Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Guide
and the
OAG Flight Guide
. Trade Associations,
e.g. ABTA, the Passenger Shipping Association (PSA),
AITO (the Association of Independent Tour Operators)
and IATA (the International Air Transport Association)
produce specifi c manuals for the travel trade.
Customers' specifi c requirements will also be very
different and are sometimes set out in a customer brief
that the agent can work from. This will include details
of:
•
Party size - the total number of people travelling;
•
Holiday dates - date of departure and arrival back
Weblink
Check out this website to see the full
range of OAG Guides for the travel and
tourism sector.
www.oag.com
in the UK;
•
Departure point - this could be a major or regional
airport, ferry port, train station, etc.
•
Board basis - chosen from full-board, half-board,
Individual airlines, ferry operators, cruise companies,
tour operators, rail companies and coach/bus operators
produce their own timetables to help travel agents
and members of the public plan journeys. Timetables
are available in printed form and most are published
on the internet, e.g. the UK National Rail Timetable.
Rail travellers wishing to go further afi eld can consult
the
Thomas Cook European Timetable
and
Thomas
Cook Overseas Timetable
to plan their journeys. Rail
Europe provides details of train journeys in Europe on
its website.
all-inclusive, room-only or bed and breakfast;
•
Destination - this may be a specifi c resort, e.g.
Magaluf in Majorca, or an indication of the type of
destination required, e.g. quiet, lively, by the sea,
city, etc.
•
Type of accommodation - serviced or self-catering.
Price is often the most important consideration for
the client, who will be looking for value for money
in their holiday. Some people will be travelling on a
tight budget, whereas others may be looking for high
quality accommodation and facilities, for which they
are prepared to pay a premium.
Weblink
Check out these websites for planning rail
journeys using the National Rail Timetable
www.nationalrail.co.uk and the Rail
Europe site www.raileurope.co.uk
Packaged holidays
Many people looking for a holiday abroad fi nd that
a package holiday meets their needs - not having
to research and pay for different parts of a holiday
separately can save a lot of time. Also, package holidays
are covered by the EU Package Travel Regulations,
meaning that customers are fully protected if things
go wrong. This isn't always the case with tailor-made
holiday arrangements.
Customer needs
When it comes to choosing a holiday, no two people
have the same needs! Customer needs vary greatly
and it is the job of a skilled travel agent to listen to their
clients' wishes and offer them a holiday that exactly
meets their requirements. Customers vary by type -
from singles and couples, old and young, to families
and groups - and all will have very different needs.
Single people often look for companionship on their
holiday, whereas a couple may be looking for seclusion
and a holiday that gives them a chance to 'get away
from it all'. Families often need specifi c facilities and
services while on holiday, such as children's activities
and early evening meals. Groups on holiday come in
all shapes and sizes - from a stag night in Prague to a
school party on a skiing trip to the Alps.
Package holidays can be to short-haul or long-haul
destinations. Exact defi nitions vary, but a short-haul
destination is normally considered to be one that can
be reached by air within 3 hours travelling time from the
UK, e.g. Faro in Portugal. A long-haul destination is one
that is typically more than 6 hours fl ying time from the
UK, e.g. Bangkok. Many large tour operators, as well as
smaller travel companies, offer package holidays to a
wide range of destinations across the world.
