open the specification
- Next step up
- VCSE Travel and Tourism, Level 1 and Level 2
How this qualification is assessed
- Unit 1: Exploring travel and tourism in Wales: Centre marked non-examination assessment, a portfolio of evidence from teacher-set activities, maximum assessment time 12 hours (typically 9 to 12 hours), 48 points (48 of the 116 qualification points), 48 guided learning hours, assessed in centre and moderated by WJEC; taught first and available from summer 2028
- Unit 2: Designing a tourist attraction for Wales: Centre marked non-examination assessment, a portfolio of evidence from teacher-set activities, maximum assessment time 18 hours (typically 14 to 18 hours), 68 points (68 of the 116 qualification points), 72 guided learning hours, assessed in centre and moderated by WJEC; available from summer 2029
Skills that use Collaboration
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Sharing work and ideas with others
Group work appears in the Unit 2 examples, where Entry 2 learners work in small groups to show their slides or ideas and Entry 3 learners take questions in a class Q&A session. Appendix A maps Digital Competence Interacting and Collaborating to most learning outcomes in both units, but any group work must still give individual evidence for each learner.
DCF: Collaboration, Storing and sharing
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils save their work in a named folder in the class online space and share one file with a partner, who adds a comment.
- Year 8
- Pupils work in threes on a shared slideshow about a Welsh festival, each editing their own slide, with view or edit permissions set by the group.
- Year 9
- Pupils plan a group presentation in a shared online document, agree who covers each part, and use comments to give each other one suggestion before presenting.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit 2, example tasks for LO2.5, pages 38 and 39; Section 3.5, page 43; Appendix A, page 50
“learners work in small groups to show their slides/ideas”
Progression step 3
I can work with others to create an online collaborative project for a specific purpose, sharing and appropriately setting permissions for other group members, e.g. editing, commenting, viewing.
I can manage files and folders locally or online, e.g. move files to a folder.
Progression step 4
I can independently select and use a range of online collaboration tools to create a project with others in one or more languages, e.g. making use of online technology to share and present ideas to others.
Good to know
- Every piece of evidence goes in digitally: "All evidence must be submitted digitally." Paper work and physical evidence "should be scanned, photographed or filmed so that a clear digital version can be submitted" (Section 3.3, page 42).
- No equipment or software is required: both units state "There are no specific requirements for assessment." (pages 13 and 28).
- There are no tests, on screen or on paper. The qualification "is assessed through a portfolio of evidence that is internally assessed" and moderated by WJEC (Section 3, page 41).
- Teachers choose the tasks, so whether work is digital is the centre's choice: "Teachers have the flexibility to design assessment tasks and activities that best meet the needs of their learners." (Section 3.1, page 41).
- Digital products count as evidence. The list includes "artwork, models, digital media, or other creative products" and video or audio recordings of a learner "giving a presentation" (Section 3.3, page 42).
- Entry 1 learners may use technology for support: "verbal, visual and practical assistance, use of symbols, or assistive technology" (Section 3.4, page 43).
- The specification gives no rules on learners using AI. AI appears only as content, "the potential for the use of AI in the industry" (Unit 1, page 16), and the general malpractice rule applies: "Candidates must not take part in any unfair practice" (Section 3.8, page 45).
- Appendix A (page 50) maps Digital Competence: Citizenship to LO1.3, LO1.4, LO2.1 and LO2.2; Interacting and collaborating to LO1.2 to LO1.5 and LO2.1 to LO2.5; Producing to LO1.3, LO1.4 and "LO2.2 to LO2.6"; and Data and computational thinking to LO1.4, LO2.1 and LO2.2.
Links with other qualifications
The Foundation course is a stepping stone to VCSE Travel and Tourism and shares four of its digital skills. Researching attractions on sites such as Visit Wales becomes, in the VCSE, researching a destination for a fact file and judging and referencing sources with AI not allowed. The Foundation survey and charted results become a VCSE feedback tool whose responses are collated and used to improve a trip. Foundation slides, posters and pitch materials become VCSE marketing materials such as social media posts and leaflets aimed at a set visitor group, and knowing how virtual tours, e-tickets and travel apps help tourism grows into the VCSE Unit 1 sector test on booking, airport and accommodation technology. Maps, places and the impacts of tourism also link with GCSE Geography.
Source: WJEC Entry Level/Level 1 Foundation Travel and Tourism specification, approved by Qualifications Wales, teaching from September 2027, for award from 2029 (© WJEC CBAC Ltd 2026).