Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Know the retail travel environment
SECTION 1
Icebreaker
This unit focuses on retail travel, looking at how travel agencies provide s
e
rvices to leisure travellers. Working by
yourself, or in small groups under the direction of your tutor, see how y
o
u get on with the following tasks to help
you make a start on this unit:
•
Make a list of all the 'products' that travel agents sell;
•
Think about the differences between a travel age
n
t, tour operator and tourist information centre;
•
Write down the names of all the travel agencies in your area and try to work out who owns each one;
•
What can a travel agency do to be mor
e
successful than its competitors?
•
Write down how you think the ro
le
of the travel agent will change in the future;
•
What changes in technology have affected travel agencies in recent years?
•
Make a list of all the different component industries of the travel and tourism sector that travel agencies
work with.
When you've fi nis
h
ed, show your answers to your tutor and compare your answers with what other groups in your
class have writt
e
n.
Retail agencies
companies are known as 'principals' and include tour
operators, airlines, coach companies, hotels, ferry
operators and cruise lines. This dual arrangement is
shown in Figure 9.1, which demonstrates that travel
agents are 'intermediaries' between their clients and
the principals.
Retail travel agencies are in business to sell holidays
and other travel products, such as fl ights, car hire,
accommodation and travel insurance. Traditionally, the
bulk of these sales have been through the familiar high
street travel agency chains and independent agents,
catering for the needs of a wide variety of leisure
travellers. Today, however, there are many more ways
for people to buy their holidays and travel products,
such as via the internet, by 'phone and via TV channels
linked to call centres.
There are many different types of retail travel agencies,
as explained in the following sections of this unit.
Independent agents
These are independent businesses that are not part of a
chain and are often managed by the owner and a small
team of staff. Unlike multiple agents (see below) that
have links with their own tour operating companies,
independent travel agents are free to offer their clients
a wide range of holiday companies. Independents trade
on their ability to give their customers a very personal
service, relying on word-of-mouth recommendations
from satisfi ed clients for extra business.
The role of retail agencies
Retail travel agencies are usually acting on behalf of
two parties when they undertake their work. They are
serving the needs of the customer, referred to as the
client, on whose behalf they are making the travel
arrangements. They are also acting as an agent for
the company that is supplying the product. These
