Artificial intelligence is changing education quickly. Tools such as ChatGPT can now write explanations, summaries, reports and evaluations in seconds. For travel and tourism teachers, this raises an important question: is travel and tourism assessment still fit for purpose?
This is not about panic. It is not about saying that coursework should disappear, or that students should never use AI. But it is about being realistic.
Many travel and tourism qualifications rely heavily on written coursework. Some of this coursework is excellent because it asks students to apply knowledge to real destinations, customer scenarios and tourism businesses. However, some tasks still ask students to explain, describe or outline concepts in quite generic ways. In the age of AI, this is where the problem begins.
Travel and Tourism Is a Vocational Subject
Travel and tourism is not just a subject where students learn definitions. It is a vocational subject that should prepare students for a real industry.
Students need to understand destinations, customer needs, tourism products, visitor attractions, marketing, sustainability, transport, accommodation and the wider tourism system. But they also need to develop practical skills.
They need to be able to communicate with customers, recommend suitable products, compare destinations, respond to problems, evaluate tourism impacts and make sensible decisions.
This means travel and tourism assessment should not only ask: can the student explain this?
It should also ask: can the student use this knowledge in a realistic travel and tourism context?
The Problem with Generic Written Coursework
Written coursework still has value. I am not arguing that it should be removed. Students do need to write clearly, explain ideas and evaluate information.
However, the issue is that some coursework tasks are too easy to complete using AI.
For example, if a task asks a student to:
- explain the importance of customer service;
- describe different types of tourism;
- outline the appeal of a destination;
- explain sustainable tourism;
- describe the role of tour operators;
- summarise the impacts of tourism.
These are all tasks that AI can complete very quickly. The final answer may look polished. It may be well structured. It may even sound quite impressive.
But does it prove that the student understands the topic? Does it show that they can apply the knowledge? Does it show that they are ready for the travel and tourism workplace?
Not always.
A Good Paragraph Does Not Always Mean Good Understanding
This is one of the biggest challenges for teachers and assessors.
A student might submit a fluent paragraph about customer service, but that does not mean they can deal with a difficult customer. They might write a good explanation of sustainable tourism, but that does not mean they can design a realistic sustainable tourism strategy for a specific destination. They might describe the appeal of Dubai, Thailand or Spain, but that does not mean they can recommend the right destination to the right customer.
This is the key issue.
In travel and tourism, knowledge matters, but application matters more.
AI Has Changed the Evidence Problem
Before AI became widely available, teachers could usually assume that most coursework had been written by the student. Of course, there were always issues with copying, over-help from adults or work taken from websites, but AI has changed the scale of the problem.
Students can now generate a full answer in seconds. They can ask AI to make it sound more academic. They can ask it to rewrite it at a particular level. They can ask it to add examples, make it longer or improve the evaluation.
This makes it much harder to know what the student has genuinely understood.
The problem is not just cheating. The bigger problem is assessment validity. If the final piece of work does not clearly show what the student can do independently, then the evidence is weaker and travel and tourism assessment becomes less meaningful.
Travel and Tourism Assessment Needs More Application
The solution is not to remove coursework. The solution is to make coursework more authentic.
Instead of asking students to simply explain a concept, we should ask them to apply it.
For example, instead of:
Explain the importance of customer service in travel and tourism.
A stronger task might be:
Respond to a customer complaint about a delayed flight and explain why your response is appropriate.
Instead of:
Describe the appeal of a destination.
A stronger task might be:
Recommend a destination for a family with young children, a fixed budget and specific travel dates. Justify your choice.
Instead of:
Explain sustainable tourism.
A stronger task might be:
Design a sustainable tourism proposal for a named destination and evaluate the possible challenges of implementing it.
Practical Skills Still Matter
Travel and tourism is a people-focused industry. Students need more than written knowledge. They need confidence, communication skills, problem-solving skills and professional judgement.
Travel and tourism assessment should therefore include more opportunities for students to demonstrate what they can actually do.
This could include role plays, presentations, travel agent scenarios, customer service simulations, itinerary planning, promotional campaigns, destination recommendations, visitor attraction evaluations and professional discussions.
These types of tasks are harder to fake with AI because the student has to show their thinking and performance.
They also feel much more relevant to the industry.
Reflection Is Still Useful
I still think reflection is important in vocational subjects. However, reflection only really works when it is linked to something the student has actually done.
A generic reflection can easily be produced by AI.
A stronger reflection might come after a practical task. For example, after a travel agent role play, students could reflect on:
- how well they communicated with the customer;
- whether they asked the right questions;
- how effectively they matched the product to the customer’s needs;
- what feedback they received;
- what they would improve next time.
This type of reflection is much more meaningful because it is connected to real performance.
We Should Not Ban AI Completely
It is tempting to say that students should not use AI at all. I understand why schools and colleges might take this approach, especially when coursework authenticity is a concern.
But I do not think banning AI completely is the answer.
The travel and tourism industry is already highly digital. Travel agents, airlines, hotels, tour operators, visitor attractions and destination marketing organisations all use technology every day. AI is likely to become even more embedded in the industry.
Students may use AI in the workplace to help draft emails, create marketing content, summarise destination information, compare travel options, analyse customer feedback or support itinerary planning.
So, if students are likely to use AI in the workplace, we need to teach them how to use it properly.
AI Literacy Should Be Part of Travel and Tourism Education
AI literacy needs to become part of vocational travel and tourism education.
Students need to learn that AI is a tool, not a replacement for their own thinking. They need to know how to check information, spot mistakes and adapt AI-generated content to a specific context.
This is especially important in travel and tourism because inaccurate information can have real consequences.
A wrong visa requirement, an unsuitable destination recommendation, incorrect travel advice or misleading information about safety, weather or accessibility could seriously affect a customer.
Students need to learn how to:
- check whether AI-generated information is accurate;
- identify outdated or misleading destination information;
- adapt AI content for a specific customer;
- avoid copying generic AI responses;
- use AI ethically;
- protect customer data;
- acknowledge when AI has been used;
- take responsibility for the final answer.
This should be built into the curriculum, not treated as an extra.
What Should Travel and Tourism Assessment Look Like Now?
Travel and tourism assessment in the age of AI should focus more on authentic evidence.
That means students should be asked to show what they can apply, demonstrate, justify and evaluate.
This might include:
- completing realistic travel agent role plays;
- designing itineraries for specific customer profiles;
- comparing destinations for a particular market segment;
- responding to customer complaints;
- creating tourism marketing campaigns;
- evaluating tourism impacts in a named destination;
- presenting recommendations and defending choices;
- keeping a process log;
- explaining how AI was used;
- checking and improving AI-generated content;
- reflecting on feedback after a practical task.
These approaches do not remove academic challenge. In many ways, they increase it because students have to think more deeply and make more meaningful decisions.
What Teachers and Providers Can Do Now
Travel and tourism teachers, assessors and course leaders need to start reviewing their assessment tasks.
Some useful questions to ask are:
Can this task be completed easily using AI?
Does this task show what the student can actually do?
Is the written work linked to a real destination, customer, business or scenario?
Does the task require judgement and decision-making?
Can the student explain and defend their choices?
Does the task reflect the skills needed in the travel and tourism industry?
If the answer is no, the task may need to be adapted.
This does not always mean rewriting an entire qualification or unit. Sometimes small changes can make a big difference. Adding a customer profile, a destination context, an oral follow-up question, a practical element or a short reflection linked to performance can make the assessment much stronger.
The Future of Travel and Tourism Education
AI has not made travel and tourism education less important. If anything, it has made it more important.
The industry is changing quickly. Students need to understand destinations, customers, sustainability, technology, marketing and global travel trends. They also need to develop communication skills, digital judgement and confidence in making responsible decisions.
Generic written explanations are no longer enough.
Students need opportunities to show that they can apply knowledge in realistic situations. They need to demonstrate practical skills. They need to evaluate their own performance. They need to learn how to use AI responsibly rather than rely on it blindly.
Final Thoughts
Generative AI is not the end of travel and tourism coursework, but it may be the end of pretending that generic written explanations are enough.
Travel and tourism assessment needs to move from explanation to demonstration.
For teachers and training providers, this is a challenge, but it is also an opportunity. By redesigning assessment for the age of AI, we can make vocational travel and tourism education more authentic, more relevant and better aligned with the realities of the modern industry.
Travel and tourism assessment and AI: FAQs
Below are answers to some of the most common questions about travel and tourism assessment in the age of AI.
Is travel and tourism coursework still valid in the age of AI?
Coursework can still be valid, but generic tasks that ask students to explain or describe concepts are easy to complete with AI. Assessment is more valid when it requires application to real destinations, customers and scenarios.
How can travel and tourism assessment be made more AI-resistant?
Assessments can include role plays, presentations, customer service simulations, itinerary planning for specific customer profiles, oral follow-up questions, process logs and reflections linked to practical tasks.
Should students be banned from using AI?
A complete ban is unlikely to prepare students for an industry that increasingly uses AI. Teaching AI literacy – checking accuracy, adapting content, using AI ethically and acknowledging its use – is a more realistic approach.
Why is AI literacy important in travel and tourism?
Inaccurate AI-generated information about visas, safety, weather or accessibility could seriously affect customers, so travel professionals must be able to check and adapt AI outputs.
What skills should travel and tourism assessment measure?
Assessment should measure knowledge and its application, including communication, customer service, problem solving, product recommendation, evaluation of tourism impacts and professional judgement.
Further reading
If you found this article helpful, the following posts may also be of interest:
- Travel and tourism resources for students
- BTEC Level 2 travel and tourism resources
- BTEC International travel and tourism resources
- Cambridge IGCSE travel and tourism resources
- What does a travel agency do?
- How to become an independent travel agent
