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Reference and Research Skills - Activity

Sources of information:

Global knowledge

As someone interested in travel and tourism, it's important that you develop knowledge of world geography. Imagine your embarrassment if you were unable to identify the continent in which a customer's destination is located. As a travel and tourism professional you would be expected to know this information, or be able to find it out quickly.

So, you need to learn how to identify continents and regions, and highlight countries within their global region. You should get used to accessing the following sources of information (or equivalents):

  • Travel advice - from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) (http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590)
  • 'Best in the world' Web site - gives learners the chance to identify continents and countries (http://www.thebestintheworld.com)
Street scene in Cuba

Image: Cuba is becoming increasingly popular as a tourist destination, but could you say which continent it is located in? Copyright: Richard Hewitt


Learn about countries of the world

The following Web sites help you to access information about countries wherever they are located. They are a very useful way to improve your knowledge of the world.

  • World Factbook - from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/)
  • Country guides - from the FCO (http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029394365)
  • Statistics Division of the United Nations (UN) - useful data about countries of the world (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/default.htm)

General travel and tourism information sources


Public transport information for the UK and EU

The Paddington to Plymouth service crosses the River Exe in Devon

Image: The Paddington to Plymouth service crosses the River Exe in Devon. Could you provide rail information for someone wishing to travel to the south west of England? Copyright: Jon Wisbey


Tasks:

  1. From your sources of country information, (FCO and The Best in the World), identify one country from each of the following continents or regions:
    • North America
    • South (Latin) America
    • Europe
    • Pacific (Asia & Oceania)
    • Middle East
  2. From the UN statistics site, locate the following information about your chosen countries:
    • Size of economy as measured by per capita GDP (expressed in US dollars)
    • Male and female activity rates (include an explanation of what this means)
    Search tips: Go to the home page of the UN statistics division (given above). Follow the link to 'statistical databases' and select 'social indicators' from the list. Finally, choose 'income and economic activity'.
  3. Use the public transport information list to find the travel options for a journey between Birmingham and Coventry.
  4. From the European rail travel information, go to train timetables for Italy and find the times of services from Pisa Airport to Florence (Santa Maria Novella) station.
  5. Use the Eurostar Web site to find the total journey time for London Waterloo International to Disneyland Resort. Note that you will have to travel via Lille by Eurostar, then take the TGV to the resort.