Students from the Department of Tourism and Hospitality were presented with the opportunity showcase their real-world work to a host of industry experts.

Nafsika Kasapi, Ahmed Jabir Jidan, and Sarthak Kant Sedhain represented the group from the BA (Hons) International Tourism Management course, and discussed their role in the creation of a new tourism strategy for the village of Church Stretton, which was included as part of Shropshire on ABTA's list of 'Must Visit' destinations for 2023. It was the first time a UK location had formed part of the list.

After a direct request from the local mayor, Andy Munro, the students set to work on designing a strategy to widen participation and increase the potential of digital and adventure tourism within the village.

As part of their work, the students held discussions with the town’s mayor, Visit Shropshire, Transport for Wales, and Shropshire Hills National Landscape in order to understand challenges and pinpoint opportunities to maximise use of the rural landscape.

After conducting much research, the group identified the potential for activities such as cycling, hiking, and even paragliding. They also highlighted innovative digital solutions with the goal of increasing visitor numbers to the village itself, and to attract in particular families from urban areas and minority communities.

Ahmed said: "I was bit nervous at first because this is very new to me. I hadn’t had real industrial experience before this, so it has been amazing to get to talk to stakeholders, people who actually work in tourism, transportation and other sectors.

"It's been a new experience for me. I used to be very bad at public speaking, and even in front of three or four people I would get very nervous. I feel much more confident now."