Leicester College learners studying for their Higher National Diploma (HND) in travel and tourism were provided with a brief by Leicester Shire Promotions to look into ways of driving tourism to the city.

Ideas were presented by the learners at the Hilton Hotel in Leicester to Martin Peters, Chief Executive of Leicester Shire Promotions, and Paul Michael, General Manager of the Hilton Hotel Leicester.

Jennie Porter, Programme Lead for Travel and Tourism said:

“Leicester Shire Promotions are working in partnership with Travel and Tourism students at Leicester College, which is a fantastic opportunity involving learners working on live projects contextualised to their course.”

“Learners presented in a “Dragons’ Den” style pitch to the board. The road travelled between initial ideas to final pitch demonstrated the importance of this process to their employability skills and personal development.”

Three groups presented their ideas, which included sporting package breaks after the success of Leicester City Football Club and Leicester Riders; Asian cultural events to promote the diversity in the city; as well as mix and match packages to do various activities around the city, such as visits to the local museums.

Mahmudul Hasan, HND Travel and Tourism student said:

“This has been an amazing experience and I feel that as a group we have gained so much knowledge and I am excited about my future opportunities in this industry.”

All three ideas were commended by Martin Peters and will be developed in the future.

Martin Peters, Chief Executive of Leicester Shire Promotions said:

“I have been genuinely impressed with the commitment, calibre and enthusiasm of the students we have been working with. The future of the tourism industry looks very bright with rising stars like these on the horizon.”