Unit of Competency Mapping – Information for Teachers/Assessors – Information for Learners

SITTTSL004A Mapping and Delivery Guide
Source and provide Australian destination information and advice

Version 1.0
Issue Date: March 2024


Qualification -
Unit of Competency SITTTSL004A - Source and provide Australian destination information and advice
Description This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to source and provide information and advice for Australian destinations, including general product information such as what types or styles of product can the destination offer. The unit requires the ability to identify appropriate information sources and research destinations in order to develop, update and maintain a general destination knowledge base relevant to the industry sector and job role.More specific and detailed product knowledge is covered in SITTTSL002A Access and interpret product information. Selling skills are covered in SITTTSL005A Sell tourism products and services. No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.
Employability Skills The required outcomes described in this unit of competency contain applicable facets of employability skills. The Employability Skills Summary of the qualification in which this unit is packaged will assist in identifying employability skills requirements.
Learning Outcomes and Application This unit describes a key sales and operational function for a diverse range of Australian tourism products and services and applies to the full range of industry sectors. Tourism operators within Australia such as retailers, tour wholesalers and inbound tour operators would cover multiple Australian destinations. Visitor information centres and some tour operators would specialise in one region. The range and depth of destination knowledge required will vary according to the industry sector, workplace and job role. This unit does not require an in-depth knowledge of every Australian destination sold by every style of tourism operator but focuses on the ability to collect and interpret destination information to fulfil a particular sales or operational need.The unit applies to frontline sales and operations personnel who operate with some level of autonomy or under limited supervision and guidance from others. It is undertaken by a diverse range of people such as visitor information officers, retail travel consultants, corporate consultants, inbound tour coordinators, account managers for professional conference organisers, event coordinators, tour guides, hotel guest relations officers, tour desk officers, reservations sales agents and owner-operators of small tourism businesses. Because of the broad industry application of this unit and the variances in the essential general knowledge base, it is critical that assessment is contextualised to meet the requirements of the specific industry sector, local tourism industry operations and the particular needs of the job role. Providers of pre-employment training programs must cover a broad range of destination knowledge in order to provide a choice of vocational outcomes. Funding and hours allocated to training must reflect the breadth and depth of knowledge required.
Duration and Setting X weeks, nominally xx hours, delivered in a classroom/online/blended learning setting.
Prerequisites/co-requisites Nil
Competency Field Tourism Sales and Operations
Development and validation strategy and guide for assessors and learners Student Learning Resources Handouts
Activities
Slides
PPT
Assessment 1 Assessment 2 Assessment 3 Assessment 4
Elements of Competency Performance Criteria              
Element: Develop knowledge of Australian destinations.
  • Identify and access information sources with current and accurate information on Australian destinations.
  • Obtain information on features of the Australian destination and the general style of tourism products available.
  • Obtain key information on geographical features and current health and safety features of the Australian destination.
  • Identify and obtain general information on different tourism products available to meet different customer needs.
  • Record and store destination information for future use according to organisation systems.
       
Element: Update knowledge of Australian destinations.
  • Use formal and informal research to update destination and general product knowledge.
  • Seek feedback from colleagues and customers on experience with Australian destinations and provide this to other organisations where appropriate.
  • Share updated information with colleagues according to organisation procedures.
       
Element: Provide information and advice on Australian destinations.
  • Accurately identify the specific information and advice needs of the customer.
  • Provide a range of current and accurate destination and general product information and advice in a timely manner and according to organisation procedures.
  • Refer customers to current sources of health and safety information.
  • Ensure that the scope and depth of the information are appropriate to customer needs.
  • Present the information and advice in an appropriate format and style.
       


Evidence Required

List the assessment methods to be used and the context and resources required for assessment. Copy and paste the relevant sections from the evidence guide below and then re-write these in plain English.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, the range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the following is essential:

ability to research current, relevant and accurate information on Australian tourism destinations and the styles of product offered in those destinations

knowledge of current industry information networks and sources

ability to source and provide tailored Australian destination information and advice in response to multiple customer requests covering a range of Australian tourism destinations; the breadth of destination knowledge required to provide advice to customers will vary according to the industry sector and workplace

project or work activities that show the candidates' ability to source and provide Australian destination information and advice within the context of the particular industry sector in which they are working or seeking work; for those undertaking generic pre-employment training, assessment must cover a range of industry contexts to allow for a broad range of vocational outcomes

sourcing and providing information and advice within typical workplace time constraints and the deadlines determined by the customer.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

demonstration of skills within a fully equipped industry-realistic office environment using appropriate publications, computers, printers and information programs currently used in the tourism industry to store tourism related information or demonstration within the applicable sales environment for the sector e.g. a conference venue for the Events sector or touring environment for the Guiding and Tour Operations sectors

interaction with and involvement of customers to whom destination and general product advice can be given

access to sources of destination and general product information such as sales kits, brochures, product manuals, supplier or destination marketing organisation information kits, electronic information sources and information databases.

Methods of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

direct observation of the candidate sourcing current information and providing advice to customers

evaluation of integrated activities completed by the candidate, including sourcing information on Australian destinations, selling products, providing quotations and issuing documents

case studies and problem-solving activities to assess ability to respond to different customers

destination research activities for different customer scenarios

written and oral questioning or interview to test knowledge of information sources and key destination information

review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate.

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

SITTTSL001A Operate an online information system

SITTTSL005A Sell tourism products and services

SITTTSL006B Prepare quotations

SITTTSL007B Receive and process reservations

SITTTSL008B Book and coordinate supplier services.

Assessing employability skills

Employability skills are integral to effective performance in the workplace and are broadly consistent across industry sectors. How these skills are applied varies between occupations and qualifications due to the different work functions and contexts.

Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification and in the context of the job role.


Submission Requirements

List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assignment, checklist) and due date here

Assessment task 1: [title]      Due date:

(add new lines for each of the assessment tasks)


Assessment Tasks

Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.

This section describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit.

The following skills must be assessed as part of this unit:

basic research skills

communication skills to identify the information needs of customers and to seek and provide feedback on Australian destinations; specifically actively listening, questioning and verbal summary of information

literacy skills to source, read and interpret general information on destinations and complex information of specific health, safety and regulatory issues that relate to Australian destinations.

The following knowledge must be assessed as part of this unit:

general sources of information on regions and destinations

industry information networks

understanding of the ways in which customers seek information

formats and styles of information presentation, including styles that cater for those with special needs (e.g. presenting information in large print or providing information electronically)

sources of information on current health and safety issues for the destination, including weather information, health advisory notices issued by the federal and state or territory government health departments and safety advisory information issued by federal and local police authorities and emergency service authorities

ways that individuals update their knowledge in the tourism industry

breadth of Australian destination knowledge appropriate to the sector or specific workplace; pre-vocational assessment must include coverage of all Australian States and Territories, the major regions and destinations found within

for each destination, the depth of knowledge must cover:

key information on geographical features of the destination, including destination location, climate and seasonal factors of the destination the its region and major geographic features of the destination and its region

key information on cultural and related features of the destination, including areas of environmental, social or cultural significance or sensitivity; major cities, towns and tourist areas and precincts; major, man-made tourist attractions; major gateways for and transport networks within the destination and its region; and very basic understanding of the history and cultural aspects of the host community, including cultural mix.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording in the performance criteria is detailed below.

Sources of destination information may include:

destination and product library

internet and intranet

state and federal government tourism authority information systems

regional tourism office information systems.

Features of the Australian destination may include:

major cities, towns and tourist areas and precincts

major man-made tourist attractions

major gateways for and transport networks within the region and destination

history

local economy

local customs

special regional features

areas of environmental, social or cultural significance or sensitivity

cultural elements

special features of the host community

local facilities, including banking and public facility information

facilities for customers with special needs.

Key information on geographical features must include:

location of the destination and the region in which it is located

climate and seasonal factors of the destination and its region

major geographic features of the destination and its region.

Key information on current health and safety features may include:

any current health risks, including diseases, epidemics, and animal or insect infestation

terrorism threats or current acts

weather disasters or threats of bad weather, e.g. fire, flood and storm.

General information on different tourism products:

may include:

styles of product available within the destination

seasonal availability of product

location of product within the destination

may be found in:

brochures

e-brochures

sales kits

supplier information kits

product manuals

advertising flyers.

Storage of destination information may include:

card reference systems

files and notes of particular destinations

files and notes for specific touring routes or locations

files and notes for specific styles of customer group

computerised database of information.

Formal and informal research may include:

informal discussions with colleagues

undertaking formal study

accessing and reading promotional information, including travel guide books, and product brochures and updates

liaising with trade and general media

attending product launches

attending promotional seminars

direct contact with other organisations, including suppliers, principals and tourist information offices

familiarisations

accessing the internet and intranet

personal on-site observation or exploration

organising information from own memory and experiences

watching television, videos and films

listening to radio

reading newspapers, books and other references.

Health and safety information may include:

health advisory notices issued by federal and state or territory government health departments

safety advisory information issued by federal and local police authorities and emergency service authorities.

Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.

Observation Checklist

Tasks to be observed according to workplace/college/TAFE policy and procedures, relevant legislation and Codes of Practice Yes No Comments/feedback
Identify and access information sources with current and accurate information on Australian destinations. 
Obtain information on features of the Australian destination and the general style of tourism products available. 
Obtain key information on geographical features and current health and safety features of the Australian destination. 
Identify and obtain general information on different tourism products available to meet different customer needs. 
Record and store destination information for future use according to organisation systems. 
Use formal and informal research to update destination and general product knowledge. 
Seek feedback from colleagues and customers on experience with Australian destinations and provide this to other organisations where appropriate. 
Share updated information with colleagues according to organisation procedures. 
Accurately identify the specific information and advice needs of the customer. 
Provide a range of current and accurate destination and general product information and advice in a timely manner and according to organisation procedures. 
Refer customers to current sources of health and safety information. 
Ensure that the scope and depth of the information are appropriate to customer needs. 
Present the information and advice in an appropriate format and style. 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

SITTTSL004A - Source and provide Australian destination information and advice
Assessment task 1: [title]

Student name:

Student ID:

I declare that the assessment tasks submitted for this unit are my own work.

Student signature:

Result: Competent Not yet competent

Feedback to student

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:


Assessment Record Sheet

SITTTSL004A - Source and provide Australian destination information and advice

Student name:

Student ID:

Assessment task 1: [title] Result: Competent Not yet competent

(add lines for each task)

Feedback to student:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall assessment result: Competent Not yet competent

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Student signature:

Date: