Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Private sector agents
FOCUS ON INDUSTRY
You have learned in other units on your course that
the travel and tourism sector is dominated by private
sector businesses, whose primary aim is to make a
profi t. Private sector agents are no different - they
invest their money in providing facilities for tourists in
the expectation of a good return on their investment.
Private sector agents can be single-person operations
or large, global companies and include:
TOUR OPERATORS' INITIATIVE FOR
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
This Initiative was launched by a group of leading
tour operators in 2000 as a way of addressing
the main issues concerned with sustainable
tourism development. It is a voluntary, non-profi t
organisation open to all tour operators regardless
of their size and geographical location. Member
companies, which include TUI/Thomson and
Kuoni Travel, commit themselves to integrating
sustainability into their business practices and to
working together to promote sustainable tourism
in the destinations they serve. The Initiative was
developed with support from the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP), UNESCO and
the World Tourism Organisation, which are also full
members of the Initiative, providing guidance and
advice.
•
Landowners - individuals and companies can make
substantial fi nancial gains when land is needed
for tourism development, e.g. new villa, hotel and
sports complexes;
•
Property developers - take on the risk of overseeing
tourism development projects, e.g. the construction
of a new hotel, development of a tourist attraction,
etc.
•
Tour operators - can signifi cantly increase the
numbers of tourists to an area by including it in their
holiday programmes;
•
Hotel chains - are keen to develop new projects in
Weblink
Check out this website for more
information on the Tour Operators'
Initiative for Sustainable Development.
www.toinitiative.org
destinations with tourism potential;
•
Airlines - play a very important role in tourism
development by starting new routes to destination
airports;
•
Entertainment companies - provide facilities for
•
National tourist organisation - VisitBritain (funded
tourists when in their destination, e.g. clubs, bars,
restaurants, casinos, fi tness suites, etc.
by DCMS - the Department for Culture, Media and
Sport);
Public sector agents
•
Regional tourist board - Heart of England Tourist
Board;
Unlike private sector agents of tourism development,
the public sector is not driven by profi t maximisation,
but has wider social, community and economic
objectives. Public sector agents set the policy for tourism
and aim to create a favourable business climate within
which private sector tourism businesses can operate
successfully and grow. They operate at international,
national, regional and local levels, for example:
•
Local authority tourism department - Worcester
City Council.
National governments
Any country that has a signifi cant tourist industry will
have a government department known as a national
tourist offi ce/organisation (NTO) whose functions
include:
•
International tourist organisation - World Tourism
Organisation (UNWTO);
1.
Establishment of tourism policy - this is usually
the starting point for public sector involvement in
tourism development, when policies and priorities
