A tour operator is a company that provides holidays in which your travel and accommodation are booked for you.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TOUR OPERATOR AND TRAVEL AGENCY
The main difference is that a tour operator is responsible for operating and providing your
vacation through the contracting, booking and packaging together of the various components of your tour such as your hotel, transportation, meals, guides, optional tours and sometimes flight. Many tour operators are considered land only operators and focus on the aspects of your package once you have arrived in your destination.
Travel Agents hold the role of selling and administering packages from various tour operators to their personal clients based on what they’re looking for and what package suits each client best. While many tour operators focus on a select concentration of destinations most travel agents can specialize in a range of destinations and then they can help you narrow down a package for that specific destination or area you are looking to travel to based on your budget, preferred method of travel and interests. Travel agents will then work directly with the tour operator to perfect your requests and provide the tour operator with the information and payments they need.
1. A travel agent is a person who has a full knowledge of tourist product – destinations, modes of travel, climate, accommodation and other areas of the service sector. He acts on the behalf of the product providers/principals (tour operator or suppliers such as hotel, transport companies, etc) and in return get a commission.
2. Tour operator is an organization, firm or company who buys individual travel components, separately from their suppliers and combines them into a package tour, which is sold with their own price tag to the public directly or through middlemen.
3. Tour operators are like wholesalers and travel agents are the retailers.
4. A tour operator makes the package holidays up and the travel agents sell them on.
5. Tour operator taking up the bulk of the responsibilities and his fee is obviously much greater than a travel agent.
6. A tour operator has the responsibilities to look after the finer details of a vacation or tour such as hotel, accommodation, meals, conveyance etc.
ROLES OF A TOUR OPERATOR
A tour operator is like a service provider, providing the most convenient option for tourists to stay, visit, as well as leave from the city. A tour operator owns a high volume of travel services across carriers, services, and accommodation. Some most important functions of the tour operators are following as:
Planning a Tour
The most important functions of the tour operators are planning a tour. Tour operators plan a tour and make tour itinerary which contains the identification of the origin, destination and all the stopping point in a traveler’s tours. A prospective tour operator also gives advice to intending tourists in various types of tour programmes, which they may choose for their leisure or commercial travel.
Making Tour Package/ Packaging the tour
Tour operator buys individual travel components, separately from there suppliers and combines them into a package tour. Tour operators make tour package by assembling various travel components into a final product that is called tour package which is sold to
tourist with own price tag. Making tour packages is also an important function of Tour
Operator.
Arranging a Tour
Tour operators make tour package and also arrange a tour according to tourist demands. Tour operators arrange the tour package and various tourists activities to provide the bestexperience to tourists/traveler.
Travel Information
Whatever the size of tour operators, it has provided necessary travel information to the
tourists. This task is utterly difficult and very complicated. A tour operator must give up-to-
date, accurate and timely information regarding destinations, modes of travel, accommodation, sightseeing, immigration, health and security rules about various permits
required to travel in a particular area etc.
Reservation
It is a very important function of all type tour operators and travel agencies. Tour operator
makes all the reservation by making linkages with accommodation sector, transport sector and other entertainment organizations to reserve rooms, and seats in cultural programmes and transportation.
Travel Management
Tour operators manage tour from beginning tothe end of the tour. A tour operator has the
responsibility to look after the finer details of a vacation or tour such as hotel, accommodation, meals, conveyance etc. Tour operators provide travel guide, escorting services and arrange all travel related needs and wants.
Evaluate the Option Available
Tour operators evaluate all available options to provide a unique or unforgettable travel experience to tourists during their journey. Tour operators evaluate the various options available for a tour package and provide best of them to tourists.
Promotion
Tour Operators makes tour packages and promote them into various tourists markets at domestic as well international level. Tour operators promote a travel destination to attract a large group of tourists at domestic as well as international level. In the promotion of tourist destination, tour operators play a key role. Travel agencies or tour operators are called as image builder of a country.
Sales and Marketing
Tour operators do sales and marketing of tourist products. Tour operators buy individual travel components, separately and combine them into a tour package, which is sold with their own price tag to the public directly. Tour operators do marketing of tourist destinations
and tourism product to attracts the attention of the tourists/travelers.
Taking Care of Glitch
Tours operators are also called handling agencies which handles tour package and take
care of all the glitches and problems arises during a tour package. Tour operators fix the
glitches and provide the best available alternative to tourists during their journey.
Executing The Tour.
Now that the planning, packaging and marketing is done, it’s time for the tourist to enjoy beautiful experiences. The tourist will also get support with a dedicated Tour Guide who ensures that tour is realized seamlessly, down to the finest detail.
QUALITIES OF A TOUR OPERATOR
1. Honesty/integrity
One of qualities of a tour operator is that he or she must be an honest person. Also his or her
company must deal honestly with the public. The information that is put on a tour brochure must be true to the word. The realities on the ground must not be a far cry from what is advertised. Where there are unexpected changes the tour operator must be honest about it and explain to the clients.
2. Good understanding of ICT
A good tour operator must have ICT skills. Theworld is now technologically advanced in many fronts including the world of tourism. Tickets could be bought online, reservations can be made online, advertisements can be made online and a host of other things can be accomplished online without having to move an inch. He or she also needs to keep records of the company’s activities and this can be done on the computer. A good knowledge of computer and the world-wide-web will therefore be useful to the tour operator hence the need for him to be computer and internet literate.
3. Marketing skills
The tour operator must possess marketing skills. He must be able to market his tour package in order to attract clients. In the midst of the stiff competition in the industry, without the skills of a marketer, the tour operator would find it very tough to stay above water.
4. Good public relations skills
The tour operator must have good public relations skills. The tour operating company deals with different kinds of human beings with different backgrounds and levels of exposure. The tour operator must therefore enhance all the positive stories about their operations to the public and minimize any negative stories about their work, if possible, prevent such negative stories from getting into the public domain.
5. Good financial standing
Another quality of a tour operator is that the company must be in a good financial position. It
must not be financially distressed. Operating a tour business can sometimes be capital intensive, especially, if one must pre-finance it so being in good financial position helps the company.
6. Time conscious
A tour operator must be time conscious. Tourbuses must depart at the appointed time, people must reach their destinations at the timeadvertised etc. Hotel arrangements must be topnotch so clients can be checked into their accommodations on time.
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