Travel Agency and Tour Operation ; Concepts and Principles

tour operation, tour planning, pre-tour preparation and financial planning and control. The text is supported by tables, figures, charts, diagram, appendix etc. including comprehensive Bibliography and Index.

Dr. Jagmohan Negi, formerly Director of Studies, National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology, New Delhi (Ministry of Tourism) is the Senior Research Professor of the Teaching and Research Faculty in the Institute of Hotel Management, New Delhi. He is a reputed author of number of articles and books on various aspects of tourism, travel and hospitality, on hotel management, finance, cost control, law, business and economics. He has more than 48 years of experience as training and management consultant to travel companies, educational institutes, hotel and resort companies, and educational institutions. Dr. J. Negi has developed and designed number of travel related curriculum for post-secondary, vocational courses, post-graduate education and industrial training which have been acknowledged and adopted by many private institutes, colleges, universities, and training institutes.

He is also a reputed guest professor and speaker at various colleges, institutions and universities and is directly associated with various national and international bodies such as World Tourism Organisation, UNDP, ILO, Himalayan Tourism and Recreation in Mountains, and International Culinary Foundation.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors wish to gratefully acknowledge the contributions and cooperation rendered by various individuals, agencies, organisations, companies and educational institutions, whose considerable efforts, suggestions, ideas and insights helped to make this text a valuable and viable learning instrument. Special acknowledgement is due to the staff of the following organisa- tions: Air India, Indian Airlines, Transworld Airlines, British Airways, Modiluft, NEPC Airlines. SITA World Travel, Murcury Travels, Ashok Tour and Travels, Taj Tour and Travel, Travel House (ITC), Indian Tourism Development Corporation, Taj Group of Hotels, Oberoi Group of Hotels, Welcomgroup, New Delhi, Hilton, Hyatt Regency, Le Meridien, Park Hotel, Hertz, Budget, Rent-a-Car, Airlines Reporting Corporation, American Society of Travel Agents, Air Transport Association of America, Institute of Certified Travel Agents, International Air Transport Association, International Travel Academy, ITT Sheraton, Travel Agents Association of India, Association of Tour Operators, Indian Institute of Travel and Tourism, Department of Tourism (Government of India), Himalayan Tourism and Recreation in Mountains, International Culinary Foundation and a number of educators, consultants, government employees and travel in- dustry executives who have contributed to the preparation of this book at various points in its development. Our special thanks are to Shri Madan Sachdeva, Director, Kanishka Publishers, Distributors, New Delhi and his team of staff for putting extra efforts in bringing out this publication in this present form.

JAGMOHAN NEGI GAURAV MANOHER

PREFACE

Increase in leisure time, cheaper travel and rising curiosity about land, people and their ways of life promises a bright future for tourism and travel industry. For developing countries the posses- sion of attractive climate, scenery and other tourist resources offer the shape of economic stability and better future for their citizen. Being one of the biggest and dynamic industry, tourism and travel requires all the commitments of any profession being with good education and proper training. While it is partly a glamorous job, it entails much hard work. Properly executed it is emotionally and financially rewarding. As you may be a travel professional or planning to be a travel professional, you need to know a lot more than the travel professional of the past. Now a days, the choice available to today’s traveller are more varied than even before. Modern means of transportation and communication make it possible to people to go virtually anywhere in the world and the ever expanding hospitality industry offers them places to stay when they get there. While so many places for travellers to go and so many ways of getting there, travel professionals need to know their ways around countless schedules and directions. Now, due to introduction of computers many of these tasks have been automated. Be it a travel agency, an airline office, a hotel or one of the many other businesses that make up the travel and tourism industry, all have computers to hold in their work.

Last few years have seen a dramatic improvement in the way the travel business in conducted. Travel planning time has been reduced from days to minutes. Most reservations networks connect travel agents with hotels and airlines. Other have facilities like car rental reservation and railway reservation. With the connecting facility, all tourist has to do is to visit a travel agent who is a member of a network. Then sitting at a terminal the tourist can plan and reserve his/her entire tour in minutes. With the help of CRS he/she can reserve room after glancing through the fare charts, airline tickets and the seat he/she would prefer on the plane and book a car.

At international level we have reservation systems such as Amadeus, Galileo and SABRE, and many others owned by dif- ferent groups of airlines. The need for having one system which would connect all their destinations gave birth to these networks. Data and booking facilities on hotels, car rentals and other travel related activities were added as an extension of services to the travellers.

There is an increasing demand for travel industry profes- sionals and the need for specialized training for travel profes- sionals. Many colleges, universities, privately managed institu- tions are continuously expanding their programmes to include courses on various aspects of travel and tourism.

‘Travel Agency and Tour Operation’ is basically concerned with the management and operation of travel agency. The trends towards specialization in the travel agency is discussed in a most lucid and comprehensive method. You will learn how a travel agent sets up a new business and what skills he/she will look for in new employees. You will also discover what goes in promoting and setting a travel product-from advertising in newspapers and television to promoting travel videos to conduct public relations and campaigns.

The book deals extensively and highlights the role of travel agency and tour operation, travel agents role as creators and intermediaries, their professional status, services offered and relations with public and tourism organisations are highlighted. The day to day operation of travel agency are examined in the text. The travel agents acts as intermediaries and are vital contributors in the sale of travel and other related services. The book deals in detail the operation and functions of travel agency, the services rendered by travel agents, their right and respon- sibilities, their professional status, grounds for their selection, licencing and their linkage and relationship with national and international tourism organisations.

Preparation of this book has been challenging because of recent far reaching changes in collegiate education of travel and tourism. Changes that reflect new and different approaches, designed to improve both the policy and practices of managers of today’s tourism and travel industry. The work is based on the searching analysis and worldwide findings. Latest thoughts and techniques on travel and tour management has been incor- porated and has been explained thoroughly in their proper perspective. The book is desired to facilitate the developments and challenges taking place in this worldwide industry. Throughout this book emphasis is laid on basic areas of interest and concem of all students and readers of travel and tourism management not merely for those who contemplate careers as travel and tourism managers. The text is basically prepared and presented for use with or without supplementary readings and cases. The book is organised around the concept that tourism and travel is an integrated part of world developing economy. The aim is to provide a useful introduction for such important topics, such as organisation and working of travel agency, approval and recognition, air travel policies, airline reservation and fare construction, reservation of tourist services, tourist guide and financial planning and control.

The advantages of package tours are highlighted and dif- ferent categories of tours are explained. Basic steps in structuring a tour and selection of appropriate reduced fare is detailed.

Touring with escort is developing into a major industry. The growing professionalism of this segment of tourism business will definitely arose the interest of educators, the business leaders as well as governmental agencies. Chapters 15, 16 and 17 deal with the role and activities of tour operators in the creation, package and marketing of tours.

Many subjects concerned seem simple but are actually complicated and technical in nature, particularly for those persons with a meagre background in travel and tourism profession. The book includes numerous innovations. Many addition resulted from the helpful and practical suggestions from students, professors and professionals who are directly or indirectly connected with this growing industry.