University of Gloucestershire students are creating new holiday packages in partnership with a global travel organisation. The new relationship with STA Travel will see Hospitality and Tourism Management students from the University of Gloucestershire School of Business and Technology work on a live brief to create new holiday itineraries.

As part of their module, the students have been tasked by STA Travel to create an educational field trip complete with a day by day itinerary. Providing the itinerary meets all of STA Travel's requirements, this will become a package that the company would then aim to promote to other students through their distribution of 'on the road educational executives' in the UK.

STA Travel Educational Development Executive and Travel Marketing Manager, Adele Wise and Molly Chapman, introduced the company and delivered the brief this week in the new School of Business and Technology at Oxstalls campus.

STA Travel was created over 35 years by two Australian students who had returned from their travels and set out to bring affordable flights and worldly adventures to other students, young people and explorers. Today, STA Travel serves over 2 million travelers a year and employs almost 2,000 people worldwide in over 200 stores.

Binda Samra, Hotel, Resort and Tourism Management student, said: "The opportunity to design a real itinerary is really exciting. Whilst I was listening to Adele and Molly, I was also thinking that I would love to complete a placement year in the travel agent tour operations business."

Nadine Sulkowski, Senior Lecturer in Hospitality Management at the University of Gloucestershire, (pictured right) said: "The involvement of STA Travel Education in designing the live brief is an excellent example of the kind of study environment that we are trying to create - one that enables students to develop innovative products and solutions whilst being aware of the wider context that they are working in.

"The university is committed to developing graduates who are engaged, enquiring, empowered, empathetic and ethical in their approach towards business and entrepreneurship. The ethos of STA Travel as a globally responsible business resonates with exactly these attributes."

Molly Chapman, Marketing Manager at STA Travel, said "It has been a joy working with the University of Gloucestershire. Collaborating with lecturers and students at the university has helped us not only give back to our customers, but has aided the development and learning of many students, all whilst strengthening relationships. We look forward to working together in 2019 and are excited about what the future holds."

The students will present their new holiday packages and proposed itineraries to STA Travel on 19 March as part of their assessment.