Do placements and fieldwork improve tourism studies?

Published Apr 10, 2024 · Updated Oct 12, 2025

placements fieldwork tripstourism, transport and travel

Yes. When integrated and supported well, placements and fieldwork enhance learning, progression and satisfaction in tourism, transport and travel. In the National Student Survey (NSS), the placements fieldwork trips theme spans 13,023 comments, with 60.6% positive sentiment and an index of +23.1 across UK higher education. Within tourism, transport and travel, placements/fieldwork/trips appear in 5.0% of comments and are mildly positive (index +10.9). The category captures applied learning experiences across disciplines, while the CAH grouping signals a field where industry-facing learning is routine; together they show that authentic experiences, consistent support and reliable timetabling make the difference.

Why do placements and fieldwork matter in tourism, transport and travel?

Applied learning sits at the heart of tourism, transport and travel studies. Placements offer a window into industry practice and operations, while fieldwork translates theory into situated practice that enriches the curriculum. Students develop professional networks and gain hands‑on experience that influences satisfaction and attainment. Staff and students recognise that these are not extras but integral components that prepare graduates for a competitive, customer‑facing sector.

What do educational trips and fieldwork add to learning?

Fieldwork immerses students in live contexts so they analyse problems, apply methods and see how concepts play out in real destinations and organisations. Students report stronger engagement, better understanding of the labour market and the confidence to apply their knowledge. Staff who design purposeful itineraries, link activities to assessment briefs and scaffold reflection help students consolidate learning and connect it to career ambitions.

How should universities support placements and trips?

Targeted preparation and responsive support reduce friction. Careers and placement teams can provide CV workshops, employer expectations, budgeting guidance and risk management. Since COVID‑19, teams also curate virtual and hybrid opportunities to sustain access when travel is constrained. Quick routes to advice and timely communication mean students approach opportunities with anticipation rather than anxiety.

Where should placements sit in the curriculum?

Programmes that embed placements and fieldwork as assessed, credit‑bearing elements typically see stronger engagement. Staff can map authentic activities to module learning outcomes, specify supervision and feedback rhythms, and integrate reflective tasks. This ensures students experience the sector in meaningful ways rather than as one‑off trips, and that workload and timetabling align with the rest of the programme.

How do placements shape student satisfaction and outcomes?

Students describe placements and fieldwork as highlights that make learning relevant and directly applicable to future roles. They report gains in confidence, independence and work readiness, and value the bridge between classroom knowledge and practice. Programme teams sustain this by prioritising access, clarity on expectations and support during the placement period.

How do industry links raise relevance?

Partnerships and practitioner input bring the curriculum to life. Guest lectures and collaborations, including with organisations such as sports clubs and destination management bodies, provide insight into standards and day‑to‑day challenges. Well‑planned fieldwork shows how classroom concepts operate in live environments, helping students develop realistic perspectives and practical skills.

What distinguishes programmes that get this right?

Courses that excel offer substantive placements and fieldwork, fund participation to widen access, and maintain dependable logistics and communication. Students tend to rate these features highly in feedback because they improve employability and set expectations for professional conduct. This approach signals institutional commitment to applied learning and student development.

Which graduate attributes grow through field experience?

Field experiences build self‑assurance, ambition and effective communication. Students also develop intercultural competence, leadership and decision‑making while navigating diverse settings. These transferable attributes are valued across tourism and travel roles, and they strengthen graduates’ readiness for customer‑facing, operational and analytical work.

What have we learned from virtual fieldwork and online placements?

Digital delivery extends reach, enabling engagement with international organisations and dispersed teams. Virtual options sustain industry contact and keep students in touch with sector trends. Institutions that structure online placements carefully, provide wellbeing resources and maintain staff availability help students manage workload and stress while gaining relevant insights.

How do international students experience placements and fieldwork?

International students enrich fieldwork with diverse perspectives and benefit from exposure to UK sector practice. Targeted guidance on work expectations, cultural contexts and practicalities helps them translate learning into progression. Programmes that support these students before, during and after placements enhance both individual outcomes and cohort learning.

How Student Voice Analytics helps you

Student Voice Analytics tracks placements, fieldwork and trips sentiment continuously for tourism, transport and travel. It benchmarks against the wider discipline and mode of study, surfaces gaps for different cohorts, and provides concise summaries for programme teams and placement partners. You can evidence improvements against NSS themes, compare cohorts over time, and export ready‑to‑use insights for action planning and quality assurance.

Request a walkthrough

Book a Student Voice Analytics demo

See all-comment coverage, sector benchmarks, and governance packs designed for OfS quality and NSS requirements.

• All-comment coverage with HE-tuned taxonomy and sentiment.
• Versioned outputs with TEF-ready governance packs.
• Benchmarks and BI-ready exports for boards and Senate.

Book a demo Prefer email? [email protected]

More posts on placements fieldwork trips:

• What do physiotherapy students say about placements?
• Do medical technology placements work for students?
• What do mental health nursing students say about placements?
• What do students say makes social work placements work?

More posts on tourism, transport and travel student views:

• What support matters most in tourism, transport and travel programmes?
• Are tourism, transport and travel courses organised well for students?
• What do tourism, transport and travel students want from course content?
• Does collaborative learning work for tourism students?