2013 Notes from the Marking Centre – Tourism and Events
Introduction
This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 Tourism and Events course. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2013 Higher School Certificate examination, highlighting their strengths in particular parts of the examination and indicating where candidates need to improve.
This document should be read along with:
- the 2013 Higher School Certificate Tourism and Events examination
- the marking guidelines
- advice for candidates attempting VET examinations
- Advice for HSC students about examinations
- other support documents developed by the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW to assist in the teaching and learning of Tourism and Events in Stage 6.
Section II
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- understanding customer service and repeat business
- explaining the multiplier effect
- recommending appropriate complaint handling procedures
- supporting answers with examples
- demonstrating an understanding of a variety of tourism and event businesses.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- responding to the requirements of the question, eg when plurals are required, or a specific season is requested
- providing strategies, methods, process or recommendations
- considering both positive and negative impacts of an event
- destinational geography of Western Australia.
Section III
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- using industry examples
- developing well-structured responses
- understanding economic impacts
- knowledge of current issues relating to the tourism and events industry
- using examples such as rebuilding the tourism and events industry in the Blue Mountains after the recent fires.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- responding to all aspects of the question
- using industry terminology such as multiplier effect, leakage, over-dependence on tourism, infrastructure, revenue, inbound, outbound, intrastate, interstate, accommodation, tour operators, sectors, etc
- considering opportunities to rebuild such as improved infrastructure, environmentally sustainable products in new buildings, rebuilding following fire safety recommendations, new marketing campaigns and positive social impacts
- answering the question rather than providing a narrative.
Section IV
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
Tourism stream
- identifying knowledge of legal/consumer protection
- recognising features and benefits of a tourism product
- matching customer requirements to products and services offered
- providing relevant examples
- understanding the term ‘confidentiality’.
Event stream
- knowledge of social media technology
- knowledge of general marketing mediums
- understanding the term ‘stakeholder’
- knowledge of the multiplier effect
- recognising the benefits entertainers receive from a music festival.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- explaining a range of features and benefits
- providing examples for both features and benefits
- avoiding generalisations of client types.