Recently, our second year Level 3 Travel and Tourism learners took a trip to the Mendip Activity Centre to provide a more hands-on and immersive learning experience for the students. 

This trip coincided perfectly with one of their recent modules, Managing Accommodation, as it gave the learners insight into a local attraction that offers various on-site accommodation such as a campsite and lodges. 

Throughout the day, students were able to explore the facilities that the Mendip Activity Centre had to offer, but also learn how they make their accommodation inclusive to all guests and how they run the business as a whole. 

Mendip Activity Centre works with many schools and education groups, as well as the public, to provide outdoor education and activities, from skiing and snowboarding, to archery and orienteering. The business has so much to offer and has gradually developed and expanded over time to form the multi-activity centre with on-site accommodation that they are today. 

George Coombe, the head of business and growth at Mendip Activity Centre, talked to the learners about the business, explaining everything from their development as a business and marketing strategies, to their available activities and accommodation. He then took the students on a tour of the centre so they could see the facilities first-hand and answer any questions they had throughout the day. 

Hannah Carstensen, one of our Business and Tourism lecturers at Weston College, said, “George was able to give an insight into the accommodation sector of Travel and Tourism which closely links to what we have been covering within class. Learners were able to see how a local business manages multiple different accommodation services and how they meet the needs of their guests.” 

Learners then had a game of frisbee golf that the Mendip Activity Centre offers as an activity which they enjoyed thoroughly and was a great way to end the day. 

Overall, this trip provided our learners with real-life experience and gave them a comprehensive understanding of the industry's core principles, including customer service, destination knowledge, and the importance of sustainable tourism practices that the business developed overtime.   

Thank you to George Combes and the Mendip Activity Centre for having us and educating our learners on how they run a successful, local business. 

If you’re interested in applying to one of our Travel and Tourism courses in September, click here.