Introduction: Tour operators are sort of wholesalers, the service they provide its valuable to producers, the retailers and the customers. They support the producers of travel products and give them guarantee to buy their products; such as seats on bus, plane or rooms in hotel or motel; and they take on the role of marketing of the product as well. A huge number of product producers are depends on contracts with tour operators. Maximum mass market tour operators get travel agents to sell their products. Some tour operators deal directly with the consumer and known as ??? direct seller??™. There are some specialist operators those prefer deal directly with their clients and advertise in news magazines or in some special magazine edition too. They got the ability to buy services and supports of the tourism experience from suppliers at vital discounts by purchasing in bulk.
There is no doubt the tour operators fulfil a vital role in the tourism industry. As tour operators allow the variety of tourism sector to sell their capacity in advance. The Tour operators are perfect builder of holidays.
In easy way the tour operator purchase and process of holidays alike Air travel, accommodation and transport??“ and puts them together to make package holidays, for example couple of weeks at Caribbean resort with full-board with accommodation, meals and airport transfers. Reason of these components can be bought in bulk, the tour operators can usually provide the holiday cheaper than usual if the customers bought and arranged each component of the holidays separately. ? Investigate the tour operations sector of the travel and tourism industryOne of the tour operator from tourism market said, ??? I have developed a tour that takes tourist into our local communities and to people I have developed economically in their own small tourism business. I therefore do the marketing for them and bring the bulk of their business to them where they own 100% of their business and retain 100% of the income from the tourism they also do not pay for the marketing.
???? Indeed, there are four different types of major tour operators such as Mass-market operators who sell high volume of packaged products with comparatively cheap prices. Some of the well-known big mass market operators are Thomson, Thomas Cook, MyTravel and First Choice Holidays. Second type of tour operators known as specialist operators, they focus on specific market for example activity holidays, or a specific type of tourism. Some specialist operator??™s focus on offering specific countries, others concentrate on specialist activities. Specialist tour operators meet the needs of those who require special travel advice. Third type of tour operator is domestic tour operators they just provide service to residents of their own country.
Domestic operators mainly provide their best service to the senior citizens of market. And the last tour operator is incoming tour operators who specialise in putting together holidays and services for overseas visitors to the destination. They put together packages and services at destinations and sell them to travel organisers of other countries. ATOL which is known as Air travel operator??™s licence from the civil aviation to maintain all the tour operators and their inclusive tour offers. According to the European legislation all tour operators must be enough sufficient to cover all costs of tours. Packages include the tour operators: TransportationAccommodationCar hireExcursionsFood (all-inclusive)Hire of equipment (activity holidays – ski, sailing, scuba diving etc.)Development of tour operators happened in many way, the growth of the tourism industry increasing their level with modern technology.
The development of modern technology has been the main force behind the rapid growth of the travel industry. New technology helps in many ways to tour operators for distribution and take a large scale of share in the world tourism industry. It helps and suggests providing information to both middle men and consumers; Role of the brochure has taken a vital role to relate and informing customers in details that exactly what waiting for them. Introducing Computer Reservation Systems (CRS) was one of the major significant parts in tourism development it helps to maintain principal??™s inventory for sales, marketing and ticketing as well as handle the fare and allocation-load maintain systems. The staff management and agents are well connected through on-line to the main host computer CRS system. Easy and Direct connection with call centres (multi language call centres) such as Airlines, National Tourist authorities or large travel organisations. Also tour operators encouraging direct bookings for consumers.
Using of television media for travel shop is another vital point of development. Excellent using of Internet-facilitates controls the interactivity of an enterprise or individual with the external world. It??™s wide opportunity for travel agents and customers booking for tickets, hotels or transport systems etc.? Explore the stages involved in developing packages. It is very important to planning to introduce for a new tour operator function or destination place for consumers; it may take long duration to setup and make effective.
During planning time of the programme it is important to workout backwards from the planned start dates. one of the difficult problem is deciding the correct price. As these have to be established at the last minute before material goes for printing, but inevitably this will be several months before of the tour programmed starts. The decision to exploit a destination or a region for package tours has to be carefully considered and researched. Forecasting the future of development in tourism, as a product it is affected by changing circumstances to a greater extent than other consumer products, it has already proved to be notably inaccurate. Tourist patterns change over time, with a shift from one country to another and from one form of accommodation to various types.
With the emphasis on price; the mass tour operator??™s principal concern is to provide the basic such as sun, sea and sand package in countries that provides with the best value for money. Transport costs will depend upon charter rights into the country, distance flown and ground handling costs. Also they may affected by the relative demand and supply of aircraft in any given duration. First of all the tour operators have to decide potential destinations, they must produce demand to customers mind for these destinations, such as the number of tourists the destinations may attract, the original growth rates in past years, and the competitors in market. The mass- market operators look to a destination what could stay for a substantial period of time, unlike the specialist operators, which may be more flexible in switching destinations according to changing demand.
In Travel and Tourism industry would use this information to understand the growing nature of the tourism industry and why one particular element if working better than another; what helps to determine selling price for different package of holidays, For example, why does one type of person prefer this particular holiday to another. Consumer market research is usually conducted in the form of surveys in order to identify how many people, act, think or feel about a particular element. It is used to gather a large quantity of information about a variety of different people. For special interest tourism this would be beneficial as it would allow the business to know why some people may prefer one holiday destination to another, as well as what the reason for their choices are. This leads to consumer behaviour and response.
Many Travel and Tourism organisations have global connections with Hospitality services in order to offer deals and services to consumers travelling to those destinations. To provide the best service for their consumers often travel organisations would help promote Hospitality services within their own company to spread the word about different companies they are associated with. To building relationships with Hospitality venues allows them to establish relationships between themselves and their clients. For example, in order for organisations to attract more people to their holiday destinations they would employ a variety of hospitality outlets, whether it is a hotel, restaurant, casino or sports ground.
This is usually done in expanding tourist interest where an improvement has been seen in the amount of tourist each year. This has been the case for certain interests where casinos and hotels have been the centre of the tourist attraction, and have created more room for development in those places as well as increased wealth, such as in Las Vegas, America. The Hospitality outlets have become the attractions, which has generated more money for the tourism organisations and expanded their tourist income.? Review the role of brochures and methods of distribution used to sell package holidaysThe printed version of holiday brochure has been the tour operator??™s strongest marketing tool; it provides a useful image in customer minds about their needs and wants and what they desire about a dream destination. Consumer can read and learn about the destination; what they may like to purchase. The planning process begins with “ first impressions”, and its works way through content, colours, photos, and more.
It get involves to a real understanding of the psychology of tourist, and what they might be looking for in attractive destination. For example through reading the brochure, tourist will be able to understand: In marketing senses, most important fact to understand that how it will help a tourist to feel that this will be a ??? great experience??? or something that ??? I cant miss it???, or this place or facility will be easy to reach- no ??? trip stress???. Planning and research methods are clearly determine what should be the target market for example:? Families? Overseas visitors? School trips? Tourists with special interests etc. Boucher distribution could be target in three ways:? Mailing to potential Tourist? Distribution via brochure rack? Distribution through third partyAnother main fact to understand that; the brochure is successfully conveying the right messages before it goes out for printing and marketing. Some facts that must be realised before going out for negotiation; that are those all gone right listed below:? Identifying the right product? Utilize the right company brand.
? Professional Design with illustration ? Photographs of the hotels, destination and products offering.? Using a desktop publishing system ? Producing a proof to identify and rectify The Brochure guide is not everything, but it helps in many to get touch with tourists; online brochures, websites all are focusing on potential customers.
