Each member country has its own approach to teaching Travel & Tourism, and the GTTP works with education ministries to ensure compliance with country standards. In some countries, the GTTP program is for students in the final year of secondary school, and in others the GTTP is focused on students in grade 10, 11 and/or 12. Each country uses its own tourism education requirements. In some countries, schools use a GTTP-developed curriculum as their official curriculum while other use it to supplement their own courses. (For more information, contact the Director for the country you are interested in.)
To ensure students have a global perspective, the GTTP developed a curriculum, PASSPORT TO THE WORLD: An Introduction to Travel & Tourism. It comes with three modules: a module for use by instructors; a module for use by students, which includes a guide to information resources; and a module with a comprehensive schedule of student activities. It is available in English, Russian, Hungarian, Portuguese, French, Spanish and Chinese.
Our Global Partners work with us to ensure the materials are up-to-date. Travelport, as an example, has worked with our Directors to develop an inter-active unit on travel technology that lets students and teachers learn about global travel booking systems.
Click here to see the Introduction to the Instructor’s Guide which includes the GTTP’s approach to teaching Travel & Tourism, an explanation of the PASSPORT curriculum and an outline of the syllabus.
PASSPORT was developed by GTTP country directors and teachers. The course provides students with a basic understanding of tourism as a global industry. The curriculum is “teacher friendly” and is designed in such a way that basic concepts and information are combined with activities that focus the students on their own community or region.
In some countries, like Russia, PASSPORT TO THE WORLD, is the officially-approved introductory curriculum. In Ireland, PASSPORT TO THE WORLD was incorporated into Ireland’s new national curriculum. In other member countries, like Hungary and Canada, PASSPORT TO THE WORLD is used to supplement existing curriculum. In Brazil PASSPORT TO THE WORLD was adopted by the federal government of Brazil as part of its drive to expand tourism education in state and municipal schools throughout Brazil. In Kenya PASSPORT TO THE WORLD was approved by the education ministry and is used to introduce students to this subject. For countries that are just starting to offer this subject, PASSPORT TO THE WORLD can be used as the introductory curriculum and provides a basis for understanding the industry and for going on to further study.
Students who master the material in PASSPORT TO THE WORLD are eligible to receive a certificate attesting to their achievement. Click here to read more.
GTTP teacher-training courses on the global curriculum, PASSPORT TO THE WORLD, and on student assessment methodologies have been delivered to teachers in Hungary, Jamaica, Russia, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa. These are in addition to regular teacher training provided by each country program.
The GTTP assessment approach utilizes portfolios prepared by the students, and provides teacher training in this method.
The GTTP member countries work together in a number of ways, especially in the sharing ideas and experiences that can improve their own operations. Country directors conduct teacher training sessions in GTTP member countries.
The development of the curriculum known as PASSPORT is an example of a collaborative project. GTTP member country schools can also "twin" with each other, which is an opportunity for students in two countries to learn more about each other.
Internships where students are exposed to the workplace are an important part of the activities of GTTP members. Students need to be able to see what life is like in a “real” business. In some GTTP member countries, internships are paid activities and students work for months or even during an entire school year at a local business. In other member countries, such an extensive internship is not feasible.
One alternative for exposing students to the workplace is unpaid, 30-hour work-study programs that can be conducted individually or in groups.
GTTP member countries involve students in a myriad of local and national activities. The GTTP sponsors four global competitions.
This competition requires student teams to research a Travel & Tourism opportunity or issue in their local or national context. The winning school in each country sends a team to the GTTP International Student-Teacher Conference held each November in Nice, France. This competition is sponsored by the GTTP’s Global Partners and the Aldo Papone Endowment. For details, click here.
This essay competition reinforces the GTTP’s emphasis on developing an individual student’s research, writing and photographic skills. Students compete for national and international cash prizes. For details, click here.
The goal of the Digital Photo competition is to show a special aspect of a student’s community to people who have never been there. The photo should make the viewer want to come visit. Photographs could be of a historic building; a natural feature, such as a lake or mountain; an event, such as a procession; a local specialty, such as food; an activity or sport; a person or a group of people. For details, click here.
The Student of the Year award is given to a student who exemplifies the qualities important for a career in Travel & Tourism: dedication to her/her studies, the ability to work independently and with team mates, creativity, integrity, a positive attitude and mastery of Passport to the World materials. Students must be nominated by their teacher to be eligible for this award. The winning student attends the annual Student Teacher Research Conference in Nice, France, and has the opportunity to meet the senior executives who comprise the GTTP Global Partner Advisory Board to discuss employment opportunities.