Unit 3: TRAVEL AGENTS

and
TOUR OPERATORS
3.1. Speaking and reading

Travel agents and tour operators

Student A reads the text on travel agents and the student B reads the text on tour
operators. Check the new expressions.

STUDENT A

TRAVEL AGENTS (adapted from: https://www.truity.com/career-profile/travel-agent)

Travel agents sell transportation, lodging, and admission to entertainment activities to individuals and
groups planning trips. They offer advice on destinations, plan trip itineraries, and make travel
arrangements for clients.

Duties call centers may be noisy and crowded. Agents

may face stress during travel emergencies or
Travel agents help travelers by sorting through unanticipated schedule changes.
vast amounts of information to find the best
possible travel arrangements. In addition, Work Schedules
resorts and specialty travel groups use travel
agents to promote travel packages to their Most travel agents work full time. Some work
clients. longer hours during peak travel times or when
they must accommodate customers’ schedule
Travel agents also may visit destinations to get changes and last-minute needs.
firsthand experience so that they can make
recommendations to clients or colleagues. Education and Training
They may visit hotels, resorts, and restaurants
to evaluate the comfort, cleanliness, and
A high school diploma typically is required for
quality of the establishment. However, most of someone to become a travel agent. However,
their time is spent talking with clients, many employers prefer additional formal
promoting tours, and contacting airlines and
training as well. Good communication and
hotels to make travel arrangements. Travel
computer skills are essential.
agents use a reservation system called a
Global Distribution System (GDS) to access
travel information and make reservations with Other Experience
travel suppliers such as airlines or hotels.
Some agencies prefer travel agents with
Travel agents increasingly are focusing on a firsthand experience visiting a country. These
specific type of travel, such as adventure tours. agencies especially prefer travel agents who
Some may cater to a specific group of people, specialize in specific destinations or particular
such as senior citizens or single people. Other types of travelers, such as groups with a
travel agents primarily make corporate travel special interest or corporate travelers.
arrangements for employee business travel.
Some work for tour operators and are Personality and Interests
responsible for selling the company’s tours and
services. Travel agents typically have an interest in the
Persuading and Organizing interest areas,
Work Environment according to the Holland Code framework. The
Persuading interest area indicates a focus on
Travel agents held about 73,300 jobs in 2012. influencing, motivating, and selling to other
Travel agents work in offices, where they people. The Organizing interest area indicates
spend much of their time on the phone and on a focus on working with information and
the computer. In some cases, busy offices or processes to keep things arranged in orderly
systems.
STUDENT B
(adapted from: https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/job-descriptions/279437-tour-operator-job-description)

Tour operator: job description

Tour operators are responsible for  Bespoke tour designers
organising and preparing holiday tours.  Cruise liners
They follow trends in the popularity of
destinations and packages, and adjust Vacancies are advertised online, in
company plans accordingly. Skills in other newspapers and trade publications
languages would be a big advantage in including Travel Trade Gazette and Travel
this role. Weekly as well as their online equivalents.
Networking and speculative applications
Responsibilities of the job generally are advisable. A few larger companies
include: operate graduate training schemes. Paid
summer vacation jobs may be available
 deciding how many holidays to sell with some employers.
each season and the resorts/countries
to use Qualifications and training required
 visiting resorts to ascertain
accommodation quality and suitability A degree is not a standard formal
 liaising with coach operators, airlines, requirement for this role, though it may be
hoteliers and resort reps an advantage. Degrees in leisure, travel,
 agreeing service levels, contracts and tourism, management, marketing, IT,
costs
business, languages or hotel and catering
 confirming customer names with
airlines/hotels
management are particularly likely to be
 collecting, evaluating and responding relevant. Relevant professional or
(as appropriate) to customer feedback vocational qualifications may also be
 using market research information to beneficial.
guide decisions
 producing brochures and internet- Pre-entry experience gained working with
based information the general public or within the hotel,
 providing pricing information tourism or travel trades (particularly
 marketing holidays to clients via travel overseas) will strengthen your applications
agents, websites, brochures and and improve your chances. It may be
television advertising possible to start work in a tour rep, tour
 handling bookings, invoicing and guide or travel agent role and then move
issuing of tickets
on to a tour operator position.
 predicting profits or number of
bookings
 working with travel consultants from Key skills for tour operators
different travel agencies to put holiday
packages together  A demonstrable interest in travel
 combining travel, accommodation and  Knowledge of key holiday
services such as sightseeing destinations
arrangements to create holiday  Foreign language skills
packages  Excellent interpersonal skills
 Communication skills
Typical employers of tour operators  Customer service skills
 Organisational skills
 Private touring companies  IT skills
 Small specialist organisers  Commercial awareness
 Major international tour operators  Good time management skills.
Students A and B together fill in the chart below with th following expressions:

Large numbers (in bulk) Wholesale On commission

Small quantities Retail

Travel agent sell ______________ tour operator

sell in ----------------------------------------- sell in ________________________

_______________________________ ____________________________

3.2. Speaking
Read the description below and together with your colleague decide which of the tasks
mentioned you would do on your own instead of going to a travel agent.

 Arrange travel for business and vacation customers

 Determine customers’ needs and preferences, such as schedules and costs
 Plan and arrange tour packages, excursions, and day trips
 Find fare and schedule information
 Calculate total travel costs
 Book reservations for travel, hotels, rental cars, and special events, such as
tours and excursions
 Tell clients about what their trip will be like, including giving details on
required documents, such as passports or visas
 Give advice about local weather conditions, customs, and attractions
 Make alternative booking arrangements if changes arise before or during the
trip

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3.3. Word formation
Put the words in the brackets in their suitable form.

Text adapted from:

http://www.slovenia.info/en/Promotion-and-Information-Material.htm?ps_promocijski_materiali=0&lng=2

Travel Agent's Manual 2012

The Slovenian Tourism Board has published a handbook for tourist agencies (title)
……………………………………………. ‘Travel Agent's Manual 2012’, the content of which is intended for
the expert public in the tourism industry. The manual was printed in a total of 17,000 (copy)
……………………………………………. , 8,000 of which are in English, 5,000 in German, 2,000 in Italian and
another 2,000 in French. The manual was presented at the World Travel Market in London.

The manual gathers (use) ……………………………………………. general information about Slovenia,

highlights the key tourism products and includes a large number of contact (inform)
……………………………………………. of service providers in tourism and tourist organisations that will be
of (assist) ……………………………………………. to foreign representatives of tourism industry in their
search for business partners and (easy) ……………………………………………. implementation of travel to
Slovenia. The content is enriched with green facts about Slovenia and green (advise)
……………………………………………. that will help us preserve a green Slovenia. The manual is printed on
(environment) ……………………………………………. friendly paper. The (select)
……………………………………………. events are complemented with a programme of events for the
European Capital of Culture – Maribor 2012.

The (public) ……………………………………………. is available in electronic form at the STB web portal:
http://www.slovenia.info/si/Naročilo-publikacij.htm?_ctg_publication_ordering=0&lng=1

3.4.Vocabulary

Complete the text below by filling the spaces with the words provided below.

retail inclusive components

package tour
long-term time-chartering contracts

The Inclusive Tour

The principal feature of the ____________________tour is that the tourist may buy for a
single price a holiday much cheaper than would be attainable by the holidaymaker if he
bought the _____________________of his holiday separately and directly or from a
___________________travel agent. The low price of the ____________________holiday or
inclusive tour is made possible by reason of the lower unit costs obtainable both for the air
travel and for the hotel stay, when the ____________________operator enters into
____________________contracts for aircraft seats and hotel beds. This is achieved by
____________________ aircraft and making parallel ____________________with hotels.

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3.5. Making a Glossary

Check for further instructions online and start preparing a Tourism Glossary. You need to
enter 10 tourism expressions that are not already listed in the glossary. For the start of
gaining ideas, read the text below, which is filled with new expressions.

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3.5. Translation is fun

Translate the following expressios from Slovene to English.

Ali so cene za potovanja/karte izve sezone kaj cenejše?

Rad bi povratno karto do Londona?

Rada bi obnovila svojo sezonsko vozovnico.

Bi lahko prosim dobila vozni red?

Za presežek prtljage morate plačati 200€. Let ima zamudo.

Let je bil odpovedan.

Prosim odložite svojo ročno prtljago v omarico nad sedežem.

Prosimo vas, da izklopite mobilne telefone in ostale elektronske naprave.

Prosimo, da si pripnete varnostne pasove in sedež namestite v navpični položaj.

___________________________________________________________________________
Find out
Go to a travel agent and find out what do they do, what are their tasks every day.
Ask also about tour operators, do they have any contacts with them?
Ask about how has the role of a travel agent changed in the last 10 years.

___________________________________________________________________________

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