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What is a Travel Agency? Types, Purpose, Function, Services

Home » Blog » What is a Travel Agency? Types, Purpose, Function, Services

The travel agency business is now something that most people want to do.

The main purpose of a travel agency is to make planning a trip easier and more useful for their customers by giving them information and making reservations .

Flights, hotels, transportation, trips, and other events can all be booked through the travel company.

If you learn about tour-related ideas and get knowledge from these articles, you’ll be able to start your travel agency in the travel industry. 

Table of Contents

What is a travel agency, 1. traditional travel agencies, 2. online travel agencies, 3. corporate travel operators, 4. consolidators, 5. franchise travel services, 1. convenience, 2. expertise and advice, 3. access to deals and discounts, 4. risk management, 5. customer services, 1. travel planning, 2. booking services, 3. customized itineraries, 4. travel documentation, 5. emergency support, 6. customer services, services offered by travel agency, 1. booking services, 2. information and advice, 3. customer services, 4. negotiation and coordination, differences between travel agencies and travel agents.

A travel agency is a business that helps people and groups choose, plan, and book travel-related services . Flights, hotels, rides, trips, sports, and other things can be a part of these services.

Most travel companies know about a lot of different trips that their clients can take that fit their wants and budgets.

A lot of travel and tour operators also hire people called tour agents who know a lot about important things like visa rules, places to visit, and travel trends. 

They plan and organize everything so that their clients’ trips are as easy, fun, and stress-free as possible.

Explore the beginner’s guide to launch your travel agency

Types of Travel Agency

Several types of travel agencies meet the wants and tastes of different travelers.

These are the most common types related to the travel industry:

These agencies are physical office companies where customers can go and talk to the tour planners. They give specialized services and often a wide range of trip needs.

Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) run the online trip business, where their websites or mobile apps provide tourists with book flights, rooms, rental cars, and other trip services. Expedia and Booking.com are some examples.

The corporate travel service makes trip plans for companies and groups. They take care of bookings for businesses, make deals, and offer services like keeping track of costs.

Consolidators buy a large number of plane tickets at a discount, they sell them at a lower price to travel companies or directly to customers.

Franchise companies work under a bigger brand name and use marketing, technology, and support systems in the travel industry that have already been set up. 

Within the franchise network, owners of travel companies get the training and tools they need to run their businesses.

Purposes of Travel Agency

The main purpose of travel agencies is to facilitate and enhance the tour experiences for individuals and groups. 

Travel companies try to make planning a trip easier by letting people book flights, hotels, transportation, events, and other services related to travel all in one place. 

Trip planners hire knowledgeable agents who can offer expert advice and recommendations based on their suggestions of different places or destinations.

Similarly, travel agents shared their experiences of various destinations, travel trends, visa requirements, and more.

Explore this article “How To Start A Travel Agency In Australia? (8 Steps)”

Airlines, hotels, ship lines, tour operators, and other travel companies often offer deals, discounts, and packages that only travel agencies can get.

They can help customers get the most for their money and save money on their trip costs by taking advantage of deals.

Travel agencies help mitigate risks associated with travel by giving travelers information or knowledge on safety, health issues, and security in different places.

Travel agencies or companies make sure their clients are happy by giving each one of them high-quality service and individual care.

Overall, the travel company’s main goal is to make planning a trip easier, more fun, and less stressful for their costumes by giving them advice, making things easier.

What does Travel Agency do?

Many services travel agencies offer to make it easier and better for people and groups to trip.

One of the things that a travel agency does is the following:

Travel agencies support the client in planning their trips by talking about their tastes, hobbies, income, and any special requirements they may have.  

These companies are called travel agents that help people book flights, hotels, rental cars, airport transfers, trips, events, and other services related to travel. 

They can use online tools and scheduling systems to get reservations for their clients.

Most tour operators make personalized trip plans based on what their clients want and what they’re interested in. 

It supports you on trip documents like passports, visas, travel insurance, and any other paperwork that is needed is available from travel companies. 

Before a client leaves on a trip, they make sure that all of their paperwork is in order.

Travel companies are there to help their customers in case of accidents or other problems that come up during their trip. 

In this case, they might rebook flights, arrange alternative accommodations, or give advice on medical help or legal issues.

Tour Operators prioritize customer happiness first by giving each client great services and individual care.

There are a lot of services travel agencies provide to meet the news and preferences of travelers. 

Trip planner aims to ease the trip planning process, provide expert advice and support, and ensure a smooth and enjoyable travel experience for their clients.

These are some common services provided by travel agencies.

• Flight Booking
• Accommodation Booking
• Transportation Services
• Tour Packages
• Cruise Booking 
• Travel Insurance
• Visa Assistance
• Destination Recommendations
• Emergency Assistance

Overall, the travel agency’s purpose is to ease the trip schedule process, deliver expert advice and support, and provide smooth and enjoyable trip experiences for their customers.

Let’s launch your travel booking website today

Functions of the Travel Agency

Their main function revolves around assisting and arranging various parts of travel and people and groups. 

The purpose of a travel agency is to ease the trip planning process, provide expert advice and support, and improve the entire trip experience for their customers.

Here’s an overview of the key tasks of a travel agency:

Travel agencies handle the planning process for flights, lodgings, transportation, trips, events, and other travel-related services.

Most travel agency provides guidance and formation on different parts of the travel, visa requirements, and health and safety measures. 

Travel companies put customer happiness first by giving each client great service and individual care.

The travel agencies deal with tour operator suppliers, including airlines, trip suppliers, and hotel and tour operators to secure good terms and rates for their clients.

A trip agency is a business company that offers other-related services, while a trip agent is a person hired by or connected with a tour operator who helps clients with their trip planning and bookings. 

These are some key differences between a travel agency and a travel agent.

Explore our article “Tour Operator vs Travel Agent- What are the Differences?”

In summary, travel agencies may have multiple trip agents working under their umbrella to help the clients, while a tour agent may work separately as a part of a bigger company.

Travel companies are essential businesses in the travel industry, acting as intermediaries between tourists and travel providers. They offer a range of services to ease trip planning and booking.

These companies can take the form of standard brick-and-mortar businesses, or online-based platforms. Each type of service responds to different tastes and wants, providing accessibility to a wide range of travel-related customers. 

Regardless of their form, the primary goal of travel companies stays consistent: to provide ease, knowledge, and support throughout the trip process. They give personalized systems to help, access to exclusive deals, and 24/7 assistance before, during, and after the trip.

By offering personalized solutions and reducing travel risks, travel companies play a crucial role in allowing enjoyable and stress-free travel experiences for individuals and groups.

There are two types of agencies, retail tour operators and wholesale travel agencies.  These travel companies, as well as tour providers, operate as intermediaries. The main goal is the buying and selling process in the travel business.

The global market size of the travel agency industry is estimated at nearly 296 billion U.S. dollars as of January 2024. ( Source )

Overall, roughly 589 thousand travel companies operated in the tourism industry, with employment reaching approximately three million.

Yam Bahadur Chhetri is a content writer and vivid contributor to the WordPress community and a WordPress enthusiast with an experience of 7+ years in the relative field. He also loves to develop WordPress Themes, Plugins, and custom WordPress development for clients.

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What Is a Travel Agent? Definition, Role, Responsibilities, and Job Description

A travel agent is a professional who helps people plan and book their trips. They arrange transportation and accommodations. Travel agents offer expert advice and create personalized itineraries based on clients’ needs. They typically earn a commission for their services, improving the overall travel experience.

The responsibilities of a travel agent encompass researching travel options, comparing prices, and securing the best deals. They handle the logistics of travel, making reservations for flights, hotels, and tours. Additionally, travel agents often support clients with changes or emergencies during their trips.

The job description of a travel agent typically includes excellent communication skills, attention to detail, and customer service expertise. They should be knowledgeable about various travel industries, including leisure, business, and corporate travel. Many agents use specialized software to streamline booking processes and track client preferences.

In summary, understanding the role and responsibilities of a travel agent is crucial. Moving forward, we will explore the skills required to excel in this profession, as well as the evolving landscape of travel services in the digital age.

Table of Contents

What Is a Travel Agent?

A travel agent is a professional who assists individuals and groups in planning, booking, and managing travel arrangements. This includes services such as airline tickets, accommodations, tours, and activities.

The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) defines a travel agent as a “professional who provides travel advice, booking services, and other travel-related services to customers.” This underscores the role of travel agents as key facilitators in the travel industry.

Travel agents possess extensive knowledge of destinations and travel logistics. They research options, negotiate prices, and provide personalized recommendations based on clients’ preferences. Additionally, they handle documentation and address potential issues during travel.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), travel agents serve as “key links between travelers and the travel industry.” They streamline the travel experience, saving clients time and effort in planning.

Several factors contribute to the need for travel agents. These include the complexity of travel itineraries, the availability of exclusive deals, and the challenges of navigating travel restrictions.

As of 2022, approximately 43% of travelers used travel agents to plan their trips, as reported by Statista. This trend indicates a growing reliance on professionals for travel planning and a potential increase in their role in the future.

The use of travel agents can lead to improved travel experiences, as they ensure seamless arrangements and prompt assistance during unexpected challenges. This enhances customer satisfaction.

Travel agents impact various dimensions, including economic growth in the travel sector, environmental sustainability through responsible travel options, and social connections by creating shared experiences.

For example, travel agents can promote eco-friendly tours that support local economies while reducing environmental footprints.

To enhance the effectiveness of travel agents, experts recommend ongoing education on emerging travel trends, technology integration, and fostering relationships with clients for personalized service.

Adopting technology solutions like customer relationship management (CRM) software and booking platforms can streamline travel planning and improve customer engagement.

What Role Does a Travel Agent Play in Planning Your Trip?

A travel agent plays a crucial role in planning your trip by providing expert advice, booking services, and customized travel itineraries. They simplify the travel planning process and offer access to resources that enhance your travel experience.

Key roles of a travel agent include: 1. Personalized trip planning 2. Travel bookings 3. Expert destination knowledge 4. Travel insurance options 5. Assistance with travel documentation 6. Customer support during travel 7. Budget management

The breadth of a travel agent’s services contributes to a more streamlined travel experience. Now, let’s explore these roles in detail.

Personalized Trip Planning : A travel agent’s role in personalized trip planning involves assessing a client’s preferences and requirements to design an itinerary tailored to them. They ask questions about interests, budget, and preferred activities. This ensures that the trip aligns with the client’s expectations. For example, a family vacation could involve planning family-friendly activities, while a couple’s getaway may prioritize romantic excursions.

Travel Bookings : Travel agents handle various bookings, including flights, accommodations, and transfers. They leverage industry connections to secure better rates and availability. For instance, agents can negotiate special deals for hotels or exclusive rates for group travel. By managing bookings, they save clients the hassle of navigating multiple platforms.

Expert Destination Knowledge : Agents possess valuable knowledge about destinations. They stay updated on tourism trends, cultural highlights, and potential travel disruptions. For example, an agent can advise on the best time to visit a location or suggest off-the-beaten-path attractions that align with a client’s interests.

Travel Insurance Options : Travel agents assist clients in selecting appropriate travel insurance. They explain the different coverage types, from trip cancellation to medical emergencies. By evaluating individual travel risks, agents help clients mitigate potential financial losses related to unforeseen events. Data from the U.S. Travel Insurance Association indicates that travel insurance can protect against losses for 44% of travelers who purchase it.

Assistance with Travel Documentation : Agents help clients understand and obtain necessary travel documentation, including visas and passports. They guide travelers through requirements specific to each destination. For instance, a travel agent may highlight the need for a visa for travelers heading to certain countries, thus preventing last-minute travel disruptions.

Customer Support During Travel : A travel agent provides support during the trip, serving as a point of contact for clients. Should issues arise—such as flight cancellations or changes in itineraries—they can step in to facilitate solutions. This ongoing support can be crucial in ensuring a stress-free experience.

Budget Management : Agents help in creating and maintaining travel budgets. They can provide cost-effective options without compromising quality. Budgeting also involves advising clients on the best value-for-money experiences and activities available at the destination.

In summary, a travel agent enhances the travel planning process through personalized services, expert knowledge, and ongoing support, making them valuable partners in your travel experiences.

What Are the Key Responsibilities of a Travel Agent?

The key responsibilities of a travel agent include planning, booking, and managing travel arrangements for clients.

• Consultation with clients
• Researching travel options
• Booking travel services
• Providing travel documentation
• Offering travel insurance
• Providing destination information
• Assisting with itinerary changes
• Handling payments and expenses

The role of a travel agent encompasses various tasks that ensure clients have a smooth travel experience.

Consultation with Clients: Travel agents consult with clients to understand their travel preferences and needs. This includes discussing destinations, budget, duration, and activities. Agents may use questionnaires or interviews to gather this information, which allows them to tailor travel options accordingly. A well-known study by the U.S. Travel Association reported that 86% of travelers prefer consulting with a travel agent for customized experiences.

Researching Travel Options: Travel agents research travel options, including flights, hotels, and activities. They utilize travel databases and networks to compare prices and availability. The efficiency in finding the best deals saves clients both time and money. Agents often visit destinations themselves to gain firsthand knowledge, enabling them to provide valuable insights to clients.

Booking Travel Services: Travel agents book travel services on behalf of clients. This includes securing reservations for flights, accommodations, car rentals, and tours. They leverage their relationships with suppliers for better rates and benefits. According to the American Society of Travel Advisors, clients booking through agents save an average of 15% on travel-related expenses.

Providing Travel Documentation: Travel agents provide necessary travel documentation, such as tickets, itineraries, and visa information. They ensure that all documents are accurate and delivered to clients promptly. This reduces the stress of last-minute arrangements for travelers. The U.S. Department of State emphasizes the importance of having proper documentation to avoid complications during travel.

Offering Travel Insurance: Travel agents offer travel insurance options to protect clients against unforeseen circumstances. This includes coverage for trip cancellations, medical emergencies, and lost luggage. A report by the Insurance Information Institute indicates that travelers who purchase insurance can significantly reduce their financial risk.

Providing Destination Information: Travel agents provide essential information about destinations, including local customs, weather, and attractions. They may create travel guides or recommend popular sites and activities. According to the Travel Industry Association, travelers appreciate these insights, which enhance the travel experience and improve safety.

Assisting with Itinerary Changes: Travel agents assist clients with itinerary changes due to unexpected events, like flight delays or cancellations. They have the expertise to quickly pivot and find alternative solutions. The International Air Transport Association noted that working with an agent can minimize disruptions during travel.

Handling Payments and Expenses: Travel agents handle all payment transactions for travel bookings. They ensure that clients are informed about deposit amounts, payment deadlines, and any additional fees. Efficient payment management leads to satisfied clients who appreciate the transparency in their financial commitments.

How Does a Travel Agent Facilitate Booking Travel Arrangements?

A travel agent facilitates booking travel arrangements by providing expertise and personalized service. They begin by consulting with clients to understand their travel preferences and budgets. This step ensures that the agent gathers relevant information to make informed recommendations.

Next, the travel agent researches various travel options, including flights, accommodations, and activities. They compare different providers to find the best deals and suitable choices for the client. This research involves checking availability, prices, and amenities.

After narrowing down the options, the travel agent presents a tailored itinerary to the client. They explain each choice clearly and address any questions or concerns the client may have. This step builds trust and ensures the client feels confident in their travel plans.

Once the client approves the itinerary, the travel agent handles the booking process. They secure reservations for flights, hotels, and any additional services. This step reduces the hassle for the client and provides them with peace of mind.

Finally, the travel agent provides the client with all necessary documentation and information about their trip. This includes tickets, confirmations, and travel tips. Throughout the process, the travel agent offers support and can assist with any changes or issues that arise. Overall, travel agents simplify the travel planning process and enhance the client’s experience by managing all aspects of booking arrangements.

In What Ways Can a Travel Agent Provide Expert Destination Advice?

A travel agent can provide expert destination advice in several ways. First, they conduct thorough research on various destinations. This research includes understanding local cultures, customs, and attractions. Second, they build relationships with local partners. These partnerships help them gain insights and recommendations that are not available to the general public. Third, they consider the traveler’s preferences. A skilled travel agent tailors suggestions based on individual interests, such as adventure, relaxation, or cultural experiences.

Additionally, travel agents stay updated on travel trends. They attend industry events and training to learn about new destinations and services. This knowledge allows them to offer relevant and timely advice. Furthermore, they can share practical tips. This includes information on the best time to visit, local cuisines to try, or hidden gems to explore.

Finally, travel agents provide personalized itineraries. They create detailed plans that include accommodations, activities, and transportation. This comprehensive approach ensures that travelers enjoy a seamless experience. Together, these strategies enable travel agents to offer valuable and expert destination advice.

How Does a Travel Agent Manage Travel Emergencies?

Travel agents manage travel emergencies by following a systematic approach. First, they assess the situation to understand the nature of the emergency, whether it involves flight cancellations, medical issues, or lost luggage. Next, they communicate with clients to gather necessary details and clarify their immediate needs.

Then, they contact travel suppliers, such as airlines, hotels, or rental car companies. This step involves finding alternative arrangements for clients as quickly as possible. Agents often have access to resources and contacts that can expedite the process, such as direct phone lines or dedicated support teams.

After securing new travel plans, travel agents inform the clients about the changes, providing all necessary details for their journey. They also offer guidance on any additional steps the clients must take, such as obtaining medical assistance or filing insurance claims.

In case of a medical emergency, travel agents coordinate with local healthcare providers to ensure clients receive prompt medical attention. They maintain ongoing communication with affected clients to provide support and updates.

The final step involves documenting the emergency response. Travel agents keep detailed records of the incident to help assess any future risks and improve response processes.

Through these steps, travel agents effectively manage travel emergencies, ensuring client safety and satisfaction.

What Skills Are Essential for a Successful Travel Agent?

The essential skills for a successful travel agent include a mix of customer service, organization, and industry knowledge. These skills allow agents to effectively plan and execute travel plans for their clients.

Key Skills Required for Travel Agents: 1. Excellent customer service skills 2. Strong communication abilities 3. Organizational skills 4. Knowledge of travel destinations 5. Proficiency in computer literacy 6. Understanding of travel regulations 7. Ability to work under pressure 8. Sales and marketing skills 9. Problem-solving capabilities

To fully appreciate the nuances of these skills, let us explore each one in detail.

Excellent Customer Service Skills : Travel agents with excellent customer service skills are able to build strong relationships with clients. This skill involves providing assistance, responding promptly to inquiries, and resolving issues to ensure a positive travel experience. According to a survey by the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA, 2020), 76% of clients rated personal interaction with travel agents as a key factor in their satisfaction.

Strong Communication Abilities : Strong communication skills help travel agents convey complex travel information clearly. Agents must explain travel itineraries, make recommendations, and negotiate with suppliers. The National Association of Career Travel Agents emphasizes that effective communication is crucial for understanding client needs and providing tailored solutions.

Organizational Skills : Travel agents must manage multiple bookings and itineraries simultaneously. Organizational skills help agents keep track of various travel details and deadlines. According to a report by Travel Leaders Group, organized agents significantly reduce the chance of errors that could impact a client’s travel plans.

Knowledge of Travel Destinations : Successful travel agents possess in-depth knowledge of various travel destinations, including cultural, historical, and recreational aspects. This knowledge allows agents to provide valuable insights and recommendations based on client preferences. A study by the Travel Industry Association states that agents with destination expertise can enhance the travel experience and boost client loyalty.

Proficiency in Computer Literacy : Travel agents must be proficient in using booking systems, databases, and other travel technology tools. This proficiency enables them to research flights, accommodations, and travel packages efficiently. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) emphasizes that technology competency is essential for staying competitive in the travel industry.

Understanding of Travel Regulations : Travel agents must understand the legal and regulatory requirements related to travel, such as visa regulations, passport requirements, and health advisories. Knowledge of these regulations helps agents ensure compliance and avoids complications for clients. The U.S. Department of State highlights that knowledgeable agents reduce travel-related risks.

Ability to Work Under Pressure : Travel agents often face fast-paced environments and tight deadlines. The ability to work under pressure helps them manage stress effectively while delivering excellent service. A study by Cornell University found that agents who thrive under pressure foster better client relationships and trust.

Sales and Marketing Skills : Travel agents must possess strong sales and marketing abilities to promote travel packages and services effectively. This skill involves understanding client needs, presenting compelling offers, and closing deals. The Travel Industry Association reported that agents with sales expertise generate higher revenues for their agencies.

Problem-Solving Capabilities : Travel agents encounter various challenges that require quick and effective problem-solving skills. This capability enables them to find alternative solutions and ensure client satisfaction during unexpected situations. According to research by the U.S. Travel Association, agents adept at problem-solving enhance the overall travel experience for their clients.

These essential skills contribute to the success of travel agents and directly impact their ability to serve clients efficiently and effectively.

What Does a Typical Job Description for a Travel Agent Include?

A typical job description for a travel agent includes various key responsibilities and qualifications essential for the role.

• Client Consultation
• Travel Planning
• Booking Arrangements
• Budget Management
• Destination Knowledge
• Customer Service
• Sales Skills
• Travel Regulations Knowledge
• Technology Utilization

These responsibilities require a broad understanding of the travel industry and various customer needs.

Client Consultation : Client consultation involves meeting with clients to understand their travel preferences and requirements. Travel agents assess clients’ needs to personalize travel experiences. This step helps agents provide tailored recommendations, ensuring satisfaction and better customer experiences.

Travel Planning : Travel planning entails creating customized itineraries. Agents suggest destinations, activities, and accommodations based on client interests. For example, a travel agent might plan a romantic getaway, incorporating fine dining and scenic locations to cater to the client’s preferences.

Booking Arrangements : Booking arrangements consist of securing flights, hotels, and activities. Travel agents use specialized software to search for the best deals. According to a 2021 report by the American Society of Travel Advisors, agents often have access to exclusive discounts that clients cannot find independently.

Budget Management : Budget management requires agents to work within client budgets while providing suggested options. Travel agents help clients maximize their experiences without overspending, often advising on the best value offers available in the market.

Destination Knowledge : Destination knowledge encompasses understanding various travel locations, cultures, and logistics. Agents must stay updated on travel trends and emerging tourist hotspots. This knowledge plays a crucial role in generating recommendations that resonate with clients.

Customer Service : Customer service is essential in assisting clients before, during, and after travel. Travel agents address issues like scheduling conflicts and emergency changes. Providing excellent customer service can lead to repeat business and referrals, a vital aspect of the travel industry.

Sales Skills : Sales skills involve the ability to promote travel packages effectively. Successful travel agents use persuasive communication and negotiation to close sales. A 2022 study published by Travel Weekly noted that agents with strong sales skills often exceed their sales targets.

Travel Regulations Knowledge : Travel regulations knowledge includes staying informed about visa requirements, travel advisories, and safety protocols. Agents help clients navigate these complexities, providing necessary guidance to ensure smooth travel experiences.

Technology Utilization : Technology utilization means using tools like booking systems and travel apps for efficiency. Modern travel agents often leverage online platforms to manage bookings and communicate with clients, ensuring swift service delivery.

In conclusion, a comprehensive job description for a travel agent reflects the varied responsibilities and qualifications necessary for success in the travel industry. Each aspect plays a significant role in shaping customer experiences and business growth.

What Continuing Education and Certifications Should a Travel Agent Consider?

Continuing education and certifications that a travel agent should consider include industry-specific training and personal development courses. These enhance skills and improve career prospects.

• Certified Travel Associate (CTA)
• Certified Travel Counselor (CTC)
• Accredited Travel Agency (ATA)
• Destination Specialist Programs
• Travel and Tourism Management Degree
• Online Courses and Workshops
• Social Media Marketing for Travel Agents

Emphasizing the importance of these certifications, let’s explore each type in detail.

Certified Travel Associate (CTA) : The CTA certification focuses on enhancing sales skills and destination knowledge. This program is suited for new agents or those looking to improve fundamental skills in the travel industry. Completion can lead to better job opportunities and professional recognition.

Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) : CTC is aimed at experienced agents. This certification focuses on advanced business practices and client relationship management. It helps agents develop expertise in specialized travel fields, enabling them to cater to diverse client needs effectively.

Accredited Travel Agency (ATA) : ATA accreditation signifies that a travel agency meets certain professional standards. This can provide credibility to the agency, attracting more clients. The accreditation process typically requires agencies to meet criteria regarding experience, training, and ethical practices.

Destination Specialist Programs : Many organizations offer destination specialist programs. These programs equip agents with in-depth knowledge about specific locations, enhancing their ability to advise clients. Knowledge of destination-specific regulations, culture, and attractions is vital for providing exceptional service.

Travel and Tourism Management Degree : Pursuing a degree in travel and tourism management is beneficial for those aspiring to advance in the industry. This degree covers essential topics like marketing, finance, and operations. It lays a solid groundwork for a long-term career in various sectors of the travel industry.

Online Courses and Workshops : Various platforms offer online courses tailored for travel agents. These courses cover diverse topics, such as booking software, customer service, and business management. Flexibility and accessibility make these courses valuable for continuous learning.

Social Media Marketing for Travel Agents : As digital marketing grows in importance, agents should consider learning social media strategies. This knowledge helps them promote their services effectively and engage with clients. A solid social media presence is crucial for attracting and retaining clients in a competitive market.

What Are the Career Growth Opportunities for Travel Agents?

Career growth opportunities for travel agents include various paths that can lead to advancement within the industry.

• Specialization in niche markets
• Management roles in travel agencies
• Starting a travel agency
• Roles in travel consultancy
• Career in tourism marketing
• Opportunities in event planning
• Travel technology roles
• Education and training opportunities

These opportunities reflect diverse aspects of the travel industry. Each path requires different skills and expertise, appealing to various interests and strengths.

Specialization in Niche Markets : Specializing in niche markets allows travel agents to focus on specific segments, such as luxury, adventure, or eco-tourism. This specialization enhances their credibility and can lead to higher commissions. According to a report by Statista (2022), niche travel agents experience faster growth compared to generalists as more travelers look for personalized experiences tailored to their unique preferences.

Management Roles in Travel Agencies : Management positions within travel agencies involve overseeing operations, training staff, and ensuring customer satisfaction. Agents aspiring for these roles should demonstrate leadership and business acumen. A study by the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) in 2021 highlighted that effective management can increase agency profitability by up to 20%.

Starting a Travel Agency : Experienced travel agents may choose to start their own agency. This move requires entrepreneurial skills and knowledge of business management. Reporting from IBISWorld (2023) states that the travel agency industry is expected to grow steadily, presenting opportunities for new businesses to thrive in specialized areas.

Roles in Travel Consultancy : Travel consultants provide expert advice and personalized travel planning services. Those in this role often have extensive industry knowledge. As demand for tailored travel experiences rises, consultants can benefit from stronger client relationships and higher fees.

Career in Tourism Marketing : Travel agents can transition into tourism marketing roles, promoting destinations and services. This shift often requires marketing and digital communication skills. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) indicates that effective marketing strategies can significantly impact destination popularity and visitation rates.

Opportunities in Event Planning : Travel agents can expand their skills to include event planning, organizing conferences, and weddings. This dual-focus can attract a broader client base, as many travelers seek help with major life events. The Event Marketing Institute (2020) notes that over 70% of event planners report high satisfaction in their careers, making it a lucrative path.

Travel Technology Roles : As technology evolves, travel agents can pursue roles that focus on travel booking systems and online platforms. This requires technical skill and knowledge of software used in the industry. A 2021 report by Phocuswright mentions that travel technology roles are in high demand, with significant job growth projected in this sector.

Education and Training Opportunities : Travel agents may also consider pursuing additional education or industry certifications to enhance their skills and marketability. Organizations like the Travel Institute offer professional development programs. Research by the Institute predicts that agents with advanced certifications can earn up to 25% more than non-certified peers.

These career growth opportunities provide travel agents with various paths to refine their expertise and achieve professional success.

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Chapter 7. Travel Services

Heather Knowles and Morgan Westcott

Learning Objectives

• Describe the key characteristics of the travel services sector
• Define key travel services terminology
• Differentiate between types of reservation systems and booking channels
• Discuss the impacts of online travel agents on consumers and the sector
• Identify key travel services and organizations in Canada and British Columbia
• Explain the importance of additional tourism services not covered under NAICS
• Describe key trends and issues in travel services worldwide

The travel services sector is made up of a complex web of relationships between a variety of suppliers, tourism products, destination marketing organizations, tour operators, and travel agents, among many others. Under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), travel services comprises businesses and functions that assist with planning and reserving components of the visitor experience (Government of Canada, 2014).

Before we move on, let’s explore the term travel services a little more. As detailed in Chapter 1, Canada, the United States, and Mexico all use NAICS guidelines, which define the tourism industry as consisting of transportation, accommodation, food and beverage, recreation and entertainment, and travel services.

For many years, however, the tourism industry was classified into eight sectors: accommodations, adventure and recreation, attractions, events and conferences, food and beverage, tourism services, transportation, and travel trade (Yukon Department of Tourism and Culture, 2013). As you can see, most of these — from accommodations to food and beverage — remain virtually the same under NAICS and have been covered thus far in this textbook.

Tourism services support industry development and the delivery of guest experiences, and some of these are missing from the NAICS classification. To ensure you have a complete picture of the tourism industry in BC, this chapter will cover both the NAICS travel services activities and some additional tourism services.

First, we’ll review the components of travel services as identified under NAICS, exploring the function of each area and ways they interact:

• Travel agencies
• Online travel agencies (OTAs)
• Tour operators
• Destination marketing organizations (DMOs)
• Other organizations

Following these definitions and descriptions, we’ll take a look at some other support functions that fall under tourism services. These include sector organizations, tourism and hospitality human resources organizations, training providers, educational institutions, government branches and ministries, economic development and city planning offices, and consultants.

Finally, we’ll look at issues and trends in travel services, both at home, and abroad.

Components of Travel Services

While the application of travel services functions are structured somewhat differently around the world, there are a few core types of travel services in every destination. Essentially, travel services are those processes used by guests to book components of their trip. Let’s explore these services in more detail.

Travel Agencies

A travel agency is a business that operates as the intermediary between the travel industry (supplier) and the traveller (purchaser). Part of the role of the travel agency is to market prepackaged travel tours and holidays to potential travellers. The agency can further function as a broker between the traveller and hotels, car rentals, and tour companies (Goeldner & Ritchie, 2003). Travel agencies can be small and privately owned or part of a larger entity.

A travel agent is the direct point of contact for a traveller who is researching and intending to purchase packages and experiences through an agency. Travel agents can specialize in certain types of travel including specific destinations; outdoor adventures; and backpacking, rail, cruise, cycling, or culinary tours, to name a few. These specializations can help travellers when they require advice about their trips. Some travel agents operate at a fixed address and others offer services both online and at a bricks-and-mortar location. Travellers are then able to have face-to-face conversations with their agents and also reach them by phone or by email. Travel agents usually have a specialized diploma or certificate in travel agent/travel services (go2HR, 2014).

Today, travellers have the option of researching and booking everything they need online without the help of a travel agent. As technology and the internet are increasingly being used to market destinations, people can now choose to book tours with a particular agency or agent, or they can be fully independent travellers (FITs) , creating their own itineraries.

Online Travel Agents (OTAs)

Increasing numbers of FITs are turning to online travel agents (OTAs) , companies that aggregate accommodations and transportation options and allow users to choose one or many components of their trip based on price or other incentives. Examples of OTAs include Booking.com, Expedia.ca, Hotwire.com, and Kayak.com. OTAs are gaining popularity with the travelling public; in 2012, they reported online sales of almost $100 billion (Carey, Kang, & Zea, 2012) and almost triple that figure, upward of $278 billion, in 2013 ( The Economist , 2014).

In early 2015 Expedia purchased Travelocity for $280 million, merging two of the world’s largest travel websites. Expedia became the owner of Hotels.com, Hotwire, Egencia, and Travelocity brands, facing its major competition from Priceline (Alba, 2015).

Although OTAs can provide lower-cost travel options to travellers and the freedom to plan and reserve when they choose, they have posed challenges for the tourism industry and travel services infrastructure. As evidenced by the merger of Expedia and Travelocity, the majority of popular OTA sites are owned by just a few companies, causing some concern over lack of competition between brands. Additionally, many OTAs charge accommodation providers and operators a commission to be listed in their inventory system. Commission-based services, as applied by Kayak, Expedia, Hotwire, Hotels.com, and others, can have an impact on smaller operators who cannot afford to pay commissions for multiple online inventories (Carey, Kang & Zea, 2012). Being excluded from listings can decrease the marketing reach of the product to potential travellers, which is a challenge when many service providers in the tourism industry are small or medium-sized businesses with budgets to match.

Finally, governments are stepping in as they see OTAs as a barrier to collecting full tax revenues on accommodations and transportations sold in their jurisdictions. OTAs frequently charge taxes on the retail price of the component; however, they purchase these products at a discount, remitting only the portion collected on the lesser amount to the government. In other words, the OTA pockets the difference between taxes collected and taxes remitted (Associated Press, 2014).

Some believe this practice shortchanges the destination that is ultimately responsible for delivering the tourism experience. These communities rely on tax revenue to pay for infrastructure related to the visitor experience. Recent lawsuits, including one by the state of Montana against a group of OTAs, have highlighted this challenge. To date, the courts have sided with OTAs, sending the message that these companies are not responsible for collecting tax on behalf of government (Associated Press, 2014).

While the industry and communities struggle to keep up with the changing dynamics of travel sales, travellers are adapting to this new world order. One of these adaptations is the ever-increasing use of mobile devices for travel booking. The Expedia Future of Travel Report found that 49% of travellers from the millennial generation (which includes those born between 1980 and 1999) use mobile devices to book travel (Expedia Inc., 2014), and these numbers are expected to continue to increase. Travel agencies are reacting by developing personalized features for digital travellers and mobile user platforms (ETC Digital, 2014). With the number of smartphones users expected to reach 1.75 billion in 2014 (CWT Travel Management Institute, 2014) these agencies must adapt as demand dictates.

A key feature of travel agencies’ mobile services (and to a growing extent transportation carriers) includes the ability to have up-to-date itinerary changes and information sent directly to their phone (Amadeus, 2014). By using mobile platforms that can develop customized, up-to-date travel itineraries for clients, agencies and operators are able to provide a personal touch, ideally increasing customer satisfaction rates.

Take a Closer Look: Expedia – The Future of Travel Report

Expedia is the largest online travel agency in the world. Formed in 1996, Expedia Inc. now oversees a variety of online travel booking companies. Together they provide travellers with the option to book flights, hotels, tours, and transportation through mobile or desktop online functions. For more on Expedia’s thoughts on the future of travel, read its report at Expedia’s report on the Future of Travel : http://expediablog.co.uk/The-Future-of-Travel/

Despite the growth and demand for OTAs, travel agencies are still in demand by leisure travellers (Hotel Marketing, 2013). The same is true for business travellers, especially in markets such as China and Latin America. Business clients in these emerging markets place a premium on “high-touch” services, such as paper tickets delivered by hand, and in-person reservations services (BTN Group, 2014).

Tour Operators

A tour operator packages all or most of the components of an offered trip and then sells them to the traveller. These packages can also be sold through retail outlets or travel agencies (CATO, 2014; Goeldner & Ritchie, 2003). Tour operators work closely with hotels, transportation providers, and attractions in order to purchase large volumes of each component and package these at a better rate than the traveller could if purchasing individually. Tour operators generally sell to the leisure market.

Inbound, Outbound, and Receptive Tour Operators

Tour operators may be inbound, outbound, or receptive:

• Inbound tour operators  bring travellers into a country as a group or through individual tour packages (e.g., a package from China to visit Canada).
• Outbound tour operators work within a country to take travellers to other countries (e.g., a package from Canada to the United Kingdom).
• Receptive tour operators (RTOs) are not travel agents, and they do not operate the tours. They represent the various products of tourism suppliers to tour operators in other markets in a business-to-business (B2B) relationship. Receptive tour operators are key to selling packages to overseas markets (Destination BC, 2014) and creating awareness around possible product.

Destination Marketing Organizations

Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) include national tourism boards, state/provincial tourism offices, and community convention and visitor bureaus around the world. DMOs promote “the long-term development and marketing of a destination, focusing on convention sales, tourism marketing and service” (DMAI, 2014).

Spotlight On: Destination Marketing Association International

Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) is the global trade association for official DMOs. It is made up of over 600 official DMOs in 15 countries around the world. DMAI provides its members with information, resources, research, networking opportunities, professional development, and certification programs. For more information, visit the Destination Marketing Association International website : www.destinationmarketing.org

With the proliferation of other planning and booking channels, including OTAs, today’s DMOs are shifting away from travel services functions and placing a higher priority on destination management components.

Working Together

One way tour operators, DMOs, and travel agents work together is by participating in familiarization tours (FAMs for short). These are usually hosted by the local DMO and include visits to different tour operators within a region. FAM attendees can be media, travel agents, RTO representatives, and tour operator representatives. FAMs are frequently low to no cost for the guests as the purpose is to orient them to the tour product or experience so they can promote or sell it to potential guests.

Other Organizations

The majority of examples in this chapter so far have pertained to leisure travellers. There are, however, specialty organizations that deal specifically with business trips.

Spotlight On: Global Business Travel Association  Canada

Internationally, the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) represents over 7,000 business travel agents and corporate travel and meeting managers who collectively manage over $340 billion in business travel and meetings each year (GBTA, 2014). The Canadian chapter, headquartered in Ontario, holds annual events and shares resources on its website. For more information, visit the Global Business Travel Association : www.gbta.org/Canada/

Business Travel Planning and Reservations

Unlike leisure trips, which are generally planned and booked by end consumers using their choice of tools, business travel often involves a travel management company, or its online tools. Travel managers negotiate with suppliers and ensure that all the trip components are cost effective and comply with the policies of the organization.

Many business travel planners rely on global distribution systems (GDS) to price and plan components. GDS combine information from a group of suppliers, such as airlines. In the past, this has created a chain of information from the supplier to GDS to the travel management company. Today, however, there is a push from airlines (through the International Air Transport Association’s Resolution 787) to dissolve the GDS model and forge direct relationships with buyers (BTN Group, 2014).

Destination Management Companies

According to the Association of Destination Management Executives (ADME), a destination management company (DMC)  specializes in designing and implementing corporate programs, including “events, activities, tours, transportation and program logistics” (ADME, 2014). The packages produced by DMCs are extraordinary experiences rather than general business trips. These are typically used as employee incentives, corporate retreats, product launches, and loyalty programs. DMCs are the one point of contact for the client corporation, arranging for airfare, airport transfers, ground transportation, meals, special activities, and special touches such as branded signage, gifts, and decor (ADME, 2014). The end user is simply given (or awarded) the package and then liaises with the DMC to ensure particular arrangements meet his or her needs and schedule.

As you can see, travel services range from online to personal, and from leisure to business applications. Now that you have a general sense of the components of travel services, let’s look at some examples in Canada and BC.

Travel Services in Canada and BC

In British Columbia and elsewhere in Canada, many agencies are members of the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA) . ACTA is an industry-led, membership-based organization that aims to ensure customers have professional and meaningful counselling. Membership is optional, but it does offer the benefit of ensuring customers receive the required services and that the travel agencies have a membership board for reference and industry resources (ACTA, 2014).

Spotlight On: Travel CUTS Travel Agency

Travel CUTS is 100% Canadian owned and operated. As a student, you may have seen its locations on or around campus. With a primary audience of postsecondary students, professors, and alumni, Travel CUTS specializes in backpack-style travel to a variety of destinations. It is a full-service travel agency that can help find flights for travel, book tours with a variety of companies including GAdventures or Intrepid Travel, assist in booking hostels or hotels, and even help with the SWAP overseas VISA program. For more information, visit Travel CUTS : www.travelcuts.com

Although travel agencies may be located in a specific community, the agencies and their representatives may operate internationally, within Canada, within BC, or across regions. In Vancouver alone there are over 500 travel agencies available to the searching traveller (Travel Agents in BC, 2014). Examples of some of the more recognized larger travel agencies and agents operating in BC include the British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA), Marlin Travel, and Flight Centre.

Many different types of tour operators work across BC and Canada. Tour operators can specialize in any sector or a combination of sectors. A company may focus on ski experiences, as is the case with Destination Snow, or perhaps wine tours in the Okanagan, which is the specialty of Distinctly Kelowna Tours. These operators specialize in one area but there are others that work with many different service providers.

Spotlight On: Canadian Association of Tour Operators

The Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO) is a membership-based organization that serves as the voice of the tour operator segment and engages in professional development and networking in the sector. For more information, visit the Canadian Association of Tour Operators : www.cato.ca

Tour operators can vary in size, niche market, and operation capacity (time of year). An example of a niche BC tour operator is Prince of Whales Whale Watching in Victoria. Prince of Whales offers specialty whale-watching tours year-round in a variety of boat sizes, working with the local DMO and other local booking agents to sell tours as part of packages or as a stand-alone service to travellers. It also works to sell its product directly to the potential traveller through its website, reservation number, and in-person sales agents (Prince of Whales, 2014).

Examples of large RTOs representing Canada internationally include Jonview or CanTours. Operators of all kinds frequently work closely with a number of destination marketing organizations, as evidenced during Canada’s West Marketplace, which is a trade marketplace hosted by Destination BC and Travel Alberta. Each year the location of the marketplace alternates between Alberta and BC (past locations have included Kelowna and Canmore). This event provides an opportunity for Alberta and BC sellers (tour operators, local accommodation, activities, and DMOs) to sell their products to international RTOs who in turn work with international tour operators and travel agents to repackage the travel products. In a span of 10-minute sessions, sellers market and promote their products in hopes of having an RTO pick up the package for future years.

On a national scale, Rendez-vous Canada is a tourism marketplace presented by the Canadian Tourism Commission that brings together more than 1,500 tourism professionals from around the world for a series of 12- minute sessions where they can learn more about Canadian tours and related services (Canadian Tourism Commission, 2015).

Let’s now look a little closer at the role of BC destination marketing organizations (DMOs) in providing travel services.

At the national level, the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) is responsible for strategic marketing of the country. It works with industry and government while providing resources for small and medium-sized businesses in the form of toolkits. In BC, there a variety of travel service providers available to help with the planning process including Destination BC/HelloBC, regional destination marketing organizations (RDMOs), and local DMOs.

Destination BC/HelloBC

HelloBC is the official travel service platform of Destination BC, British Columbia’s provincial DMO. HelloBC.com offers access to festival activities, accommodation, transportation options, and trip ideas. This website is complemented by a social media presence through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (HelloBC, 2014a). Although the online resources are highly detailed, visitors also have the option of ordering a paper copy of the BC Travel Guide .

To assist with trip planning, HelloBC features a booking agent system, offering discounts and special deals created in partnership with operators. Although the site can process these value-added components, it does not handle accommodation bookings, instead directing the interested party to the reservation system of a chosen provider.

In addition to operating HelloBC, Destination BC also oversees a network of 136 Visitor Centres that can be identified by the blue and yellow logo. These are a source of itinerary information for the FIT and a purchase point for travellers wishing to book trip components (HelloBC, 2014b).

Regional Destination Marketing Organizations

BC is divided into five regional destination marketing organizations, or RDMOs : Vancouver Island, Thompson Okanagan, Northern British Columbia, Cariboo Chilcotin Coast and the Kootenay Rockies (HelloBC, 2014c). Along with Destination BC, these RDMOs work to market their particular region.

Housed within the HelloBC online platform, each RDMO has an online presence and travel guide specific to the region as well as a regional social media presence. These guides are important as they allow regional operators to participate in the guide and consumer website in order to encourage visitation to the area and build their tourism operations.

Take a Closer Look: BC’s Regional DMOs

For more information on each RMDO, visit the following consumer and industry sites:

Vancouver Island Consumer: Vancouver Island : www.hellobc.com/vancouver-island.aspx Industry: Vancouver Island : www.tourismvi.ca

Thompson Okanagan Consumer: Okanagan : www.hellobc.com/thompson-okanagan.aspx Industry: Okanagan : www.totabc.org/corporateSite/

Northern British Columbia Consumer: Northern BC : www.hellobc.com/northern-british-columbia.aspx Industry: Northern BC : www.travelnbc.com/

Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Consumer: Cariboo Chilcotin Coast : www.hellobc.com/cariboo-chilcotin-coast.aspx Industry: Cariboo Chilcotin Coast : www.landwithoutlimits.com/

Kootenay Rockies Consumer: Kootenay Rockies : www.hellobc.com/kootenay-rockies.aspx Industry: Kootenay Rockies : www.krtourism.ca/

Community Destination Marketing Organizations

Community destination marketing organizations (CDMOs) are responsible for marketing a specific destination or area, such as Whistler or Kimberley. Travel services typically offered include hotel search engines, specific destination packages and offers, discounts, events and festival listings, and other information of interest to potential visitors. In the absence of a CDMO, sometimes these services are provided by the local chamber of commerce or economic development office.

Spotlight On: Tourism Tofino 

Tourism Tofino is the local DMO for the Tofino area, located on the west side of Vancouver Island. Tofino is a destination region that attracts travellers to Pacific Rim National Park, surfing opportunities, storm watching, and the Pacific Ocean. As part of its marketing tactics, Tourism Tofino offers visitors key planning tools on the landing site. To encourage shoulder season visitation, storm-watching deals are highlighted, which also allows visitors to inquire directly with the accommodation provider and/or tour operator. For more information, visit Tourism Tofino : www.tourismtofino.com

Complementing BC’s Visitor Centre network mentioned earlier, local visitor centres are managed by individual communities. Visitor centres may be housed in gateway buildings at strategic locations, in historic or cultural buildings, or at an office located in town. They are designed to provide general information to travellers and may include other services such as booking hotels, free Wi-Fi, and help from a visitor information counsellor (SGSEP, 2012).

Other Systems and Organizations

A number of customized and targeted reservation systems are used by BC DMOs and other organizations. One example is the BC campground reservation online booking systems. BC Parks, Parks Canada, and private campground operators all use different proprietary reservation systems. Both BC Parks and Parks Canada reservation systems open on a specific date in the spring for bookings later in the year. These systems let visitors review what a site looks like through photos or video and pick which site they would like to book in the campground. Many campgrounds also offer a first-come-first-served system, as well as overflow sites, to accommodate visitors who may not have reserved a site.

In the business market, there are several companies in BC and Canada that facilitate planning and booking. Concur is an example of a travel management company widely used in British Columbia and Canada by organizations including CIBC, Kellogg’s, and Pentax. It provides services including trip planning software for use by employees, expense and invoicing software for use by managers, and a mobile application that ensures clients can take the technology on the go. Its services have contributed to client savings, such as reducing the travel expenses for one client by almost one-fifth in their first year of use in Ontario (Concur, 2014).

BC is home to several DMCs including Cantrav, Pacific Destination Services, and Rare Indigo (Tourism Vancouver, 2014). All offer event services as well as turnkey operations (where all logistics are handled by the DMC and invoiced to the corporation).

So far we’ve looked at travel services as defined by NAICS. Next let’s have a closer look at additional services generally considered to be part of the tourism economy.

Tourism Services

Many organizations can have a hand in tourism development. These include:

• Sector-specific associations
• Tourism and hospitality human resources organizations
• Training providers
• Educational institutions
• Government branches and ministries in land use, planning, development, environmental, transportation, and other related fields
• Economic development and city planning offices

Consultants

The rest of this section describes Canadian and BC-based examples of these.

Sector-Specific Associations

Numerous not-for-profit and arm’s-length organizations drive the growth of specific segments of our industry. Examples of these associations can be found throughout this textbook in the Spotlight On features, and include groups like:

• BC Hotel Association
• Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC
• Restaurants Canada

These can serve as regulatory bodies, advocacy agencies, certification providers, and information sources.

Tourism and Hospitality Human Resource Support

The Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) is a national sector council responsible for best practice research, training, and other professional development support on behalf of the 174,000 tourism businesses and the 1.75 million people employed in tourism-related occupations across the country. In BC, an organization called go2HR serves to educate employers on attracting, training, and retaining employees, as well as hosts a tourism job board to match prospective employees with job options in tourism around the province.

Training Providers

Throughout this textbook, you’ll see examples of not-for-profit industry associations that provide training and certification for industry professionals. For example, the Association of Canadian Travel Agents offers a full-time and distance program to train for the occupation of certified travel counsellor. Closer to home, an organization called WorldHost, a division of Destination BC, offers world-class customer service training.

You’ll learn more about training providers and tourism human resources development in Chapter 9: Customer Service.

Educational Institutions

British Columbia is also home to a number of high-quality public and private colleges and universities that offer tourism-related educational options. Training options at these colleges and universities include certificates, diplomas, degrees and masters-level programs in adventure tourism, outdoor recreation, hospitality management, and tourism management. Whether students are learning how to manage a restaurant at Camosun College, gaining mountain adventure skills at College of the Rockies, or exploring the world of outdoor recreation and tourism management at the University of Northern BC, tomorrow’s workforce is being prepared by skilled instructors with solid industry experience.

Spotlight On: LinkBC

LinkBC is a membership-based organization that receives funding from Destination BC to support students and instructors at postsecondary institutions in connecting with the tourism industry. It hosts an annual Student Case Competition, a networking event called Student-Industry Rendezvous, and provides students with information about education options at its study tourism in BC website. For more information, visit the LinkBC website : http://linkbc.ca or Study Tourism in BC : www.studytourisminbc.ca

Government Departments

At the time this chapter was written, there were at least eight distinct provincial government ministries that had influence on tourism and hospitality development in British Columbia. These are:

• Community, Sport and Cultural Development
• Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training
• Advanced Education
• Transportation and Infrastructure
• Environment
• Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
• International Trade
• Small Business and Economic Development

Ministry names and responsibilities may change over time, but the functions performed by provincial ministries are critical to tourism operators and communities, as are the functions of similar departments at the federal level.

At the community level, tourism functions are often performed by planning officers, economic development officers, and chambers of commerce.

A final, hidden layer to the travel services sector is that of independent consultants and consulting firms. These people and companies offer services to the industry in a business-to-business format, and they vary from individuals to small-scale firms to international companies. In BC, tourism-based consulting firms include:

• IntraVISTAS: specializing in aviation and transportation logistics advising
• Chemistry Consulting: specializing in human relations and labour market development
• Tartan: a public-relations and reputation management firm

For many people trained in specific industry fields, consulting offers the opportunity to give back to the industry while maintaining workload flexibility.

Trends and Issues

Now that we have an understanding of the travel and tourism services providers in BC, let’s review some of the current trends and issues in the sector.

In the travel services sector, providers such as OTAs and business travel managers must constantly be aware of price sensitivity. Many tourism services organizations are not-for-profit entities that rely on membership dues, donations, grants, and government funding to survive. As the economic climate becomes strained and budgets are tightened, all groups are increasingly forced to demonstrate return on investment to stakeholders. As some of the benefits of travel services are difficult to define, groups must innovate or face extinction.

The challenge of budget constraints came to life in late 2014 when Destination BC announced it was shutting down its Visitor Centres at Vancouver International Airport and reviewing five other gateway locations including Peace Arch and Golden. While the airport locations welcomed over 180,000 visitors per year, analysis performed by Destination BC showed guests were asking non-tourism questions, and the centres’ value was questioned. Closing the centres at the airport, it was determined, would save $500,000 per year — but some in the industry were left wondering why they weren’t consulted prior to the announcement (Smyth, 2014).

As discussed earlier, online travel agencies have revolutionized the sector in a short span of time. Online travel bookings and marketing accounts for roughly one-third of all global e-commerce, and according to many these continue to rattle the sector.

Take a Closer Look: The Trouble with Travel Distribution

This report, by McKinsey & Company, addresses the widespread impact of technological innovations on the travel services sector. To view the report online, visit The Trouble with Travel Distribution : www.mckinsey.com/insights/travel_transportation/the_trouble_with_travel_distribution

That said, OTAs and other technology providers can benefit operators and the travel services sector as a whole. Keeping in mind that travel services pertain to the planning and reserving of trip components, recent beneficial technologic improvements include the following (Orfutt, 2013):

• Real-time and automated inventory management, ensuring operators and travellers alike are working with accurate information when planning and booking
• A pollution and weather detection chip that would help tour operators, transportation providers, and visitors anticipate, and plan for changes in conditions
• Personalized information presented to visitors to help them narrow their choices in the trip planning process, ensuring users are not overwhelmed with information, and making the most of limited screen size on mobile devices and tablets
• Social technologies and on-the-go information sharing, allowing users to plan at the last minute as they travel
• Virtual assistant holograms and tablets carrying information that can replace humans during the travel experience (for instance, at airport arrivals and visitor centres)

These innovations will likely increase as more advances are made. They also have significant implications for the marketing of travel products and experiences, which is explored more in Chapter 8.

In a time when financial resources are limited and competition for tourist dollars is strong, the travel services sector is being forced to innovate at a startling rate. With the emergence of OTAs and the rapid pace of change, it’s likely the travel services landscape will be radically different by the time you read this.

Just 20 years ago, the travel agent was paramount for booking both leisure and business travel, while today’s traveller can book a trip using a phone in a matter of minutes. This is one sector with challenging and exciting times ahead.

To this point we have learned about the five sectors of tourism: transportation, accommodation, food and beverage, recreation and entertainment, and travel services. With this foundation in place, let’s delve deeper into the industry by learning more about how these sectors are promoted to customers in Chapter 8 on services marketing.

• Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA): a trade organization established in 1977 to ensure high standards of customer service, engage in advocacy for the trade, conduct research, and facilitate travel agent training
• Canada’s West Marketplace: a partnership between Destination BC and Travel Alberta, showcasing BC travel products in a business-to-business sales environment
• Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO):  a membership-based organization that serves as the voice of the tour operator segment and engages in professional development and networking in the sector
• Community destination marketing organization (CDMO): a DMO that represents a city or town
• Destination management company (DMC): a company that creates and executes corporate travel and event packages designed for employee rewards or special retreats
• Destination marketing organizations (DMOs):  also known as destination management organizations; includes national tourism boards, state/provincial tourism offices, and community convention and visitor bureaus
• Familiarization tours (FAMs):  tours provided to overseas travel agents, travel agencies, RTOs, and others to provide information about a certain product at no or minimal cost to participants — the short form is pronounced like the start of the word family (not as each individual letter)
• Fully independent traveller (FIT): a traveller who makes his or her own arrangements for accommodations, transportation, and tour components; is independent of a group
• HelloBC:  online travel services platform of Destination BC providing information to the visitor and potential visitor for trip planning purposes
• Inbound tour operator:  an operator who packages products together to bring visitors from external markets to a destination
• Online travel agent (OTA):  a service that allows the traveller to research, plan, and purchase travel without the assistance of a person, using the internet on sites such as Expedia.ca or Hotels.com
• Outbound tour operator:  an operator who packages and sells travel products to people within a destination who want to travel abroad
• Receptive tour operator (RTO):  someone who represents the products of tourism suppliers to tour operators in other markets in a business-to-business (B2B) relationship
• Regional destination marketing organization (RDMO): in BC, one of the five DMOs that represent a specific tourism region
• Tour operator:  an operator who packages suppliers together (hotel + activity) or specializes in one type of activity or product
• Tourism services: other services that work to support the development of tourism and the delivery of guest experiences
• Travel agency:  a business that provides a physical location for travel planning requirements
• Travel agent:  an individual who helps the potential traveller with trip planning and booking services, often specializing in specific types of travel
• Travel services: under NAICS, businesses and functions that assist with the planning and reserving components of the visitor experience
• Visitor centre:  a building within a community usually placed at the gateway to an area, providing information regarding the region, travel planning tools, and other services including washrooms and Wi-Fi
• Explain, either in words or with a diagram, the relationship between an RTO, tour operator, and travel agent.
• What type of services does HelloBC provide to the traveller? List regional services from your area that are currently offered.
• Who operates the provincial network of Visitor Centres? Where are these centres located?
• List the RDMOs operating within BC. How do each of these work to provide information to the traveller?
• List two positives and two negatives of OTAs within the travel services industry.
• With an increase growth in mobile technology, how are travel services adapting to suit the needs and/or demands of the traveller?
• Choose an association that is representative of the sector you might like to work in (e.g., accommodations, food and beverage, travel services). Explore the association’s website and note three key issues it has identified and how it is responding to them.
• Choose a local tourism or hospitality business and find out which associations it belongs to. List the associations and their membership benefits to answer the question, Why belong to this group?

Case Study: Online Travel Agents Sue Skiplagger.com

Hidden city tickets work when the cost to travel from point A to point B to point C is less expensive than a trip from point A to point B. Passengers book the entire flight but get off at the stopover. This practice is generally forbidden by airlines because of safety concerns and challenges to logistics as it renders passenger counts inaccurate, causing potential delays and fuel miscalculations. If discovered, it can result in a passenger having his or her ticket voided.

The lawsuit against Skiplagged founder Aktarer Zaman stated that the site “intentionally and maliciously … [promoted] prohibited forms of travel” (Harris and Sasso, 2014, ¶ 4). Orbitz (an OTA) and United Airlines claimed that Zaman’s website unfairly competed with their business, while making it appear these companies were partners and endorsing the activity by linking to their websites.

Based on this case summary, answer the following questions:

• What are the dangers and inconveniences of having passengers deplane partway through a voyage? In addition to those listed here, come up with two more.
• Could this lawsuit and the ensuing publicity result in unintended negative consequences for United and Orbitz? What might these be?
• On the other hand, could the suit have unintended positive results for Skiplagged.com? Try to name at least three.
• Should Zaman be held responsible for facilitating this type of travel already in practice? Or should passengers bear the responsibility? Why or why not?
• Imagine your flight is delayed because a passenger count is inaccurate and fuel must be recalculated. What action would you take, if any?
• Look up the case to see what updates are available ( United Airlines Inc. v. Zaman , 14-cv-9214, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (Chicago). Was the outcome what you predicted? Why or why not?

ACTA. (2014). About us . Retrieved from www.acta.ca/about-us

ADME. (2014). What is a DMC? Retrieved from www.adme.org/dmc/what-is-a-dmc.asp

Alba, Davey. (2015, January 23). Expedia buys Travelocity, merging two of the web’s biggest travel sites. WIRED . Retrieved from www.wired.com/2015/01/expedia-buys-travelocity-merging-two-webs-biggest-travel-sites/

Amadeus. (2014). Trending with NextGen travelers [PDF] . Retrieved from https://extranets.us.amadeus.com/whitepaper/nextgen/next_gen_travel_trends.pdf

Associated Press. (2014, March 17). Helena judge rejects state’s lawsuit against online travel companies. The Missoulian. Retrieved from http://missoulian.com/business/local/helena-judge-rejects-state-s-lawsuit-against-online-travel-companies/article_61b115d2-adfe-11e3-9b8d-0019bb2963f4.html

BTN Group. (2014). Global travel trends 2014. Business Travel News. [PDF] Retrieved from www.businesstravelnews.com/uploadedFiles/White_Papers/BTN_110113_Radius_1206_FINAL.pdf

Canadian Tourism Commission. (2015). Rendez-vous Canada 2015 – Welcome . Retrieved from http://rendezvouscanada.travel/

Carey, R., Kang, K., & Zea, M. (2012). The trouble with travel distribution . Retrieved from  www.mckinsey.com/insights/travel_transportation/the_trouble_with_travel_distribution

CATO. (2014). About the travel industry . Retrieved from www.cato.ca/industry.php

Concur. (2014). Concur case studies – Concur Canada . Retrieved from www.concur.ca/casestudy

CWT Travel Management Institute. (2014). Who’s equipped for mobile services .  www.cwtinsights.com/demand/whos-equipped-for-mobile-services.shtml

DMAI. (2014). The value of DMOs . Retrieved from www.destinationmarketing.org/value-dmos

Economist, The . (2014, June 21). Sun, sea and surfing. Retrieved from www.economist.com/news/business/21604598-market-booking-travel-online-rapidly-consolidating-sun-sea-and-surfing

ETC Digital. (2014). Mobile smartphones – North America . Retrieved from http://etc-digital.org/digital-trends/mobile-devices/mobile-smartphones/regional-overview/north-america/

Expedia, Inc. (2014). The future of travel report . [PDF] Retrieved from http://expediablog.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Future-of-Travel-Report1.pdf

GBTA. (2014). About GBTA Canada . Retrieved from www.gbta.org/Canada/about/Pages/Default.aspx

Goeldner, C. & Ritchie, B. (2003). Tourism: principles, practices, philosophies, 9th edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Government of Canada. (2014). NAICS 2007 – 5615 travel arrangement and reservation services . Retrieved from http://stds.statcan.gc.ca/naics-scian/2007/cs-rc-eng.asp?criteria=5615

go2HR. (2014). Training and education . Retrieved from www.go2hr.ca/training/training-directory?keys=travel+agent&location=&sector=All&region=All

Harris, A. & Sasso, M. (2014). United, Orbitz sue travel site over ‘hidden city’ tickets. Bloomberg Business. Retrieved from www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-11-18/united-orbitz-sue-travel-site-over-hidden-city-ticketing-1-

HelloBC. (2014a). About us. Retrieved from www.hellobc.com/british-columbia.aspx

HelloBC. (2014b). Visitor information network . Retrieved from www.hellobc.com/british-columbia/about-bc/visitor-centres.aspx

HelloBC. (2014c). Regions. Retrieved from www.hellobc.com/british-columbia.aspx

Hotel Marketing. (2013). Travel agency demand . Retrieved from http://www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/travel_agencies_versus_the_internet_global_booking_trends/

Offutt, B. (2013). PhoCusWright’s travel innovations & technology trends: 2013 and beyond. [PDF] Retrieved from www.wtmlondon.com/files/pcwi_traveltechtrends2013_worldtravel.pdf

Prince of Whales. (2014).  About us . Retrieved from http://princeofwhales.com

SGSEP. (2012). Trends in visitor information centres. [PDF] Urbecon, 1.   Retrieved from www.sgsep.com.au/assets/Urbecon-Vol-1-2012-web.pdf

Smyth, M. (2014, November 20). Why is the BC government shutting down popular tourist info without consulting industry? The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved from www.theprovince.com/life/Smyth+government+shutting+down+popular+tourist+info+centres+without+consulting+industry/10396500/story.html#__federated=1

Tourism Vancouver. (2014). Destination management companies . Retrieved from  www.tourismvancouver.com/meetings/service-your-meeting/suppliers/destination-management-companies/

Travel Agents in BC. (2014). Travel agents . Retrieved from www.yellowpages.ca/search/si/1/Travel+Agencies/Vancouver+BC

Yukon Department of Tourism and Culture. (2013). Tourism sectors.  Retrieved from www.tc.gov.yk.ca/isu_sectors.html

Attributions

Figure 7.1 HelloBC Homepage  by LinkBC is used under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.

Figure 7.2   Travels Agent, Huddersfield by Dave Collier  is used under a CC-BY-ND 2.0  license.

Figure 7.3   my AT&T PC 6300 circa 1996  by Blake Patterson  is used under a  CC-BY 2.0 license.

Figure 7.4   Up on the glacier by  Paul Gorbould is used under a CC BY NC ND 2.0 license.

Figure 7.5   Whales off Victoria, BC  by Brian Estabrooks is used under a CC-BY-SA 2.0 license.

Figure 7.6  Visitor Information  by Heather Harvey is used under a CC-BY-SA 2.0  license.

Figure 7.7   Floe Lake, Kootenay National Park 037  by Adam Kahtava  is used under a CC-BY 2.0 license.

Figure 7.8   Tourism Vancouver’s Rick Antonson addresses the audience at Rendezvous  by  LinkBC  is used under a CC-BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.

Figure 7.9   5 Top Rated Tablet PCs  by Siddartha Thota  is used under a  CC-BY 2.0 license.

Introduction to Tourism and Hospitality in BC Copyright © 2015 by Heather Knowles and Morgan Westcott is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• Travel Terms Glossary

We have provided a glossary for your use.  The travel industry is replete with jargon and acronyms and we hope you find this glossary/dictionary of travel terms useful when you run across a term you are not familiar with.  We encourage our clients to submit any words or concepts they would like defined or clarified to us on the Contact Us page and we will be happy to reply by email with a definition and include the term or clarification in our glossary/dictionary of travel terms for other clients benefit as well.

A la carte – referring to meals, an indication that each dish is priced separately; also that a choice of meals may be vailable, such as on a tour.

A la Carte Bar – Also known as a “Cash Bar,” a bar located within one’s hotel room that is pre-stocked with an assortment of snacks and beverages.

ABC – a reference to the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao, in the Netherlands Antilles, just off the northern coast of South America (Venezuela). Fabulous for diving, snorkeling and all manner of watersports.

Abeam – A directional term, used on ships and aircraft, which describes something off to the side of the vessel, such as the wings.

Accessible Tourism – Travel that ensures that there is high availability in destinations, accommodations, attractions, products, and services to all people.

Accessible Travel – Travel that ensures that there is high availability in destinations, accommodations, attractions, products, and services to all people.

Actual Time of Arrival – Literally, the actual time of arrival. As opposed to the ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival).

Add-on – an option, usually at extra cost, added to travel arrangements.

Adjoining rooms – Two hotel or accommodation rooms that have a door connecting them from the inside, allowing the guests to combine the two rooms into one larger room.

Adoption Rate – the percentage of tickets issued through an online booking system compared to the traditional booking channel of agent-assisted reservations.

ADT – Atlantic Daylight Time; Alaska Daylight Time. Advance Purchase Fare – airfare that requires the traveler to purchase the ticket a minimum number of days prior to departure.

Advance Purchase Requirement – APR, or Advance Purchase Requirement, is the requirement that a ticket must be purchased a minimum number of days before the flight departs.

Adventure tour – A tour designed around an adventurous activity such as rafting, hiking, or mountain climbing.

Adventure travel – adventure travel is category of travel involving exploration or travel with perceived (and possibly actual) risk, and potentially requiring specialized skills and physical exertion.

Adventure Traveler – Adventure travelers travel to destinations with the specific purpose of active physical participation and exploration of new experiences.

Affinity Card – These are credit or debit cards issued by a banking institution in partnership and co-branded with a particular frequent traveler program.

Affinity group – A group of people that share a common hobby, interest, or activity, or that are united through regular participation in shared outings. Also see preformed group.

Aft – toward the rear of a ship.

After-departure charge – Charges that do not appear on the guest’s bill at checkout such as telephone or dining charges.

Agent – A person who has the power to act as the representative for another person.  Most frequently in travel, a specific kind of agent such as a travel agent.

AIO variables – Activities, interests, and opinions-used to measure and categorize customer lifestyles.

Air mile – a distance of approx. 6076 feet.

Air Traffic Control – Usually refers to the control tower at the airport, but may also be a control center somewhere else in charge of controlling a large area of sky.

Air Travel Card – a credit card sponsored by the airlines, for the purchase of air travel only.

Air Travel – air travel is the action or process of making a journey by aircraft.

Air/sea – a term referring to tickets, trips, fares, etc. that include both air and land-based travel arrangements, such as a cruise package with air included.

Aircraft – Generally speaking, any machine capable of flight. However, in the travel industry, these often mean airplanes.

Airline Alliance – These are agreements of cooperation between groups of airlines. Alliances offer airlines more flexibility and larger networks.

Airline fare – Price charged for an airline ticket. Several types of fares exist and can change with market conditions.

Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) – An organization that provides a method of approving authorized agency locations for the sale of transportation and cost-effective procedures for processing records and funds of such sales to carrier customers.

Airport access fee – a fee paid by the car rental companies to the airport authority, for the use of shuttle vehicles, etc. – usually passed on to the consumer.

Airport transfer – a transport service to/from an airport to hotel, etc., normally prepaid as part of a package tour, but available separately as well.

Air-Sea – A cruise or travel package in which one or more transportation elements are provided by air and one or more by sea. The package is usually combined with local lodging.

All Inclusive – sold for one price that includes charges and fees that are often added separately.

All-inclusive package – A tour package in which most travel elements are purchased for set price. Also called an all-expense package.

Alternative Tourism – Travel that is not conventional in nature, though that is hard to define. It can be a niche kind of tourism.

Alternative Travel – Travel that is not conventional in nature, though that is hard to define. It can be a niche kind of tourism.

Alumni tour – A tour created for customers who have previously traveled with a tour operator. Also called a reunion tour.

Ambassador – The head of a state’s diplomatic mission in another state, usually with offices inside the main embassy.

Amenities – a desirable or useful feature or facility of a building or place

Amenity package – A cluster of special features, such as complimentary shore excursions, bar or boutique credit, or wine at dinner offered to clients on a given tour or cruise, usually as a bonus or extra feature. Usually used to induce clients to book through a particular travel agency or organization.

Amenity – The facilities and features of a property, usually cruise ship, airline or destination accommodation.

American plan – a hotel’s meal plan that usually includes all three meals each day.

AMEX – American Express (AX).

Amidships – toward the middle of a ship – usually the most stable part of the vessel.

Anniversary travel – a type of milestone travel celebrating a date that is remembered or celebrated because a special or notable event occurred on that date in a previous year, such as a wedding anniversary.

Antebellum – describes a building and/or period of time prior to the Civil War, such as an antebellum mansion on a cotton plantation in the southern US.

APEX – an airline term meaning “advance purchase excursion fare” – normally the least expensive fares.

Apron – The area surrounding the gate areas of a terminal, generally used for parking and maintenance of planes.

ARC – Airline Reporting Corporation- the agency that regulates ticket sales and reports to the airlines for travel agencies.

Archipelago – An archipelago is a grouping of islands, essentially. Indonesia and Japan are both archipelago countries.

ARTA – Association of Retail Travel Agents – professional trade group of travel agents only.

ASC Fee – Administrative Service Charge.  Usually it’s the same as the change fee, or the fee to exchange the ticket for future travel.

AST – Atlantic (or Alaska) Standard Time.

ASTA – American Society of Travel Agents – trade group consisting of travel agencies, travel agents, and allied members (suppliers, etc.).

ATO – Airline Ticket Office – becoming rarer these days, as carriers continue to reduce customer service.

Attractions – An item or specific interest to travelers, such as natural wonders, manmade facilities and structures, entertainment, and activities.

Autobahn – high-speed equivalent to the US interstate highway system, in Germany and a few other European countries.

Availability – The total number of seats allowed to be sold at a particular rate.

Average room rate – The total guest room revenue for a given period divided by the number of rooms occupied for the same period.

B&B – A bed and breakfast home or guest house that a proprietor has converted into accommodation(s) for the public. Each room becomes a separate unit for rent and typically breakfast and/or other meals are served as part of the fare.

Babymoon – A relaxing and romantic vacation or getaway taken by parents-to-be before their baby is born.

Back to back – A term used to describe tours operating on a consistent, continuing basis. For instance, a motor coach arriving in a city from a cross-country tour may conclude the first tour upon arrival, then transport a second group back along the same route to the origination city of the first tour.

Back-to-back ticket(ing) – an against-the-rules practice whereby an air ticket is issued round-trip with only one portion to be used. Another is then issued roundtrip, again with only one portion to be used. In effect, this amounts to using one ticket for the outbound part of a trip, and the other for the return. The normal Saturday night stay requirement is then avoided – useful only when two roundtrip tickets are less than the cost of a single ticket with no Saturday night stayover.

Baggage Allowance – The amount of baggage a passenger may transport without having to pay extra charges, determined by carrier.

Baggage handler – See porter.

Baggage master – The person who controls baggage handling on a ship.

Balcony – sometimes called a verandah – an outside “porch ” that is usually private, just outside your ship’s cabin. Great for relaxing and port arrivals!

Barge cruising – pleasure cruising along a canal system, such as in upstate New York or in Europe, in converted barges or new ships that resemble them.

Base fare – the basic price of an airline ticket, before ANY taxes, surcharges, airport fees, etc.

Base – Flight crew term for their home airport; where the flights originate from and terminate at.

Beam – a ship’s width at its widest point; determines whether or not a vessel can pass through the Panama Canal.

Bed and breakfast (B&B) – Overnight accommodations usually in a private home or boarding house, often with a full American-style or Continental breakfast included in one rate.

Bell captain – The person in charge of luggage at a hotel.

Bellboy – Also called “Bellboy” or “Bellman,” a person that is hired by the hotel to assist guests, such as with luggage, running errands, etc.

Bellman – a person who carries one’s luggage to a hotel room.

Benelux – term for the countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

Berth – usually refers to the bed in a ship’s cabin; also the space at which a ship is docked.

Bespoke tour – a tour that is customized, personalized and tailor-made for the traveler.

Biking Trips and tours – Bicycle trips and touring means self-contained cycling trips or pleasure, adventure and autonomy rather than sport, commuting or exercise. Touring can range from single to multi-day trips, getaways or vacations.

Birthday travel – a type of milestone travel celebrating a birthday, quite often marking decade birthday milestones such as 40 th , 50 th , 60 th , 70 th etc. birthdays.

Blackout dates – Specific dates in which special fares or promotions do not apply. Typically exist around holidays or special events.

Block – A number of rooms, seats, or space reserved in advance, usually by wholesalers, tour operators, or receptive operators who intend to sell them as components of tour packages.

Blocked space – seats, rooms, and/or cabins held on airlines, in hotels, or aboard ships. Usually held speculatively and made available at reduced rates.

Boarding pass – a receipt with a seat number, now issued only at check-in at the airport. A ticket is not valid unless a boarding pass has been issued. A Boarding Pass is not a ticket, but allows you to board a plane or ship or other mode of transportation.

Boarding Pass – Bonded – protected or guaranteed by a bond, usually referring to the protection of passenger’s funds.

Booking form – A document which purchasers of tours must complete to give the operator full particulars about who is buying the tour. It states exactly what is being purchased (including options) and must be signed as acknowledgment that the liability clause has been read and understood.

Boutique Hotel – A boutique hotel is a type of hotel, usually smaller and more intimate than a chain hotel, which conforms to a niche.

Bow – Bow is a directional term. Front of a ship or the nose of an aircraft; specifically, the foremost point of the hull of the craft.

Breakage – Expenses budgeted for a tour but not used or expended, thus resulting in additional profit to the tour operator. Examples include meals budgeted but not consumed, currency fluctuations in favor of the tour operator, or the tour selling to much larger numbers of passengers than expected.

Break-even point (BEP) – The point at which revenues and expenses are the same. For example, the BEP is the number of products (or seats, cabins, tickets, etc.) that must be sold for a company to break even. The BEP is calculated as fixed costs divided by the selling price less variable costs. See reasonable number.

Break-even pricing – Pricing a product based on a forecast of the break-even point and the cost of achieving the break-even point.

Bridge – the navigational center of a ship.

Bucket list destinations – Bucket list travel is a list of destinations a person wants to travel to and experience before reaching a certain age or dying.

Bulk contract – An agreement whereby an airline sells large blocks of seats at a discount for resale by a third party.

Bulk fare – A reduced fare for purchases of a large number of tickets.

Bulkhead Seat – Seats located directly behind a bulkhead wall separator. As these seats don’t have the benefit of a seatback in front of them.

Bulkhead – A partitioning wall, usually referring to one within the cabin of an aircraft, or perhaps on another mode of transportation.

Bumping – the airline practice of denying boarding to confirmed passengers who hold tickets on a specific flight, due to an oversold condition. The carrier will ask for volunteers to take later flights, and will normally provide some sort of compensation in the form of vouchers or tickets for future travel. Rules for when compensation must be provided are complicated; ask the ticket agent for a copy of that carrier’s rules, as each has their own set of guidelines.

Business class – While amenities vary based on the airline, business class generally falls between first class and coach.

Cabin – the passenger area on an aircraft; the stateroom aboard a cruise ship.

Cabin Crew – The collective group of flight attendants and the purser as a whole. The cabin crew is responsible primarily for handling the duties within the cabin.

Cabin steward – the person responsible for maintaining/cleaning the cabins aboard ship.

Cabin-(Aircraft) – The section of the aircraft in which passengers travel.

Cabin – A sleeping room on a ship.

Cancellation penalty – the monetary penalty due when travel plans are cancelled, usually after final payment has been made.

Cape – A small version of a peninsula, usually long and narrow, that juts far out into a body of water.

Captain – (Aircraft-The captain is the pilot in command (PIC), which is the person in the cockpit sitting on the left with 4 stripes on their shoulder.

Card mill – a “business “that sells potentially fake travel agent ID cards, usually in a sort of pyramid scheme, whereby the buyer intends only to partake of any legitimate agent benefits.

Carrier – generic term for any company that transports passengers and/or freight.

Carry-on – currently, there are no uniformly enforced airline restrictions concerning carry-on luggage.

Cashless cruising – a term that applies to the system of onboard payment used for most all cruises; the final bill for any such purchases is presented against a credit card or cash deposit given upon check-in. The final statement itemizes the purchases of all passengers in a cabin, such as drinks, shore tours, etc.

Casual research – A form of marketing research that is used to test cause-and-effect relationships between a marketing program and customers.

Cay – pronounced “key” – term for a small island, used primarily in the Caribbean, such as Princess Cay.

Celebrity Travel – celebrity and high net worth travel is an ultra-luxurious travel category describing the highly demanding travel requirements of celebrity and high net worth travelers characterized by the ultra-luxurious travel modalities and destinations with attention to privacy, security and confidentiality.

Certified Tour Professional (CTP) – A designation conferred upon tour professionals who have completed a prescribed course of academic study, professional service, tour employment, and evaluation requirements. The CTP program is administered by the National Tour Association (Lexington, KY) and is open to individuals employed in any segment of the tourism industry.

Certified Travel Associate – (CTA) – a travel professional certified by the Institute of Certified Travel Agents, who has passed a series of rigorous tests, assuring the traveling public of professional competence.

Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) – A designation attesting to professional competence as a travel agent. It is conferred upon travel professionals with five or more years of industry experience who compete a two-year graduate-level travel management program administered by the Institute of Certified Travel Agents (Wellesley, MA).

Certified Travel Industry Specialist (CTIS) – A designation conferred upon American Bus Association member company employees who successfully complete five correspondence courses (three) required and two electives and written evaluation of eight marketplace seminars.

Chain-ratio method – A method for forecasting market demand by multiplying a base market figure by a series of consumption constraints.

Chamber of commerce – A DMO that operates at the local level and is comprised of businesses that are not necessarily associated with the tourism industry.

Chancery – The physical building that houses an embassy and its diplomatic delegation.

Change of equipment – when a flight, with a single flight number, lands and changes the type of airplane used before continuing on to its destination.  Sometimes referred to as a change of gauge.

Charter service – The transportation of preformed groups (organized by someone other than the carrier), which have the exclusive use of the vehicle.

Charter – To hire the exclusive use of any aircraft, motorcoach, or other vehicle.

Chauffer driven tours – a chauffeur tour is a tour driven by a chauffeur employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.

Chunnel – slang for the tunnel beneath the English Channel, from England to France, through which the Eurostar train passes.

Circle itinerary – A travel routing design that overnights in different locations and returns to the point of departure without retracing the travel route.

Circle trip – any trip that involves more than a single destination, but which returns to the initial point of departure.

City guide – A tour guide who points out and comments on the highlights of a city, usually from a motor coach or van.

City Pair – The departure and destination points of an air or rail journey.

City tour – A sightseeing trip through a city, usually lasting a half day or a full day, during which a guide points out the city’s highlights.

Class of Service – The inventory in which a passenger is booked according to the fare purchased. (E.g. a full fare coach class cabin is usually Y class of service)

CLIA – Cruise Lines International Association, located in New York City, NY.

Client list – A printout of the names of all tour participants.

Client mix – Objectives set by companies to achieve percentages of customers from different market segments.

Closed-end question – A question for which the answers are provided for the respondent, who chooses only from those answers.

Closeout – Finalization of a tour, cruise, or similar group travel project after which time no further clients are accepted. Any unsold air or hotel space is released, and final lists and payments are sent to all suppliers.

Coach – the “economy ” section of an aircraft, which may have literally scores of different fares for the same flight.

Collision damage waiver-(CDW) – Optional insurance provided by car rental companies that eliminates all responsibility of the driver in case of an accident. Car rental insurance covering any damage to a rental vehicle (CDW) many credit card companies cover their clients in this area if they use that card to pay for the rental. Check with you credit card company to see if you are covered and to what extent.

Commission – Money paid to a travel agency or ARC number by suppliers for generating bookings.

Commission cap – The limit placed on commissions paid to travel agents for the sale of air tickets, regardless of their price; designed to allow airlines to increase their profits at the expense of their primary distribution system – the travel agents.

Commissionable tour – A tour available through retail and wholesale travel agencies which provides for a payment of an agreed-upon sales commission to the retailer or wholesale seller.

Common carrier – Any person or organization that offers transportation for a fee.

Commuter – term referring to the small, regional airlines, sometimes called puddle-jumpers.

Comp policy – Arrangements for free tickets, rooms, meals, etc.

Complimentaries (comps) – Items provided free of charge, such as rooms, meals, tickets, airfare, gifts, souvenirs, etc.

Computerized reservation system (CRS) – An automated system used by travel agents that contains pricing, availability and product descriptions for hotels, car rentals, cruises, and air transportation.

Concierge – a hotel employee who provides additional advice, recommendations, and other services to guests, such as restaurant reservations. An employee of the hotel whose primary task is to serve as the liaison between the hotel and non-hotel attractions, facilities, services, and the guest.

Concierge Level – special service level normally offered at higher grade hotels that provide the guest additional amenities and information, typically at a higher rate.

Conditions – The section or clause of a transportation or tour contract that specifies what is not offered and that may spell out the circumstances under which the contract may be invalidated (in whole or in part).

Configuration – The interior arrangement of a vehicle, particularly an airplane. The same airplane, for example, may be configured for 190 coach-class passengers, or it may hold 12 first-class passengers and 170 coach passengers, or any other combination within its capacity.

Confirmed reservation – An oral or written statement by a supplier that he has received and will honor a reservation. Oral confirmation have virtually no legal weight. Even written or faxed confirmations have specified or implied limitations. For example, a hotel is usually not obliged to honor a reservation if a guest arrives after 6 p.m., unless late arrival has been guaranteed.

Confluence – A confluence, also known as a conflux, is the meeting point of two flowing bodies of water, such as streams or rivers; the place where they come together.

Conflux – A confluence, also known as a conflux, is the meeting point of two flowing bodies of water, such as streams or rivers; the place where they come together.

Connecting Flight – A flight that makes a stop at an intermediate point where travelers must change planes in order to connect to another flight to reach their destination. (I.e. San Francisco to Chicago and Chicago to New York).

Connecting room – Two rooms that are connected to each other by a door.

Consolidation – Cancellation by a charter tour operator of one more flights associated with a specific charter departure or departure period, with the transfer of passengers to another charter flight or flights to depart on or near the same day. Also, selling the same tour with identical departure dates through a number of wholesalers, cooperatives, or other outlets in order to increase sales and reduce the possibility of tour cancellations.

Consolidator – A wholesaler who purchases airline tickets in bulk and re-sells them to individuals and travel agencies at a discounted rate. These fares tend to have complex restrictions, but can be cheaper than buying direct from the airline. Consolidator fares are found to have the most savings on international flights.

Consortium – A collection of organizations made up of independently owned and managed agencies who band together to increase their buying power.

Consulate – Essentially a satellite office of the embassy, but its roles are limited in scope.

Consul – Head diplomat of the consulate.

Consumer protection plan – A plan offered by a company and/or association that protects the customer’s deposits and payments from loss in the event of company bankruptcy.

Consumer – The actual user of a product or service. See also customer.

Consumption constraints – Issues that limit the number of people in a market who will purchase a product.

Continental breakfast – At a minimum, a beverage (coffee, tea, or milk) and rolls and toast, with fruit juice sometimes included.

Continent – Large landmasses that the world is divided into, by convention, although it is generally-accepted that there are seven.

Contract – A legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties.

Control Tower – Often referred to as simply the tower, the people in the Control Tower oversee aircraft movements at the airport, including ground traffic.

Convenience sample – A collection of research subjects who are the easiest for the researcher to select.

Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) – A nonprofit DMO that operates at the county and city level. A CVB typically encourages groups to hold meetings, conventions, and trade shows in its city.

Co-op tour – Selling a tour through a number of wholesalers, cooperatives, or other outlets in order to increase sales and reduce the possibility of tour cancellations.

Cooperative (co-op) advertising – An agreement between two parties to share the cost of placing an advertisement.

Corporate agency – A travel agency that usually caters to medium-large sized businesses.

Corporate Rate – a hotel rate that is designed to appeal to the needs of the business traveler. It is not necessarily a discounted rate or the minimum rate offered by the hotel. Corporate rates normally guarantee the best available room at a fixed cost for a specific period of time, typically outlined in a contract between the hotel and company.

Corporate Travel – Corporate Travel is travel arranged by a business for business purposes. A division or department of a travel agency devoted to such travel.

Costing – The process of itemizing and calculating all the costs the tour operator will pay on a given tour.

Cost-plus pricing – See markup pricing.

Couchette – the sleeping compartment of a train that can contain up to 6 beds.

Coupon – See voucher.

Cruise Tour – A land and sea vacation, which combines a cruise with a multi-night land tour to inland destinations that the ship can’t reach.

Cruise – A cruise is a voyage on a ship or boat taken for pleasure or as a vacation and usually docking at several port destinations.

CST – Central Standard Time.

CTA – Certified Travel Associate.

CTC – Certified Travel Counselor – the ultimate in travel professionals, CTC certification can be compared to the “Master’s Degree “of the industry.

Cuisin e – a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes associated with a specific culture or geographic region.

Culinary Tourism – Culinary tourism is defined as the pursuit of unique and memorable eating and drinking experiences. By combining travel with these edible experiences, culinary tourism offers both locals and tourists alike an authentic taste of a specific culture or geographic region.

Cultural Tourism – Cultural tourism is the category or tourism concerned with a country or region’s culture, specifically the lifestyle of the people in those geographical areas, the history of those people, their art, architecture, religion(s), and other elements that helped shape their way of life.

Cultural Travel – This is travel with regard to a region’s culture and history.

Culture – Similar shared traits or characteristics unique to an ethnic group, region, or nation.

Custom tour – A travel package created specifically for a preformed group or niche market.

Customer – The buyer of a product or service. See consumer.

Customized tours – a customized tour is a tour category where an independent travel plan is designed and arranged just for the traveler’s needs, goals and desires. This type of travel includes private airport/hotel transfers, hotels, internal airfare, trains, cruises, performances, events, activities and privately guided tours.

Customs – The common term for U.S. Customs Service, the federal agency charged with collecting duty on specified items imported into the country. The agency also restricts the entry of forbidden items.

CVB – Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (generic term).

Database – A computerized, organized collection of individual customer information.

Day rate – Also called a day room. A reduced rate granted for the use of a guest room during the daytime, not overnight occupancy. Usually provided on a tour when a very late-night departure is scheduled.

Day tour – An escorted or unescorted tour that lasts less than 24 hours and usually departs and returns on the same day. See sightseeing tour.

Deadheading – Making a trip or a segment of a trip without passengers, such as driving an empty motor coach somewhere.

Debark – to get off an airplane or passenger ship.

Deck – the floor area of a ship. Some cruise liners have as many as 11 to 14 decks or more.

Deck plan – the drawing representing the location of the decks, public rooms, cabins, etc. of a cruise ship.

Demand generators – Strategies and programs developed by DMOs and suppliers to generate destination demand. Examples include festivals, events, cultural tours, and consumer promotion.

Demands – A consumer’s wants backed by the ability to purchase.

Demographics – Population measures, such as age, gender, income, education, race/ethnicity, religion, marital status, household size, and occupation.

Denied-boarding compensation – that payment and/or voucher given those bumped from a flight; may be somewhat negotiable – always ask! See “bumping”.

Department of State – the US government agency that, among other things, issues cautions and warnings concerning travel to many points worldwide. Connect to the Department of State for the latest updates for the areas you are interested in.

Departure point – The location or destination from which a tour officially begins.

Departure tax – Fee collected from a traveler by the host country at the time of departure.

Deplane -To disembark, or get off, a plane.

Deposit policy – A specified amount or a percentage of the total bill due on a specified date prior to arrival.

Deposit – An advance payment required to obtain and confirm space.

Descriptive research – a form of marketing research that is used to provide detailed answers about customer markets.

Destination alliance – A DMO that operates as a for-profit association of select suppliers who form a paid-membership network to promote their services to travelers.

Destination management company (DMC) – A for-profit company that operates similar to a CVB by providing planning and execution services for the convention and meeting market.

Destination marketing organization (DMO) – An organization that promotes a location (city, region, state province, country) as a travel destination.

Destination Weddings – a destination wedding a category of travel where couples celebrate their marriage at a destination of their choosing away from home.

Destination – The geographic place to which a traveler is going.

Dine-around-plan – A meal plan, usually prepaid, that allows one to dine at various restaurants in an area.

Direct access – Refers to a travel agent’s ability to get directly into an airlines database to get true last-seat availability and correct pricing – a big difference between internet fare ” quotes ” and an agent’s CRS ( Computer Reservations System ).

Direct Flight – A flight that goes from a traveler’s origin to their final destination with one or more intermediate stops. No change in aircraft occurs. (I.e. San Francisco to New York with a stop in Chicago)

Direct marketing – Sales and marketing communication that feature direct interaction between a company and its customers without any distribution intermediaries.

Disaster Tourism – Travel when tourists go to an area that may be or may have been affected by natural disasters, civil strife, or warfare.

Disclaimer – a legal document that advises clients that a travel agent acts only as a middleman in the sale of travel products; any liability ultimately lies with the supplier, i.e. airline, hotel, car rental company, tour operator, railway, etc.

DMC – Destination Management Company

Docent – A tour guide who works free of charge at a museum.

Domestic fare – a fare charged for travel within a country.

Double booking – a not-nice practice of holding reservations to the same destination for the same times/days, on the same carriers but through different travel agencies, when only one reservation will ultimately be used.

Double Double – A room with two double beds.

Double occupancy – the way in which almost all cruise fares and tour packages are quoted, that is, based on two people traveling together. Most hotel rooms are quoted based on two adults to a room.

Double-occupancy rate – The price per person for a room to be shared with another person; the rate most frequently quoted in tour brochures.

Double-room rate – The full price of a room for two people (twice the double-occupancy rate.)

Downgrade – To move to a lesser level of accommodations or a lower class of service.

Driver guided tours – A driver guided tour is a tour guided by an individual that operates a vehicle while providing commentary in a front-line position who leads participants (individual or groups) on tours, ensures that itineraries are followed, provides commentary in an informative and entertaining manner, and creates positive experiences for tour participants.

Driver-guide – A tour guide who does double duty by driving a vehicle while narrating.

Drop-off charge – the fee added to a car rental when the vehicle is returned to a city other than where it was originally rented. In some states, there is no drop off fee most of the time, such as in Florida.

Duty-free imports – Item amounts and categories specified by a government that are fee of tax or duty charges when brought into the country.

Early Check-In – A perk that allows a guest to check in at an earlier time than the standard check-in time.

Eco/Sustainable Tourism – Eco or Sustainable Tourism is tourism directed toward exotic, often threatened, natural environments, especially to support conservation efforts and observe wildlife.

Eco-Conscious Travel – Though often interchangeable, being “eco-conscious” literally means that one is simply aware of their environmental impact.

Eco-Friendly Travel – Though often interchangeable, being “eco-conscious” literally means that one is simply aware of their environmental impact.

Economic impact study – Research into the dollars generated by an industry and how these dollars impact the economy through direct spending and the indirect impact of additional job creation and the generation of income and tax revenue.

Ecotour – A tour designed to focus on preserving the environment, or to environmentally sensitive areas.

Ecotourism – Tourism directed at exotic and/or endangered destinations while fostering an environmental understanding and conservation.

Educational tour – A tour designed around an educational activity, such as studying art.

Elder hostel – hostel catering to seniors – see “hostel”.

Electronic ticket – a “paperless” airline ticket allowing one to check-in and fly with just proper photo ID. What may look like a ticket is actually just a paper passenger receipt. E-tickets cannot be lost, or used by anyone else, so they are safer than standard paper tickets, which may soon become extinct. One drawback is that e-tickets on one carrier cannot be honored by another, so in a cancelled-flight snafu, the original carrier must print hard copy tickets before another airline can accept them. This presents major paperwork problems for the affected carrier.

Embark – to board a plane or cruise ship.

End suite – in the hotel industry, indicates that a certain feature(s) is directly in the room, or adjacent to that room.

English breakfast – basic meal of cereal, juice, eggs, meats, and other beverages. Common with most hotels in the UK/Great Britain.

Environmental scanning – The process of monitoring important forces in the business environment for trends and changes that may impact a company.

Errors and Omissions Insurance – Insurance coverage equivalent to malpractice insurance, protecting an agent’s or operator’s staff if an act of negligence, an error, or an omission occurs that causes a client great hardship or expense.

Escort – See tour director.

Escorted group tour – A group tour that features a tour director who travels with the group throughout the trip to provide sightseeing commentary and coordinate all group movement and activities.

Escrow accounts – Funds placed in the custody of licensed financial institutions for safekeeping. Many contracts in travel require that agents and tour operators maintain customers’ deposits and prepayments in escrow accounts.

ES T – Eastern Standard Time.

Estimated Time of Arrival – Literally, the estimated time of the transport’s arrival. As opposed to the ATA (Actual Time of Arrival), the ETA is the time that the flight or transport arrives.

Estuary – A body of water connecting a flowing river and a larger body, such as a sea or ocean. Because it is the transition point.

ETA – estimated time of arrival.

ETD – estimated time of departure.

Ethnicity – A term that groups people together with a similar cultural identity; unlike terms such as nationality, ethnicity is more ambiguous.

Ethno-Tourism – Focusing on exploration of indigenous populations and their respective culture and traditions.

E-Ticket – Regarding transportation, especially on airlines, an electronic ticket, or e-ticket, is the digital version of a paper ticket, issued via email.

Eurailpass – a special fare ticket that allows either unlimited train travel, or travel for a certain number of days/weeks, in many European countries (except in Britain, where the Britrailpass offers similar travel in England, Scotland, and Wales).

European pla n – a rate at a hotel that includes no meals.

Exchange order – See voucher.

Exclusive fare – Discounted airfares offered by travel consolidators.

Excursion – a side trip from a main destination, usually at added cost and optional.

Excursion Fare – special airline fares with restrictions such as minimum and maximum stays.

Exotic Travel – Exotic travel refers to a category of travel that is strikingly, excitingly and mysteriously different or unusual.  Exotic travel is travel that is completely different than what a traveler is accustomed to and is highly subjective in nature.

Experiential Travel – Experiential travel is also known as immersion travel and is a form of tourism in which people focus on experiencing a country, city or particular place by connecting to its history, people and culture.

Exploratory research – A form of marketing research that’s used to obtain preliminary information and clues. It is most often used when the marketing problem is ambiguous.

Extension – A fully arranged sub-tour offered optionally at extra cost to buyers of a tour or cruise.

Extensions may occur before, during, or after the basic travel program.

FAM (familiarization) tour – A free or reduced-rate trip offered to travel professionals to acquaint them with what a destination, attraction, or supplier has to offer.

Familiarity Tour – A familiarity tour as used in the travel industry it is a tour of a travel destination, travel accommodation, travel activity or travel mode (airline, cruise, ground transportation) to familiarize a travel advisor and provide knowledge and direct experience with the product or service so they can better serve their clients.

Family plan – offered by most hotels, allow children to stay in the same room as parents, at no additional charge. Age requirements vary between hotels.

Family Vacation – a family vacation is a travel category referring to travel involving family members. It is also commonly referred to as multi-generational travel.

Familymoon – A neologism term used to describe a type of honeymoon a newlywed couple can make along with their children from previous relationships.

Fare Aggregator – Fare aggregators’ redirect the users to an airline, cruise, hotel, or car rental site or online travel agent for the final purchase of a ticket. Aggregators’ business models include getting feeds from major OTAs, then displaying to the users all of the results on one screen. The OTA then fulfills the ticket. Aggregators generate revenues through advertising and charging OTAs for referring clients.

Fare Basis – the letters and numbers assigned to a specific fare like an identification number.

Fare basis (code) – The code that determines the price of an airline ticket.

Final Boarding Call – Last call to board before the jet bridge closes and the flight departs, leaving late passengers stranded.

First class – The class which offers the most premium service. Enhanced seating, meal selection, and drink offerings staples of this services.

First Officer – Pilot who is second in command. The pilot in the cockpit sitting on the right with 3 stripes.

Fishing Trips and tours – a fishing trip or fishing tour is a travel tour category where groups of fisherman are provided guided tours and typically lodging with the overall purpose of catching fish.

FIT – foreign independent tour – actually used generically now for a travel package put together by a travel agent from separate components such as car, hotel and airfare, adjusted exactly as the traveler wishes. May include city tours, theater tickets, and other “independent ” options, and may also include custom mapping/routing to accomplish the client’s goals. It now is more commonly used as an acronym for Flexible Independent Travel.  It describes a type of travel or tourism that does not incorporate a packaged tour but is nonetheless customized by a travel-selling professional.

Fjord – a narrow inlet from the ocean, usually bounded by cliffs, and with spectacular scenery. Most are located in Alaska, Norway, and New Zealand.

Flight Attendant – Commonly referred to as stewards/stewardesses and air hosts/hostesses, flight attendants are available to ensure the safety and comfort of the passengers of an aircraft.

Flight Crew – Sometimes called the aircrew, the flight crew consists of everyone hired by the airlines on a flight, including pilots, pursers, and flight attendants.

Fly/drive tour – An F.I.T. package that always includes air travel and a rental car and sometimes other travel components.

Fly-drive package – a travel package featuring airfare, rental car, and perhaps hotels. Usually less expensive than booking each separately.

Folio – An itemized record of a guest’s charges and credits which is maintained in the front office until departure. Also referred to as a guest bill or guest statement.

Fore – Directional term. Towards the front of the craft, lengthwise, such as the bow of a ship or the nose of a plane. Opposite of aft.

Frequent Flier Program – A program that a traveler can enroll in that earns them rewards such as free flights on a particular airline for being a loyal customer of that airline.

Frequent Flier – One who flies frequently.

Frequent Independent travel (F.I.T.) – A custom-designed, prepaid travel package with many

Full house – A hotel with all guest rooms occupied.

Full service hotel – a hotel with restaurant facilities.

Function room – A special room that is used primarily for private parties, banquets, and meetings. Also called banquet rooms.

Funnel flight – a flight, such as on a regional or commuter carrier that “feeds “larger planes which continue on to other destinations. Also, the use of a single flight number for an itinerary that really involves a connection with two separate flight numbers, thus making the itinerary appear to be a direct flight with a change of aircraft as opposed to a connection. Just call it a connection and be done with it.

Fuselage – The aircraft’s main body section, the cylindrical, central piece that contains the cabin and holds the crew and cargo.

Galley – The kitchen/kitchenette area of a plane or train or ship. On a plane, the galley may be a small affair with a simple arrangement and a few carts.

Gate-Airport – The specific area in an airport where passengers board a plane for a flight. Gates are located in concourses.

Gateway – City, airport, or area from which a flight or tour departs.

GDS – Global Distribution Systems – A system containing information about availability, prices, and related services for Airlines, Car Companies, Hotel Companies, Rail Companies, etc. and through which reservations can be made and tickets can be issued. A GDS also makes some or all of these functions available to subscribing travel agents, booking engines, and airlines. The GDS leaders are Amadeus, Apollo/Galileo/Worldspan, Sabre.

Geotourism – this is “tourism that sustains or enhances the distinctive geographical character of a place.

Global distribution system (GDS) – An international computer reservation system that accesses many databases of suppliers, airlines, etc. in different countries, such as Sabre.

Graduation travel – graduation travel is a milestone category of travel which refers to travel celebrating a graduation typically from high school or college.

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) – solar based time in Greenwich, England, fun which time in all other time zones in the world is based.

Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) – a measurement of the enclosed space in a ship. Cruise ships in the 70,000 ton range are considered “superliners”.

Ground operator – See receptive operator.

Group – several persons, usually 10 or more, traveling together. Group travel is often available at discounted rates.

Group leader – An individual who has been given the responsibility of coordinating tour and travel arrangements for a group. The group leader may act as a liaison to a tour operator or may develop a tour independently (and sometimes serve as the tour director).

Group Rate – A negotiated rate on travel, perhaps a stay or vacation plan, that incentivizes for a large crowd or group that books together.

Group tour – A travel package for an assembly of travelers that has a common itinerary, travel date, and transportation. Group tours are usually prearranged, prepaid, and include transportation, lodging, dining, and attraction admissions. See also escorted group tour.

Group Travel – group travel refers to a category of travel with a group arranged by an outside company or organization or travel with a group of friends and family that you have organized yourself. Some groups are small, private and escorted, while others large.

GST – Goods and Services Tax, such as levied in Canadian Provinces.

Guaranteed share – a cruise term that promises that a companion will be found for a single passenger, at a special rate. That rate will be honored even if the cruise line is unable to find a cabin mate. The rate is usually the going double-rate at that time, and is much less than the single person rate for that cabin.

Guaranteed tour – A tour guaranteed to operate unless canceled before an established cutoff date (usually 60 days prior to departure).

Guest account – See folio.

Guest houses – a guest house is a private house offering accommodations to paying guests.

Guest ranch – a guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is considered a form of agritourism.

Guide or guide service – A person or company qualified to conduct tours of specific localities or attractions.

Guided tour – A local sightseeing trip conducted by a guide.

Half pension – a hotel rate that includes breakfast and one other meal, usually dinner. Sometimes called Modified American Plan (MAP) or demi-pension.

Hard-copy – a printed version of a document, such as an airline ticket or hotel voucher.

Head tax – Fee charged for arriving and departing passengers in some foreign countries.

Hidden-city ticketing – another airline no-no; buying a ticket from A to C with a stop in B. The passenger gets off at B, which was the intended destination anyway. The ticket is purchased because the fare from A to C is LESS than A to B.

High season – the time of year when a destination gets the greatest crowds, and thus can increase hotel and rental car rates, etc. As an example, summertime is high season for travel to Europe (just check the airfares!).

High season – See peak season.

Hiking Trips and tours – a hiking trip or hiking tour is a category of travel vacation or getaway where the traveler is walking or hiking as the major mode of transportation.

Honeymoon Travel – Honeymoon travel is a category of travel where a newly married couple travels while celebrating their marriage.

Hosted group tour – A group tour that features a representative (the host) of the tour operator, destination, or other tour provider, who interacts with the group only for a few hours a day to provide information and arrange for transportation. The host usually does not accompany the group as it travels.

Hostel – an inexpensive accommodation, usually dormitory style, popular with the student crowd – thus the term “youth hostel”.

Hotel – a hotel is an establishment providing accommodations, meals, and other services for travelers and tourists.

House – A synonym used for hotel.

Hub – an airport or city in which an airline has a major presence and many flights to other destinations. As an example, Delta has a hub in Atlanta. Many carriers use the hub-and-spoke system to maximize profits by keeping the aircraft in the air as much as possible. Flights to the hub are many, and from there flights too many other destinations are scheduled.

Hub-and-spoke itinerary – A travel routing design that uses a central destination as the departure and return point for day trips to outlying destinations and attractions.

Hurricane season – in the Caribbean primarily, and the Southeastern US, a period from June through October during which such storms are likely to occur.

IATA – International airline industry trade group, headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with executive offices in Geneva, Switzerland.

IATAN – International Airlines Travel Agent Network – administers the IATAN card, the only widely accepted form of legitimate travel agent identification.

In season – meaning only available at certain times of the year.

In transit – en route; in the process of traveling.

Inbound operator – A receptive operator that usually serves groups arriving from another country.

Inbound tour – A tour for groups of travelers whose trip originates in another location, usually another country.

Incentive or incentive commission – See override.

Incentive tour – A trip offered as a prize, particularly to stimulate the productivity of employees or sales agents.

Incentive trave l – travel as a reward for an employee’s outstanding performance.

Incidental Charge – Items and services billed to a room after their use, such as movies, phone calls, etc.

Incidentals – Charges incurred by the participants of a tour, but which are not included in the tour price.

Inclusive tour – a package tour that bundles transportation, accommodations, transfers, sightseeing, possibly some meals, etc.

Inclusive tour – See all-inclusive package.

Independent tour – A travel package in which a tour operator is involved only with the planning, marketing, and selling of the package, but is not involved with the passengers while the tour is in progress.

In-flight Service – Entertainment (movies, television, etc.), meals, beverages and other items made available during a flight for the convenience of the passenger.

Inside cabin – a stateroom aboard ship that has no window. Sometimes smaller, but at times the same size as an outside cabin.

Intercontinental – Having to do with two continents. In travel, transit from one continent to another. Not to be confused with transcontinental.

interline connection – a flight on one airline that connects to a flight on another carrier – these tickets are usually more expensive than flying all on one carrier but may be the only way to get to a destination in some cases.

Intermodal tour – A tour that uses several forms of transportation, such as a plane, motorcoach, cruise ship, and train.

International Air Transport Association – International airline industry trade group, headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with executive offices in Geneva, Switzerland.

International Date Line – at 180 degrees longitude, the date on one side of this imaginary line, running from the north to the South Pole, is different from the other. The line runs through the Pacific Ocean, and because of it, it is possible to leave one destination on one day, and arrive in another the day before

International Rate Desk – Utilizes all available resources to ensure the lowest fare for your selected itinerary, including splitting tickets, consolidator fares, and available discounts.

Involvement device – An element of direct mail that gets the reader involved in the process of evaluating and/or responding to the solicitation.

Itinerary – A list of a tour’s or entire trip’s schedule and major travel elements.

Jet Bridge – An enclosed, movable connector which extends from a terminal gate to a plane, allowing passengers to board and disembark without having to go outside.

Jet lag – an upset of one’s biological clock, due to travel across many time zones; not all folks are affected by it.

Jones Act – a law dating back to 1886, that forbids foreign-flagged ships from carrying passengers between US ports with no foreign port stops in-between.

Judgment sample – A sample based on the researcher’s choice of subjects for a study.

Jump Seat – A flight term referring to an auxiliary (extra) seat for persons who are not operating the aircraft, such as the cabin crew or perhaps a trainee.

Kilometer – a measure of distance used in almost all other countries, at about 5/8 mile.

King room – a hotel room with a king bed.

Knot – a nautical measure of speed equaling approx. 1.5 mph. A ship traveling at 15 knots is traveling at about 22 mph.

Kph – kilometers-per-hour – land speed measurement in most other countries. 60 kph equals approx. 36 miles-per-hour.

Land arrangements – all the details of a land portion of a trip (hotel, car, tours, sightseeing, etc.).

Land Destinations – A land destination or travel destination is a place to which one is journeying, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure, adventure and amusement.

Land operator – See receptive operator.

Land Transfers – travel by train, bus, limo or taxi to and from an accommodation, plane or cruise ship.

Land-only – a rate that does NOT include airfare; usually includes most other land-based charges such as accommodations, transfers, taxes, and perhaps other optional items like theme park tickets, rental care, etc.

Last-seat availability – the ability of a travel agent to get, literally, the ” last seat ” for you on a particular flight, either at a certain fare or actually the last remaining seat on an aircraft. See “direct access”.

Late booking fee – a fee due if travel arrangement are made at the last minute. Normally covers express delivery of documents and other last-minute arrangements that may have to be made by a tour operator.

Late Checkout – A more exclusive perk for some guests that allow a few extra hours to check out from the normal hours.

Latitude – imaginary horizontal lines of angular distance, measured in degrees north or south of the equator.

Layover – a period of time spent during a trip, sometimes overnight, while waiting for a transportation connection – usually a change of planes.

Layover – The period of time spent between connecting flights.

LDW – loss damage waiver – additional insurance pertaining to car rentals, covering theft and vandalism in addition to accident damage.

Lead-in price – the lowest available price for a travel product, often pertaining to cabins on a cruise ship. Usually, there are only a few staterooms available on board each cruise liner in this category, but often better accommodations are only slightly higher in price. Rock-bottom price shoppers normally insist on these rates, though they sell out quickly.

Leeward – the side of a ship or an island that is located opposite from the direction of the prevailing wind -the “Leeward Islands” in the Caribbean for example.

Leg – Portion of a journey between two scheduled stops.

Leisure travel – Usually signifies traveling for relaxation, vacation, or to visit friends/family. Travel for pleasure as opposed to business.

Letter of agreement – A letter from the buyer to the supplier accepting the terms of the proposal. This may also be the supplier’s first proposal that has been initialed by the buyer.

Lido deck – usually the deck on a cruise ship that surrounds the pool area.

Limited service hotel – a hotel property without a restaurant.

List broker – A seller of mail lists for direct marketing.

Load factor – The number of passengers traveling on a vehicle, vessel, or aircraft compared to the number of available seats or cabins.

Locater map – A map of an area or a city, showing locations of attractions and hotels.

Lodging – Any establishment that provides shelter and overnight accommodations to travelers.

Logistics – Management of the details of an operation.

Low season – the period when a destination experiences its lowest prices and the fewest number of guests.

Low season – See off peak.

Lower (bed) – in a cruise stateroom, the bed(s) on the floor as opposed to the higher bunks (uppers), if any. On many ships, two lowers can be arranged to make a king or queen bed.

Lowest available fare – the current, lowest airfare available for purchase right then.

Lowest available fare – The most inexpensive flight currently available.

Lowest fare – the lowest published airfare between two cities; may not have seats available at that fare, as the airlines usually have a limited number of those seats on any given flight.

Luxury class – the most expensive, high-class accommodations or category of fare.

Luxury Cruise – Luxury cruises are the most comfortable and convenient way to see the world. Ships are usually smaller in size so the ratio of crew and staff to guests is generally higher than other cruise ships offering that premium service and attention to detail to be expected of exquisite vacations.

Luxury Ocean Cruise – a luxury ocean cruise is an ocean cruise on a luxury cruise ship or luxury cruise liner or passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship’s amenities are a part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way.

Luxury River Cruise – a luxury river cruise is a river cruise on a luxury cruise ship or luxury passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship’s amenities are a part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way.

Luxury travel – while luxury travel is completely subjective to the traveler, it can be loosely defined at travel that constitutes the state of great comfort and extravagant living.

Luxury vacations – a luxury vacation is a vacation that encompasses a state of great comfort and extravagant living.

Macro-environment – The broad forces in society and the business world that impact most companies.

Management Company – A firm that owns several lodging properties.

Manifest – Final official listing of all passengers and/or cargo aboard a transportation vehicle or vessel.

Market demand – The amount of a specific product or service that may be purchased during a certain period of time in a particular geographic area.

Market forecast – The realistic demand within a given time period for the products produced by all companies within a certain industry or product category.

Market – All existing and potential customers for a product or service.

Marketing mix – The 4 Ps of marketing- product, price, promotion, place (distribution).

Marketing plan – A written report that details marketing objectives for a product or service, and recommends strategies for achieving these objectives.

Marketing research – The function that links the consumer, customer, and public to the marketer through the systematic gathering and analyzing of information.

Markup pricing – Pricing a product by adding a standard markup to costs. Also called cost-plus pricing.

Markup – A percentage added to the cost of a product to achieve a selling price.

Master account – The guest account for a particular group or function that will be paid by the sponsoring organization. See folio.

Maximum stay – The longest period of time a traveler can stay at a particular destination and still qualify for the promotion or discounted fare.

Media – Communications channel such as broadcast (radio, TV), print (newspapers, magazines, direct mail), outdoor (billboards), and multimedia (Internet).

Meet-and-greet service – A pre-purchased service for meeting and greeting clients upon arrival in a city, usually at the airport, pier, or rail station, and assisting clients with entrance formalities, collecting baggage, and obtaining transportation.

Meeting/conference tour – A tour designed around a specific meeting or conference for the participants.

Microenvironment – Those forces close to a company that impact operations and marketing programs.

Midships – Directional term. Amidships, sometimes termed midships, is the center of the vessel or aircraft.

Minimum connect time – defined as the minimum time necessary between connecting flights – 30 minutes domestically, usually – ideally, at least an hour. The shortest time required in order to successfully transfer to a connecting flight. It is recommended to select a connecting flight that exceeds the minimum connection time.

Mission statement – The concise description of what an organization is, its purpose, and what it intends to accomplish.

Modified American plan (MAP) – meal plan that includes two daily meals, usually breakfast and dinner.

Motorcoach tour operators – Tour operators that own their own motorcoaches.

Motorcoach Tour – A tour that features the motorcoach as the form of transportation to and from destinations.

Motorcoach – A large, comfortable bus that can transport travelers and their luggage long distances.

MST – Mountain Standard Time.

Multi-day tour – A travel package of two or more days. Most multi-day tours are escorted, all-inclusive packages.

Multigenerational Travel – multigenerational travel is a travel category referring to travel with parents, siblings, kids, grandkids, and assorted family members with the goal to broaden horizons, provide opportunities to reconnect and provide an enriching assortment of shared experiences.

Murder-mystery tour – A tour that features a staged “murder” and involves travelers in solving the crime.

Mystery tour – A journey to unpublicized destinations in which tour takers aren’t told where they will be going until en route or upon arrival.

NACTA – National Association of Career Travel Agents – trade group representing primarily independent and home-based agents, now part of ASTA.

National tourism organization (NTO) – A federal-government-level DMO that promotes country as a travel destination.

Nautical Mile – Unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude. Air-Sea distance measurement of approx. 1.1 statute miles.

Negotiated Rate – A discounted rate offered to a company based on the volume of business you agree to provide the selected vendor.

Net fare, net rate – Implies the commission has already been added to the price of the fare.

Net wholesale rate – A rate usually slightly lower than the wholesale rate, applicable to groups of individuals when a hotel is specifically mentioned in a tour brochure. The rate is marked up by wholesale sellers of tours to cover distribution and promotion costs.

Niche market – A highly specialized segment of the travel market, such as an affinity group with a unique special interest.

No show – a passenger who doesn’t show for a flight, hotel, or rental car booking. A guest with confirmed reservations who does not arrive and whose reservation was not canceled.

Non Stop Flight – Do not land in between your departure and arrival destinations. (I.e. San Francisco to New York)

Non-Changeable Ticket – A ticket that cannot be exchanged for a different route or flight once it’s been purchased.

Non-refundable – a fare that cannot be refunded either in cash or via a credit card credit; very seldom is there an exception.

Non-Refundable Ticket – A ticket that cannot be returned for cash or credit once it’s been purchased, but may be changeable for a fee.

Nonstop – A flight that travels directly to its destination without connections or layovers.

Non-transferable – A ticket that can only be used by the person who was originally scheduled to fly at the time of purchase.

NTSB – National Transportation Safety Board; investigates accidents and other incidents related to public transportation.

Objective and task method – A process for creating a promotion budget that sets objectives first, then defines the tasks needed to achieve those objectives, and then commits funds necessary to perform the tasks.

Occupancy rate – the percent of hotel rooms expected to be filled during a specific time period.

Occupancy – The percentage of available rooms occupied for a given period. It is computed by dividing the number of rooms occupied for a period by the number of rooms available for the same period.

Ocean view cabin – a cabin aboard a cruise ship with a window, such as a porthole or picture-window, and perhaps a balcony/verandah.

OCV – ocean view, usually in reference to a hotel room.

Offline connection – a change of aircraft also involving a change of carriers.

Off-peak – A less expensive time to travel as result of lower consumer volume during these periods.

On-site guide – A tour guide who conducts tours of one or several hours’ duration at a specific building, attraction, or site.

Onsite – An on-site is an expert travel provider that lives in the country they serve and has firsthand knowledge and long-standing relationships with all aspect of travel in their country.

Open jaw – a trip in during which there is no travel by air between two cities, such as a flight to Washington DC, then travel by rental car to Charlotte, NC, then a return by air from Charlotte back to the original departure city.

Open return – an air ticket with no return date specified. Rarely done these days, usually quite expensive and not allowed on most discounted fares.

Open-end question – A question that allows the respondent to provide a free-response answer.

Open-jaw itinerary – A travel routing design that departs from one location and returns to another. For example, travelers may fly into one city and depart from another one. Or a traveler may purchase round-trip transportation from the point of origin to one destination, at which another form of transportation is used to reach a second destination, where the traveler resumes the initial form of transportation to return to the point of origin.

Operations – Performing the practical work of operating a tour or travel program.

Operator – a company providing transportation or travel related services (airline, cruise line, railway, hotel, car Rental Company, etc.).

Operator – See Tour Operator.

Option date – drop dead date on which a reservation must be deposited or cancellation will result.

Optionals – Optional tour features that are not included in the base tour price, such as sightseeing excursions or special activities.

OTA – Online travel agencies, examples include Priceline, Expedia and Orbitz

Outbound – the departure leg of a journey.

Outbound operator – A company that takes groups from a given city or country to another city or country.

Outbound tour – A tour that takes travelers out of the area, usually from a domestic city to another country.

Outside cabin – see “ocean view ” cabin.

Outside salesperson – job description of a travel agency employee who sells travel but is not based primarily in the agency location most of the time.

Overbook – Accepting reservations for more space than is available.

Overbooking – the practice of selling more airline seats than are available on a specific flight, to make up for no-shows. Usually backfires on the carrier and at times can create much consumer ill-will. Requires passengers to be “bumped” – not always voluntarily. To some extent, happens in the hotel industry as well.

Overhead – Those fixed costs involved in regular operations, such as rent, insurance, management salaries, and utilities.

Override – A commission over and above the normal base commission percentage.

Packaged travel – A package in combination of two or more types of tour components into a product which is produced, assembled, promoted and sold as a package by a tour operator for an all-inclusive price.

Passenger facility charge (PFC) – a fee for the use of many airports, added in to the cost of an air ticket – another name for an additional tax on travelers.

Passenger name record (PNR) – The official name of one’s reservation in a computer reservation system (CRS).

Passenger vessel – Ships, yachts, ferries, boats, etc.

Passport/visa service – a service that will take your passport and hand carry, if necessary, to the appropriate embassy in order to expedite a visa. Can be expensive if you have waited until the last minute to obtain a travel visa.

Patronage Program – A program that rewards the customer for loyalty and repeat purchase, such as frequent-flyer programs.

Peak season – A destination’s high season when demand is strong. Also called the high season.

Peninsula – A piece of land that is connected to a mainland or larger piece of land on only one side, while the other sides are surrounded by water.

Per Diem – “by the day;” in the cruise industry, the per-day cost of a cruise, per person.

Per-capita costs – Per-person costs.

Per-capita tour – See scheduled tour.

Perceived value – The ratio of perceived benefits to perceived price.

Personal effects coverage – Additional car rental insurance covering loss of personal property from the rented vehicle.

Point-to-point – refers to the fares between two cities; the service between two cities without additional segments or any continuation.

Port – the place where a ship docks; a place visited by cruise ship; the left side of a vessel.

Port charges/taxes – fees levied by local authorities upon the cruise lines for each passenger visiting a port of call, normally added to the total cruise fare.

Port of Debarkation – Port of Debarkation is the geographic point where personnel arrive on a cruise vessel

Port of Embarkation – Port of Embarkation is the geographic point where personnel depart on a cruise vessel

Port of entry – Destination providing customs and immigration services.

Port-Directional – When facing forward, the side of the ship or aircraft that is on the left.

Porter – A person who handles luggage at an airport, train station, etc.; also called skycap or baggage handler.

Porthole – usually a round, sealed window in a shipboard stateroom.

Posada – a small country hotel (Spanish).

Positioning strategy – The development of a clear, unique, and attractive image for a company and/or product in the minds of target customers.

Positive space – space aboard a ship or aircraft that can be confirmed ahead of time.

Post-Cruise Vacation – a post-cruise vacation is a vacation or getaway prior to a cruise in the town or region of the port of debarkation of the cruise.

PPDO – per person, double occupancy. Most tours and cruises are quoted this way; the average cost to stay in a particular location per day.

Pre- and post-trip tour – An optional extension or side trip package before and/or after a meeting, gathering, or convention.

Pre-Cruise Vacation – a vacation or getaway prior to a cruise in the town or region of the port of embarkation of the cruise.

Pre-deduct commission – When a distributor such as a travel agent takes up front the commission on a sale and sends the supplier the balance of the sales price.

Preferred Supplier – The selection of specific supplier(s) for priority promotion to customers and/or integration in travel packages in exchange for reduced rates and/or higher commission.

Preferred Vendor – The vendor(s) a company specifies as their first choice for travelers.

Preformed group – A pre-existing collection of travelers, such as affinity groups and travel clubs, whose members share a common interest or organizational affiliation.

Prepaid ticket advice – a form used when purchasing an air ticket to be picked up and used by someone else at another airport. E-tickets have reduced the need for this greatly.

Primary research – The collection of data specifically to solve the marketing problem at hand.

Prix fixe – meals offered at a fixed price, usually fairly low, consisting of several courses with no substitutions allowed. Common in Europe.

Profit margin – A dollar value that represents the markup of a product’s price over its costs.

Promotion mix – Promotion tools including advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, and public relations.

Promotional group tour – A travel package composed of tour elements that match the specific needs and wants of niche customers who aren’t part of an organized or preformed group.

Promotional partnership – The combination of two or more companies to offer special incentives to customers.

Prop – referring to propeller-driven aircraft.

Property – A specific lodging structure, such as a hotel, and the ground on which it is built.

Property – A general term that may be used by a place of accommodation that denotes the facility.

Protection overbooking – The practice of blocking space that will likely be in excess of what will actually be needed.

Pseudo-agent – someone claiming to be a travel agent who really isn’t.  They often produce bogus ID cards, and can disappear when problems arise!

PST – Pacific Standard Time.

Psychographics – Measures of a person’s lifestyle. See also AIO variables.

Public relations (PR) – A management function that determines the attitudes and opinions of an organization’s publics, identifies its policies with the interests of its publics, and formulates and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and goodwill.

Public tours – See scheduled tour.

Published fare – an airfare that is listed in the carrier’s tariff.

Pull strategy – A marketing approach that creates demand at the customer level by generating awareness, interest, and desire so customers pull a product through a distribution channel by demanding it.

Purser – aboard ship, the person responsible for providing a wide array of services such as information, making change, stamps, etc. Found at the purser’s desk.

Purser-(Airline) – On a flight, the purser is the head flight attendant, responsible for overseeing the attendants and making sure travelers’ needs are met.

Push strategy – A marketing approach that creates demand at the distributor level by providing resellers with an incentive to push (sell) a product to end consumers.

Quad – a room suitable for four persons.

Quay – a pier – pronounced the same as “key”.

Query – The process of sorting and retrieving information from a database.

Quid – a monetary term for a British pound sterling.

Quota sample – A research sample that involves forming groups based on certain characteristics. A random sample can then be selected form the quota segments.

Rack rate – The published (brochure) rate for a travel component. The price of a hotel prior to discount.

Rate desk – the office of an air carrier that calculates fares for passengers and travel agents.

Reach – The measure of how many people in a market will be exposed to a certain advertisement via a specific medium.

Reasonable number – A forecast of the break-even point for a tour.

Rebate (ing) – the practice of returning part of an agency’s commission on a scale back to the client in the form of a rebate or “discount.” The trade-off is usually little or no personal/customer service. This is practiced often by “800 ” number travel sellers and others who deal in huge volume.

Receptive operator – A local tour company that specializes in services for incoming visitors, often for tour operator groups.

Reconfirm – to double-check a reservation.

Record locator – The number assigned to a reservation in the airlines number. This number is unique, as it will never be assigned again.

Record locator – the number assigned to one’s reservation in an airline’s computer system.

Red-eye flight – An overnight flight that leaves at night and arrives early the next morning.

Referral agent/agency – an ” agent ” that refers business to a travel agency in return for a commission or fee – often as part of a card mill operation

Registry – the formal registration of a ship’s ownership, and the country it is registered in (such as Panama, Liberia, Norway, etc.).

Reissue – the generation of a new ticket that is exchanged for another, due to a change of plans, dates, flights, etc. May involve additional fare, penalties and fees.

Relationship marketing – The process of building and nurturing ongoing, solid relationship with customers.

Repositionin g – the moving of a cruise ship to another home port for all of part of a season, such as the repositioning of ships to Alaska for the summer. Often these cruises are excellent bargains, but will involve one-way airfare home from the port of debarkation.

Res – short for “reservation”.

Research constraints – Those issues, such as cost and timing that will limit the scope of marketing research.

Reseller – See retailer and wholesaler.

Reservation fee – A customer payment for a certain percentage of the travel package price that’s made immediately after booking.

Responsible Tourism – Travel that extends beyond being merely environmentally responsible, to being culturally-conscious and economically-aware, locally.

Retail price – The actual price a customer pays for a travel element or tour.

Retail tour – See scheduled tour.

Retailer – A middleman, such as a travel agent, who sells directly to the customer.

Retirement travel – retirement travel is a category of travel referring to when a traveler is has retired from a career and commences to travel.  Travel done after retirement age.

Rollaway – a cot or other bedding that can be added to a hotel room to accommodate another guest. There is often an extra charge for this.

Romantic Destinations – romance destination and romance travel is a category of travel that involves travel involving a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love and often refers to travel associated with a wedding, honeymoon, wedding anniversary, babymoon or another type of romantic getaway.

Room Night – In the hotel (hospitality) industry, a room night, room/night occupancy, is a measure of occupancy where a room is the unit of measure.

Room Occupancy – In the hotel (hospitality) industry, a room night, room/night occupancy, is a measure of occupancy where a room is the unit of measure.

Room rates – The various rates used by lodging properties to price rooms. These include- day rate (usually one half the regular rate for a room used by a guest during the day up to 5 p.m.-sometimes called a use rate), flat rate (a specific room rate for a group agreed upon by the hotel and group in advance), group rate (same as flat rate), net group rate ( a wholesale rate for group business to which an operator may add a markup if desired), net wholesale rate ( a rate usually lower than the group rate and applicable to groups or individuals when a hotel is specifically mentioned in a tour folder), and published rate ( a full rate available to or advertised to the public-also called the rack rate.)

Rooming list – A printout of the names of all tour participants that also lists special lodging requests and provides a spot for the hotel or cruise ship to fill in the passenger’s room number.

Round trip – A flight to a single destination and a return.

Run-of-house (ROH) – refers to a hotel room, the type of which is assigned at the discretion of the hotel shortly before you arrive. Usually, the rates are lower.

Run-of-ship – cabin is assigned at the last moment, giving the cruise line the ability to shift accommodations as needed. Usually, you are guaranteed a minimum category of cabin, and sometimes get an upgraded stateroom at no additional cost. Most upgrades are from inside-to-inside cabins, or from outside-to-outside but occasionally an inside-to-ocean view upgrade will occur. It is not always worth the gamble though.

Run-of-the-house rate – A flat rate for which a lodging property agrees to offer any of its available rooms to a group. Final assignment of the rooms is at the discretion of lodging management.

Sabre® – A computerized travel reservation system.

Safaris – Today the negative hunting connotations of the word ‘safari’ are being rapidly replaced by more modern associations with socially and environmentally responsible travel. Safari travel typically implies that the journey will include game viewing and some time spent in wilderness areas (game reserves and national parks). A traditional is usually focused on seeing wildlife, but safaris are definitely not limited to game viewing.  Safaris are now for admiring wildlife and birds in the wild, along with a host of other adventures. Safaris have largely developed into vacation trips that actually benefit the wildlife by supporting local conservation efforts and wildlife sanctuaries. As opposed to hunting the animals, visitors get to encounter them and help make a difference in protecting the species. Safari companies either actively contribute towards conservation projects or help generate tourism revenue which is used to manage wildlife projects and game reserves. The modern safari is also a socially responsible journey designed to interact ethically with local communities and have a positive impact on local economies. The cultural interactions offered by reputable safari operators do not exploit local people. The local communities benefit from sustainable tourism through employment and financial gains from selling goods and services.

Sales margin – A term used by resellers to describe profit as a percentage of sales revenue.

Sample – The portion of a population chosen to represent the population being studied for research.

Saturday night stay – A requirement by the airlines that your travel must involve a Saturday night stay over in order to obtain our lowest fare.

Saturday night stay – In order to receive a specialty fare, a Saturday stay over is sometimes required.

Scandals tour – A light-hearted history tour that shows locations where interesting scandals took place.

Scheduled carrier – An airline that offers regularly scheduled flights between destinations.

Scheduled flights – Air flights that are publicly scheduled and promoted by major airlines.

Scheduled tour – A tour that’s set in a tour operator’s regular schedule of tour departures and that’s often sold to the general public. Also called public tour or retail tour.

Sea bands – a product resembling a bracelet that is worn on the wrists and operates via acupressure.

Wearers claim that seasickness can be avoided by their use, thus eliminating the need for drugs such as Dramamine, etc.

Sea legs – the ability to move around on a ship without losing balance and without sea sickness.

Secondary information – Research data that was collected by another company or person and usually for a purpose that’s different than the research objectives and tasks at hand.

Sectioning system (GPS) – system of satellites that allows miniature radio receivers on earth to pinpoint one’s location within a few feet. Most cruise ships make use of this system to navigate the world’s oceans.

Segment – a “leg” or part of a journey, usually in reference to an air itinerary. One take-off and landing during air travel constitutes a “segment”.

Segment – One leg or portion of a trip. The segment begins when you board the plane and ends when you de-board the plane. (I.e. A connecting flight from San Francisco to New York through Chicago equals 2 segments)

Self-drive – a rental car (British term).

Service non comprise – in French, meaning “service not included”.

Shells – Preprinted brochures with photos, illustrations, and graphics but no text; also called slicks.

Shore excursio n – tours that are purchased as an option when visiting ports of call while on a cruise; can sometimes be bought before you cruise.

Shore excursion – A land tour, usually available at ports of call, sold by cruise lines or tour operators to cruise passengers.

Shoulder season – a period of time between high and low seasons, where prices at a destination are between their highest and lowest, and the crowds are thinner.

Shoulder season – Those periods between the peak and off season when destination demand is moderate.

Sightseeing companies – Organizations that provide local guided tours.

Sightseeing guide – See driver/guide.

Sightseeing tour – Short excursions of usually a few hours that focus on sightseeing and/or attraction visits.

Simple random sample – A sample that draws a group of respondents randomly from all members of the population.

Single Room – A room that is only guaranteed to comfortably accommodate one guest. May also be called a “Standard Room.”

Single Supplement – An additional charge added to a solo traveler, when prices were originally quoted for dual occupancy.

Sleeper – the sleeping compartment aboard a train.

Soft adventure – an outdoor travel experience that is not especially physically demanding, such as a canyon horseback trail ride or a hot-air balloon flight.

Sommelier – A wine professional, usually hired by the most upscale restaurants and establishments, on staff to primarily suggest wine and food pairing to patrons.

Spa – a resort area centered around a mineral springs, hot springs and the like, typically where one can find massage, hydrotherapy, exercise, steam baths, etc.

Special event tour – A travel package that features major happenings, such as concerts or sporting events, as the reason for the journey.

Special fare – Any fare that deviates from normal pricing (typically discounted).

Special interest tour – a tour catering to the needs of a specific interest, such as bird-watching, whale-watching, river rafting, mountain biking, rain forest exploration among many others.

Split itinerary – An itinerary in which part of the group does one thing while the other part does something else.

Split Ticket – Issuing multiple tickets for one round-trip journey. This is done to reduce the total cost of the entire reservation.

Sports Tourism – sports tourism refers to travel which involves either observing or participating in a sporting event staying apart from their usual environment.

Stabilizer – a device on most all cruise vessels, to reduce pitch and roll when at sea – the movement that can cause seasickness. Stabilizers are often pulled in at night in order to allow faster speeds when traveling between ports of call.

Standby – Referring to a passenger who does not have a confirmed seat on the intended flight.

Star Service – a critical guide describing in detail many hotel and cruise ship properties. Can be subjective, as it is based on someone’s opinion, but provides a travel agent with a non-commercial point-of-view.

Starboard – the right side of a ship.

Stateroom – A private cabin or compartment with sleeping accommodations on a ship or train.

Step-on guide – A tour guide who boards a motorcoach to give detailed, expert commentary about the city or area being visited.

Stern – the rear of a ship.

Stopover – a planned stayover in a city for a day or more, while enrooted to another destination. Sometimes adds significantly to the cost of an air ticket.

Strategic plan – A report that describes a company’s mission statement, goals, objectives and strategic actions.

Student visa – permission to enter a country, issued to a student, normally for the purpose of attending school in that country.

Subcontractor – A local operator who provides services for a wholesaler.

Suite – a hotel accommodation with more than one room, or sometimes a single room with distinct sleeping and living areas and often a kitchenette. A suite in a hotel or other public accommodation denotes a class of accommodations with more space and amenities than a typical accommodation room. Luxury or upscale accommodations often have a scaled range of suites progressively increasing in size, luxury and amenities starting with a junior suite and culminating in the largest and most luxurious suite which is often called a presidential or royal suite.

Supplier – any company that supplies travel and/or related services to the traveling public. The actual producer and seller of travel components.

Surface – travel over land that does not involve an aircraft.

SWOT analysis – A summary of a company’s strengths and weaknesses, and the environmental opportunities and threats that will most influence it.

T&E – Travel and Entertainment expenses.

Target market – The group of customers who will be the focus of a company’s marketing efforts.

Tariff – a schedule of prices/fares.

Telemarketing – Direct marketing via the telephone.

Tender – a small boat or ferry that carries passengers from an anchored cruise ship to the pier at a port of call. Many ships are too large for existing port facilities at some destinations, and so they anchor just off shore and “tender “their passengers in for their visit.

Terminal – A building where clients report for trips via train, plane, etc.; also called a depot or a station.

TGV – the term applied to the French high-speed train system.

Theme cruise – a cruise devoted to a specific interest, such as big bands, country western, Star Trek, exercise and weight-loss, cooking and cuisine, and many more. There is usually a theme cruise to suit just about any interest.

Theme tour – A tour that’s designed around a concept of specific interest to the tour takers, such as history or sports.

Through passenger – a passenger who is not disembarking at a particular stop while enrooted to the final destination.

Ticket stock – Blank airline tickets.

Tickler system – A method for monitoring reservations and payments that’s arranged by date and points out late payments so customers can be contacted.

Tiered override pla n – When commissions rise proportionately with a corresponding increase in sales.

Tiered pricing – When suppliers offer different prices to receptive operators, tour operators, and group leaders, so each party can earn a profit by marking up the supplier’s price while still offering a fair price to customers.

Tour broker – See tour operator.

Tour catalog – A publication by tour wholesalers listing their tour offerings. Catalogs are distributed to retail agents who make them available to their customers. Bookings by retail agents are commissionable.

Tour Company – A tour company or tour operator typically combines tour and travel components to create a packaged vacation. They advertise and produce brochures to promote their products, vacation and itineraries.

Tour conductor – the person who accompanies and is in charge of a tour, often on a motor coach tour. See tour director.

Tour departure – The date of the start by any individual or group of a tour program or, by extension, the entire operation of that single tour.

Tour director – Also called tour manager, tour conductor, and tour escort. The person who is responsible for a group on tour and for most aspects of a tour’s execution.

Tour escort – See tour director.

Tour guide – A person qualified (and often certified) to conduct tours of specific locations or attractions.

See also step-on guide, city guide, on-site guide, and docent.

Tour manager – See tour director.

Tour manual – A compendium of facts about a destination, tour procedures, forms, and other information that a tour operator gives to its tour directors.

Tour menu – A menu that limits group clients to two or three choices.

Tour operator – A person or company that contracts with suppliers to create and/or market a tour and/or subcontract their performance.

Tour order – A voucher given to the purchaser of a tour package that identifies the tour, the seller, and the fact that the tour is prepaid. The purchaser then uses this form as proof of payment and receives vouchers for meals, porterage, transfers, entrance fees, and other expenses. See also voucher.

Tour planner – A person who researches destinations and suppliers, negotiates contracts, and creates itineraries for travel packages.

Tour rate – See group rate.

Tour series – Multiple departures to the same destination throughout the year.

Tour – A prearranged, prepaid journey to one or more destinations that generally returns to the point of origin, is usually arranged with an itinerary of leisure activities, and includes at least two travel elements.

Tourism – The business of providing marketing services and facilities for leisure travelers.

Tourist card – a card issued to a visitor in lieu of a visa, usually for a short duration visit.

Tourist – This is the majority of adult travelers, when not vacationing. Tourists may be couples, families, or just a person or two who visit locations.

Tours – a tour is a journey for pleasure which includes the visiting of a number of places in sequence, especially with an organized group often led by a guide.

Tracking study – A survey of customers before and after implementing a promotion campaign to assess changes in consumer behavior.

Trans-canal – passing through the Panama Canal.

Transcon – Having to do with crossing a continent. For example, travel of this sort would be from one end of a continent to another.

Transcontinental – Having to do with crossing a continent. For example, travel of this sort would be from one end of a continent to another.

Transfer – Local transportation and porterage from one carrier terminal to another, from a terminal to a hotel, or from a hotel to an attraction.

Transient Occupancy Tax – Also known as a Bed Tax, it is a City or County tax added to the price of the room.

Transient – A person who stays in a place for just a short while; not a permanent resident, such as a visitor or tourist.

Transit visa – A visa allowing the holder to stop over in a country or make a travel connection or a brief visit.

Transportation – Any method of moving travelers from one point in a journey to another, such as air, ship, rail, and motor coach travel.

Travel advisor – a travel advisor simplifies the time-consuming and complicated process of planning travel for their customers in addition to providing consultation services and entire travel packages. They may book flights, cruises, rental cars and hotels, as well as resort stays and events. Agents cater to a wide demographic, serving both individuals and corporations. They may also concentrate in a special segment of travel; many advisors specialize in leisure, business or group travel, or destination-specific journeys.

Travel advisory – a travel warning issued by the US Department of State, indicating a special caution should be taken in a country due to political unrest, natural disaster, or other special situation. These can be obtained from any good travel agent, on any area you are considering visiting.

Travel agency – Usually used in the travel industry to refer to an ARC-appointed storefront retailer.

Travel agent – A person or firm qualified to arrange for lodging, meals, transportation, cruises, tours, and other travel elements, typically on a commission basis. A travel agent simplifies the time-consuming and complicated process of planning travel for their customers in addition to providing consultation services and entire travel packages. They may book flights, cruises, rental cars and hotels, as well as resort stays and events. Agents cater to a wide demographic, serving both individuals and corporations. They may also concentrate in a special segment of travel; many agents specialize in leisure, business or group travel, or destination-specific journeys.

Travel component – Transportation, lodging, dining, attractions, entertainment, guide services, and other travel elements offered as part of a travel package.

Travel Destination – a place to which one is journeying.

Travel Experience – A travel experience or experiential travel (also known as immersion travel) as it is commonly referred to, is a form of tourism in which people focus on experiencing a country, city or particular place by connecting to its history, people and culture.

Travel Institute – the primary educational and certification arm of the travel industry. Was formerly the “Institute of Certified Travel Agents” (ICTA), located in Wellesley, Mass.

Travel Insurance – Travel insurance is insurance that is intended to cover medical expenses, trip cancellation, lost luggage, flight accident and other losses incurred while traveling, either internationally or within one’s own country.

Travel Itinerary – a travel itinerary is a travel plan or organization of your travel and involves all of the details, times and dates concerning things like airline, cruises and train transportation confirmations, hotel, villa and accommodation reservations, rental car information, restaurant reservations and much more.

Travel Policy – A fluid internal document, pertinent to the company’s culture that outlines the guidelines for business travel and expenses within a company.

Travel rewards – Travel reward programs are often referred to as a loyalty rewards program, and they are generally a campaign devised to generate repeat customers for a particular company by offering a point gratification system for the customers’ business. They are also meant to provide customers with a “thank you” for their loyalty to a company’s product or service. That benefit is typically some sort of discount on certain items or services. Travel specialist – a travel specialist is a travel agent or travel advisor that concentrates in a special segment of travel; many travel agents or travel advisors specialize in leisure, group or business travel, or destination specific travel.

Travel Tours – a travel tour is a journey for pleasure which includes the visiting of a number of places in sequence, especially with an organized group often led by a guide.

Traveler – One who travels.

Travelogues – Many travel websites are online travelogues or travel journals, usually created by individual travelers and hosted by companies that generally provide their information to consumers for free. These companies generate revenue through advertising or by providing services to other businesses. This medium produces a wide variety of styles, often incorporating graphics, photography, maps, and other unique content.

Trip director – An escort for an incentive company. Larger companies reserve this title for the person who directs all personnel and activities for a particular incentive trip.

Trundle Bed – Bed that stores itself under another bed, usually on casters. Often found in smaller hotel rooms or in cramped transport accommodations.

Turn – Airline parlance. A flight that leaves base and returns back to base in the same day. Also known as a turnaround.

Turnaway – A potential reservation that couldn’t be satisfied because the tour (or hotel, ship, etc.) was fully booked.

Twenty-four hour time – used extensively in Europe and other countries, 1pm becomes 1300 hours, 4pm is 1500 hours, etc., up to 2359 ( 1159pm ). Midnight is then considered 2400 or “zero ” hours. 1-20am is then 0120 or “one hour, twenty minutes “and so on. Most schedules and timetables in the majority of other countries are listed in the 24-hour format.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites – a UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place (such as a building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, or mountain) that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as being of special cultural or physical significance.

Unlimited mileage – No mileage restriction when renting a car.

Unrestricted fare – an airfare that has no special advance purchase, Saturday stay or certain days to travel requirements, and is usually refundable. Many full coach and most first-class fares are unrestricted. An airfare with no limitations. It is typically refundable and has no blackout days.

Upgrade – To move to a better accommodation or class of service.

USTOA – United States Tour Operators Association – a trade association which requires its members to be very financially stable and to have a million dollars or more in funds set aside for consumer protection against defaults. Visit www.ustoa.com for more information.

Value added tax (VAT) – a tax on goods in Europe, which under certain circumstances can be refunded.

Value season – similar to shoulder or low season, when pricing is lower. See off season.

Value – The relationship between the benefits associated with a product or service and the costs of obtaining the product or service. See also perceived value.

Value-added tax (VAT) – A type of tax system which adds a fixed percentage of taxation on products and services at each step of production or service delivery.

Value-based pricing – Pricing a product based on buyer perceptions of value rather than actual product costs.

Variable costs – Costs that change with sales or production levels.

Variance report – A summary of how much a company has gone above or below budget.

Verandah – a roofed-porch, such as connected to a cruise ship stateroom.

VIA rail – the Canadian railway system.

Villas – a large and luxurious country residence. A villa is a fancy vacation home. The word has been around ever since ancient Roman times to mean “country house for the elite.” In Italian, villa means “country house or farm.” Most villas include a large amount of land and often barns, garages, or other outbuildings as well.

VIP experiences – a VIP Experience is the most exclusive way to go behind the scenes or experience a travel destination, accommodation or mode of transportation.

Visa – usually a stamp in a passport allowing entry into a country for a specific purpose and a finite amount of time.

Visa service – a service that can expedite the processing of a visa, sometimes even at the last minute. A fee is charged that varies, depending on the nature of the service needed. Visas are usually stamped into the pages of a valid passport and are issued for varying reasons and periods of time. Not all countries require them, especially for United States Citizens.

Volume incentive – See override.

Volume purchase – The purchase of large quantities of a product or service.

Voucher – Documents that are exchanged for goods and service to substantiate payment that will be or already has been made.

Voyage – a voyage is a long journey involving travel by sea or in space.

Waitlist – A list of clients awaiting transportation or accommodations at times when they are not available. Waitlisted clients are confirmed as a result of subsequent cancellations.

Waiver – a written acknowledgement that a passenger has declined something, such as insurance coverage for a trip, for example. Also, the formal acknowledgement of the waiving or dismissal of a requirement, such as a waiver of a penalty for late booking, etc.

Waiver – A written acknowledgement that a passenger has declined something.

Walk-up – one who purchases an air ticket at the last moment, usually at the airport ticket counter.

Wants – Ways in which a person satisfies a basic need.

Wellness Travel – wellness travel is a category of travel for the purpose of promoting health and well-being through physical, psychological, or spiritual activities

Wet bar – the area of a hotel room that has a bar or other counter space with running water, used for the preparation of drinks.

Wholesale – Sale of travel products through an intermediary in exchange for a commission or fee generally at reduced tariffs.

Word-of-mouth promotion – Personal communication about a product or service from one customer to another.

World Travel Guide – a yearly publication that provides detailed information on most every country in the world, with entries on currency, transportation, climate, visa and passport requirements, sightseeing opportunities, etc. A primary book of knowledge for the professional travel agent.

Yield management – Calculating and analyzing the profits earned per customer.

World Travel Agency, LLC is owned and operated by Michael and Cheryl LaBaw. We are a husband and wife team dedicated to working together with our clients to insure they travel well. World Travel Agency, LLC is an independent affiliate of Andavo Travel, a Virtuoso® Member. Travel should be more than just a journey, it should be a series of unforgettable experiences. We work hard to ensure our clients’ trips are always stimulating, authentic and – above all else – fun... READ MORE

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Tour Operator vs Travel Agent: What’s the Difference?

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Written by Kyle Kroeger

Are you planning for your next trip? Today is the best time to think about exploring and visiting places worldwide.

Sure, you might have the drive and a rough idea of what you’d like to see and do, but planning that all can be a hassle, and after the pandemic, the hassle is the last thing you want to deal with.

One question you might consider is: Should you talk with a tour operator or a travel agent to help plan your trip? Here’s a clearer picture of what you’ll get from both in our tour operator vs travel agent comparison.

What is a Tour Operator?

A tour operator is responsible for creating a variety of tour packages for target clients. Their job is to maintain the packages, foster connections worldwide, and ensure that all the sites included in the package are operational.

They also make sure that guests are welcomed to the destinations with a number of special local tours included in the packages that they offer.

How do tour operators work?

Their job is managing tour packages, including the preparations for every destination.

What tasks do operators commonly handle?

Alongside offering travel and tours, a good operator also ensures that they go above and beyond by offering various activities that appeal to their target travelers.

Will they be able to help you plan a trip that is exclusive to just your group? Yup, they can definitely accommodate special requests. That’s the beauty of hiring a tour operator. They can personalize the whole trip to fit your liking.

Is working with a tour operator worth it?

The answer will depend on how much travel you want to do. If you’ve chosen to work with a tour operator, be prepared for a wide range of options that they could offer. On the flip side, you have to prepare for the limitations in their practice.

Tour operators usually work around what they think their clients would want to do or where clients would want to go, and their suggestions will be based on their opinions and experiences.

Their perspective of various travel destinations could limit their ideas of what can be done in that particular location if just based on their info and experiences. It could also limit what the traveler can choose to do while they are there.

Will you be able to save on costs when you talk with a travel operator? Working closely with them surely comes with a number of benefits, and that includes savings.

Looking at the bigger picture, a travel operator can offer you a whole itinerary minus the extra costs of working with a travel agent.

What do Travel Agents do?

What does it mean to hire a travel agent? Working with a travel agent means preparing a pre-made package travel itinerary to fit your needs. Travel agents work with various types of travel operators, which means they have access to different tour packages.

They can offer all these packages; from there, you can choose which suits your travel plans. Travel agents can also help you with the accommodations you wish to make. When traveling with family or friends, the agent can help you decide on the accommodations and other excursions you wish to make.

Travel agents have some leeway in accommodating your special requests, but they come with a price as they add to the package. Can they get you discounted rates for plane fares?

Luckily, yes. You have to work closely with them as they negotiate the rates with the travel operators on your behalf.

Tour Operator vs Travel Agent: How are they different?

Some people might be wondering whether they should acquire the services of a tour operator or if getting help from a travel agent is better. You want to ensure you hire the right one for the job.

Tour operator vs. travel agent: What’s the catch? Who do you trust with your travel goals? Who is better than providing you with what you need?

How much do travel agents make? That figure varies, but their earnings typically come from the commissions from selling packages.

Whether you hire a tour operator or a travel agent , be prepared to be given their unique perspective on destinations and how to get there.

They have their touch when it comes to travel details and planning. To the untrained eye, it may seem like a thin line that separates one from the other, but they are different horses for different courses.

Tour operators are the people you trust when you want a personalized plan for your itinerary. They put together a travel tour based on tourist spots you want to visit and the comfort of your stay in every location. Their goal is to create a personalized experience that you will never forget.

Here is a comparison of what a travel agent does and what a tour operator does:

What does a travel agent do? How do travel agents work?

Travel agents are the ones that sell a pre-made travel itinerary to target consumers. For example, if you plan to travel with the entire family, including young children, the travel agent will offer you tour packages that suit your type of family .

Their goal is to convince you that a particular travel plan is what you need.

Are travel agents worth it?

It is important to note that travel agents directly sell a travel package to a chosen clientele.

While they don’t typically limit the choices to just one, they will ensure that the clients can narrow their search for the most appropriate packages with the agent’s help. Working closely with tourist attractions , hotels, and airlines allows travel agents to represent various travel operators and host a variety of pre-made packages.

Their goal is to offer various types of travel tours, offering a different experience every time. The limitations of their job are what suits their clients.

At this point, the only question left to ask is this: What is the cost difference? Can a travel agent save you money on flights? Hiring a tour operator means paying for the entire tour’s base cost without additional fees. You get to pay for what you want and nothing else.

On the other hand, working with a travel agent means gaining access to many comprehensive packages, including travel, activities, excursions, food, and accommodation.

There might be extra stuff you wouldn’t have thought of doing before. Your package might include everything you want from a vacation, which would cost more if you booked everything individually with a tour operator.

How Are Tour Operators and Travel Agents Similar?

What makes travel operators and travel agents similar to each other? What tasks do tour operators commonly handle? The line differentiating one from the other may be considered a gray area.

When you look closely into what they do and see how tour operators work, it might be easy to think that they practically do the same thing, only with a different approach.

And yet, it is in the very nature of what they do that brings travel operators and travel agents together . When building packages, many travel agents will work alongside tour operators.

Looking into the different perspectives they offer, both the tour operator and the travel agent focus on selling the experience. Whenever tour operators put together a list of travel destinations they think clients would want to visit , they always have the idea of the “ultimate experience” in their minds.

They always consider what the clients want to do or where they want to go. The same is true whenever travel agents offer tour packages to clients. They always bank on the “ultimate experience” and make that their selling point. They want to ensure that every time they offer a travel package to a particular set of clients, it’s the right package for the right client.

What’s better about hiring a tour operator?

Will you choose to travel with a travel operator? Choosing to hire a tour operator will allow you truly personalize your own vacation. All that is left for you to do is to choose which of their options suits your taste.

There are a number of advantages that come with hiring a tour operator. First, you gain access to a number of tour packages that they will have been building and fostering that are less typical than the sort of cookie-cutter packages you’d get from a travel agent.

Since tour operators spend so much time putting together these travel packages, you can be sure they’ve put real heart and soul into their offerings.

Second, hiring a tour operator means buying yourself the personalized experience of a lifetime. They aim to create bespoke packages to give you an experience you will never forget.

Lastly, hiring a travel operator means gaining access to the base rates they can offer for tours, activities, accommodation, food, etc. You can even ask for discounted rates if you wish. After all, the savings from hiring a travel operator will mean additional pocket money for you.

What’s better about hiring a travel agent?

Every travel agent works with a wider variety of travel and tour operators, which means they can offer you a wider range of travel packages. Each travel package they offer will be comprehensive, with many amenities and activities included.

The advantages of working with a travel agent are numerous. For one, it means gaining access to various travel options.

Whether you are looking for an adventure to the great outdoors or want to explore the beaches of a tropical island, your desired destination is what a travel agent offers. The best part is that they can offer more than one travel package .

Second, if you choose to hire a travel agent, the effort you must put into planning and booking plummets.

They take care of most of the heavy lifting, including figuring out essentially where you stay and what you do based on your rough specifications.

Lastly, hiring a travel agent will be worth it because of all the savings you can potentially get from it. If you look at a comprehensive travel package and then try to build it yourself, you’ll find that the travel agent has access to inter-industry deals that you, I, and even some tour operators have access to.

Who should hire a travel operator?

You should consider a travel operator if you are looking for a personalized experience and want a hand in building it.

Who should hire a travel agent?

Anyone looking for an adventure or break who doesn’t want the hassle of figuring it out or paying more than one bill/fee for their vacation. They’re the one-stop shop.

Related Resources

• Pros and Cons of Being a Travel Agent: Is It Stressful?
• Best Travel Agent Jobs to Start a Tourism Career
• How to Become a Home-Based Travel Agent

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Chapter 2. Travel Services

2.1 Components of Travel Services

The travel services sector helps travellers arrange and reserve their vacation or business trips (StatsCan, 2018). This sector is made up of businesses and organizations that work in a coordinated effort to provide travellers with seamless arrangements to maximize their travel experience. Go2HR describes travel services experiences and employment opportunities as follows:

Within this sector, you have the flexibility of working in various capacities with event and conference planning organizations, travel companies and organizations, as well as associations, government agencies and companies that specialize in serving the needs of the tourism sector as a whole. (go2HR, Essential Tips – Travel Services, 2020)

Before we move on, let’s explore the term travel services a little more. As detailed in Chapter 1 , Canada, the United States, and Mexico have used the NAICS guidelines, which define the tourism industry as consisting of transportation, accommodation, food and beverage, recreation and entertainment, and travel services (Tourism HR Canada, 2020).

For many years, however, the tourism industry was classified into eight sectors: accommodations, adventure and recreation, attractions, events and conferences, food and beverage, tourism services, transportation, and travel trade (Yukon Department of Tourism and Culture, 2020; go2HR, 2020, What is Tourism? – Travel Services).

Tourism services support industry development and the delivery of guest experiences, and some of these are missing from the NAICS classification. To ensure you have a complete picture of the tourism industry, this chapter will cover both the NAICS travel services activities and some additional tourism services.

First, we’ll review the components of travel services as identified under NAICS, as well as exploring popular careers within:

• Travel agencies (brick and mortar)
• Online Travel Agencies/OTA
• Tour operators
• Destination marketing organizations (DMOs)

Other Organizations

Following these definitions and descriptions, we’ll take a look at some other support functions that fall under tourism services. These include sector organizations, tourism and hospitality human resources organizations, training providers, educational institutions, government branches and ministries, economic development and city planning offices, and consultants.

Finally, we’ll look at issues and trends in travel services, both at home, and abroad.

While the application of travel services functions are structured somewhat differently around the world, there are a few core types of travel services in every destination. Essentially, travel services are those processes used by guests to book components of their trip. Let’s explore these services in more detail.

Travel Agencies

A travel agency is a business that operates as the intermediary between the travel industry (supplier) and the traveller (purchaser). Part of the role of the travel agency is to market prepackaged travel tours and holidays to potential travellers. The agency can further function as a broker between the traveller and hotels, car rentals, and tour companies (Goeldner & Ritchie, 2003). Travel agencies can be small and privately owned or part of a larger entity.

A travel agent is the direct point of contact for a traveller who is researching and intending to purchase packages and experiences through an agency. Travel agents can specialize in certain types of travel including specific destinations; outdoor adventures; and backpacking, rail, cruise, cycling, or culinary tours, to name a few. These specializations can help travellers when they require advice about their trips. Some travel agents operate at a fixed address and others offer services both online and at a bricks-and-mortar location. Travellers are then able to have face-to-face conversations with their agents and also reach them by phone or by email. To promote professionalism within the travel industry, travel counsellors can apply for a specialized diploma or certificate in travel from ACTA (ACTA, 2020a; go2HR, 2020a).

Today, travellers have the option of researching and booking everything they need online without the help of a travel agent. As technology and the internet are increasingly being used to market destinations, people can now choose to book tours with a particular agency or agent, or they can be identified as seeking Domestic Independent Travel (DIT) or Foreign Independent Travel (FIT) , by creating their own itineraries from a number of suppliers.

Online Travel Agents (OTAs)

Increasing numbers of travellers are turning to online travel agents (OTAs), companies that aggregate accommodations and transportation options and allow users to choose one or many components of their trip based on price or other incentives. Examples of OTAs include iTravel2000, Booking.com, Expedia.ca, Hotwire.com, and Kayak.com. OTAs continue to gain popularity with the travelers; in 2012, they reported online sales of almost $100 billion (Carey, Kang, & Zea, 2012) and almost triple that figure, upward of $278 billion, in 2013 ( The Economist , 2014).

In early 2015 Expedia purchased Travelocity for $280 million, merging two of the world’s largest travel websites. Expedia became the owner of Hotels.com, Hotwire, Egencia, and Travelocity brands, facing its major competition from Priceline (Alba, 2015).

Although OTAs can provide lower-cost travel options to travellers and the freedom to plan and reserve when they choose, they have posed challenges for the tourism industry and travel services infrastructure. As evidenced by the merger of Expedia and Travelocity, the majority of popular OTA sites are owned by just a few companies, causing some concern over lack of competition between brands. Additionally, many OTAs charge accommodation providers and operators a commission to be listed in their inventory system. Commission-based services, as applied by Kayak, Expedia, Hotwire, Hotels.com, and others, can have an impact on smaller operators who cannot afford to pay commissions for multiple online inventories (Carey, Kang & Zea, 2012). Being excluded from listings can decrease the marketing reach of the product to potential travellers, which is a challenge when many service providers in the tourism industry are small or medium-sized businesses with budgets to match.

While the industry and communities struggle to keep up with the changing dynamics of travel sales, travellers are adapting to this new world order. One of these adaptations is the ever-increasing use of mobile devices for travel booking. The Expedia Future of Travel Report found that 49% of travellers from the millennial generation (which includes those born between 1980 and 1999) use mobile devices to book travel (Expedia Inc., 2014), and these numbers are expected to continue to increase. Travel agencies are reacting by developing personalized features for digital travellers and mobile user platforms (ETC Digital, 2014). With the number of smartphone users expected to reach 1.75 billion in 2014 (CWT Travel Management Institute, 2014) these agencies must adapt as demand dictates.

A key feature of travel agencies’ (and to a growing extent transportation carriers) mobile services includes the ability to have up-to-date itinerary changes and information sent directly to consumers’ phones (Amadeus, 2014). By using mobile platforms that can develop customized, up-to-date travel itineraries for clients, agencies and operators are able to provide a personal touch, ideally increasing customer satisfaction rates.

Take a Closer Look: PATA — The Future of Travel is Personalisation at Scale

“The industry has changed monumentally over the past decade. The rise of meta-search websites and sharing economy services like Airbnb is giving travellers more control and choice than ever before. However, this is nothing compared to the changes that are on the horizon as technologies like mobile, AR, AI, and VR become mainstream.

One thing is certain; the pace of change is accelerating. Against this backdrop, the travel industry as a whole will need to fundamentally shift its focus to continuous innovation.” (PATA, 2019)

Despite the growth and demand for OTAs, brick and mortar travel agencies are still in demand by travellers (IBISWorld, 2019) as they have both an online presence and physical locations. The COVID-19 pandemic may see an increase in travellers relying on personal contact with brick and mortar travel agencies but at a distance through mail and phone.

Tour Operators

A tour operator packages all or most of the components of an offered trip and then sells them to the traveller. These packages can also be sold through retail outlets or travel agencies (CATO, 2020; Goeldner & Ritchie, 2003). Tour operators work closely with hotels, transportation providers, and attractions in order to purchase large volumes of each component and package these at a better rate than the traveller could if purchasing individually. Tour operators generally sell to the leisure market.

Inbound, Outbound, and Receptive Tour Operators

Tour operators may be inbound, outbound, or receptive:

• Inbound tour operators  bring travellers into a country as a group or through individual tour packages (e.g., a package from China to visit Canada).
• Outbound tour operators work within a country to take travellers to other countries (e.g., a package from Canada to the United Kingdom).
• Receptive tour operators (RTOs) are not travel agents, and they do not operate the tours. They represent the various products of tourism suppliers to tour operators in other markets in a business-to-business (B2B) relationship. Receptive tour operators are key to selling packages to overseas markets (Destination BC, 2020) and creating awareness around possible product.

Destination Marketing Organizations

Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) include national tourism boards, state/provincial tourism offices, and community convention and visitor bureaus around the world. DMOs promote “the long-term development and marketing of a destination, focusing on convention sales, tourism marketing and service” (Destinations BC, 2020).

Spotlight On: Destinations International

Destinations International is the global trade association for official DMOs. It is made up of over 600 official DMOs in 15 countries around the world. DMAI provides its members with information, resources, research, networking opportunities, professional development, and certification programs. For more information, visit the Destinations International website.

With the proliferation of other planning and booking channels, including OTA s, today’s DMOs are shifting away from travel services functions and placing a higher priority on destination management components.

Working Together

One way tour operators, DMOs, and travel agents work together is by participating in familiarization tours (FAMs for short). These are usually hosted by the local DMO and include visits to different tour operators within a region. FAM attendees can be media, travel agents, RTO representatives, and tour operator representatives. FAMs are frequently low to no cost for the guests as the purpose is to orient them to the tour product or experience so they can promote or sell it to potential guests.

The majority of examples in this chapter so far have pertained to leisure travellers. There are, however, specialty organizations that deal specifically with business trips.

Spotlight On: Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Canada

“GBTA Canada is the voice of the Canadian business travel industry. We believe in providing the business travel and meetings community with a global platform to serve as a resource library for their peers, to implement world-class Conferences, workshops and virtual meetings, and to foster an interactive network of innovation and support.” The GBTA state that their economic impact contributes $23.5 billion CAD in Canadian business travel (Economic Impact Study) and “$435+ billion CAD of business travel and meetings expenditures represented globally.” Visit the GBTA website .

Business Travel Planning and Reservations

Unlike leisure trips, which are generally planned and booked by end consumers using their choice of tools, business travel often involves a travel management company, or its online tools. Travel managers negotiate with suppliers and ensure that all the trip components are cost effective and comply with the policies of the organization.

Many business travel planners rely on global distribution systems (GDS) to price and plan components. GDS combine information from a group of suppliers, such as airlines. In the past, this has created a chain of information from the supplier to GDS to the travel management company. Today, however, there is a push from airlines (through the International Air Transport Association’s Resolution 787) to dissolve the GDS model and forge direct relationships with buyers (BTN Group, 2014).

Destination Management Companies

According to the Association of Destination Management Executives International (ADMEI), a destination management company (DMC) specializes in designing and implementing corporate programs, and “is a strategic partner to provide creative local experiences in event management, tours/activities, transportation, entertainment, and program logistics” (ADMEI, 2020). The packages produced by DMCs are extraordinary experiences rather than general business trips. These are typically used as employee incentives, corporate retreats, product launches, and loyalty programs. DMCs are the one point of contact for the client corporation, arranging for airfare, airport transfers, ground transportation, meals, special activities, and special touches such as branded signage, gifts, and decor (ADMEI, 2020). The end user is simply given (or awarded) the package and then liaises with the DMC to ensure particular arrangements meet his or her needs and schedule.

As you can see, travel services range from online to personal, and from leisure to business applications. Now that you have a general sense of the components of travel services, let’s look at some examples in Canada.

Image Credits

HelloBC Homepage  by LinkBC is used under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.

Travel Agency, The Village, Formby  by David Hawgood on Wikimedia Commons is licensed under a CC BY-SA 2.0 licence.

My AT&T PC 6300 circa 1996 by Blake Patterson on Flickr is icenced under a CC BY 2.0 licence.

Columbia icefield visitors by Chensiyuan on Wikimedia Commons is licensed under a CC BY-SA 2.5 licence.

Under NAICS, businesses and functions that assist with planning and reserving components of the visitor experience.

Other services that work to support the development of tourism and the delivery of guest experiences.

A business that provides a physical location for travel planning requirements.

An individual who helps the potential traveller with trip planning and booking services, often specializing in specific types of travel.

A trade organization established in 1977 to ensure high standards of customer service, engage in advocacy for the trade, conduct research, and facilitate travel agent training.

A service that allows the traveller to research, plan, and purchase travel without the assistance of a person, using the internet on sites such as Expedia.ca or Hotels.com.

An operator who packages suppliers together (hotel + activity) or specializes in one type of activity or product.

An operator who packages products together to bring visitors from external markets to a destination.

An operator who packages and sells travel products to people within a destination who want to travel abroad.

Someone who represents the products of tourism suppliers to tour operators in other markets in a business-to-business (B2B) relationship.

Also known as a destination management organization; includes national tourism boards, state/provincial tourism offices, and community convention and visitor bureaus.

Tours provided to overseas travel agents, travel agencies, RTOs, and others to provide information about a certain product at no or minimal cost to participants. The short form is pronounced like the start of the word "family" (not as each individual letter).

A company that creates and executes corporate travel and event packages designed for employee rewards or special retreats.

Introduction to Tourism Copyright © 2020 by NSCC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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The 17 different types of travel

Travel and tourism is a diverse industry and there are many different types of travel. The type of travel will determine the methods of business, the types of customer that it attracts and the the destination type that is facilitating tourism. In this article I will tell you all about the main types of travel and give you some examples of each.

The different types of travel

Short breaks, city breaks, countryside breaks, stag and hen parties, special events, mice tourism, short-term work contracts, types of specialist travel, vfr: migrants and expats, types of day trips, to conclude: types of travel, further reading.

Separating the different types of travel into clear segments or categories isn’t always an easy task.

Some types of travel may span more than one category- for example a person can go on a short break that is also corporate travel.

And others may be somewhat subjective- what is a short break? Is it two days? Is it four days? This is not clear-cut.

However, whilst accurately segregating types of travel into distinct categories may not be an easy task, it can be useful to have general classifications.

Categorising holidays into different types of travel helps us to better understand and assess the market segment in question. It also enables better tourism management and planning .

So what are the different types of travel? If video is your thing, watch the short video below, which covers all of the different types of travel, if not, read on…

Leisure travel

Leisure travel generally refers to travel that is undertaken for the purpose of pleasure, enjoyment, relaxation or special interests.

Leisure travel is an important component of tourism , and makes up a significant part of the tourism industry .

There are different ways that someone can undertake leisure travel. I have outlined these below.

Short breaks have become increasingly popular since the advent of the low cost airline .

Cheaper fares and regular flights have meant that people have been able to jet off for a weekend break that may not have previously been possible. In fact, [pre COVID] trends have shown that many people are now choosing to take 2-3 short breaks each year rather than a singular, more traditional summer holiday.

Short breaks are especially popular in areas that are well-connected. In Europe, for instance, it is easy to go on a short break from London to Paris. However, if you lived in Australia , the vast distances between destinations may mean that short breaks are less feasible.

City breaks are a popular type of travel.

Cities have lots to offer such as entertainment options (eating out, shows, events etc), as well as a range of tourist attractions and business tourism opportunities.

Cities are usually well connected by transport, making them easily reachable for tourists.

Rural tourism is very popular since the COVID pandemic. Countryside breaks enable people to enjoy the fresh air and to be socially distant from others.

There are many things to do on a countryside break, from hiking the Mendips , to adventure sports such as rock climbing in places like Cheddar Gorge .

It is a tradition for brides and grroms-to-be to celebrate their forthcoming marriage with a stag party or hen party. Whilst this might last for just a few hours, many people are now choosing to travel to a place outside of their home for a short break.

There are many destinations that are popular for stag or hen parties. These are usually destinations which have a substantial nightlife scene.

In Europe, many people go on a stag or hen party to Riga , Barcelona, Manchester, London, Lisbon, Benidorm, Krakow, Liverpool, Amsterdam… to name but a few.

There are different types of holidays that constitute leisure tourism.

Throughout the history of tourism , package holidays have been a popular type of travel. Packages are put together by tour operators and are then sold by different types of travel agent . This makes travel easier for the consumer.

Many people also choose to undertake independent travel. Whether tourists choose to create a dynamic package or travel on the fly, this is a popular method of leisure travel.

Cruise tourism has also grown considerably in recent years. Cruise ships come in all shapes and sizes and are popular with a wide variety of tourist types. Cruising is a form of enclave tourism .

Many people who travel for leisure are doing so to spectate or be involved in a major sporting event .

There are a large number of events that make up an important part of the sports tourism industry. Some examples include the annual Wimbledon Tennis tournament, the Formula 1 Grand Prix and the Football World Cup.

There are also other major events that people may choose to travel for. This could be, for example, the Chelsea Flower Show in London, the Day of the Dead festival in Mexico , Songkran in Thailand or the Glastonbury music festival.

Corporate travel

One of the most important (but often forgotten about!) types of travel is corporate travel.

Corporate travel, also referred to as business tourism , is any travel that is associated with or related to a person’s job or work.

Corporate travel may or may not involve staying away from home overnight.

Some types of corporate travel that you may encounter include:

MICE stands for- meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions. These are four important areas of the corporate travel market.

Many people will travel to attend meetings. Although, with the growth of the shut-in economy and software programmes such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, travel for meetings has decreased significantly.

Incentive travel is travel which is given as a reward for good performance at work. It is designed to act as a motivator for staff; encouraging them to worker harder, ac hive better results and ultimately make more money for the business.

Conferences and exhibitions are an important tool for sharing ideas and networking. Similarly to meetings, many of these have now been moved online. However, it is unlikely that the conference market will disappear completely, as networking via a computer screen will never yield the same benefits as having a face-to-face conversation.

Training courses are, and will continue to be, essential to successful tourism operations management. Staff need to be trained for the position that they will/are working in and will need to be regularly unskilled.

Staff may also wish to undertake extra training for promotions or to keep up to date with industry developments.

Training courses can be in your place of work, but they can take place in alternative destinations; meaning that they facilitate a form of corporate travel.

Corporate travel can also consist of temporary work contracts. This is when a person is required to work in a location outside of their home environment for a specified period of time.

Whilst the time-frame is not clearly defined, if somebody relocates for work, they are then classified as an expatriate rather than a business tourist.

Work contracts such as these can be based within the employee’s home country or they can be based overseas.

Specialist travel

Specialist travel, often referred to as special interest tourism, is a form of niche tourism. It groups together an indefinite number of types of tourism that are specialist in nature.

Specialist tourism is often linked to a personal hobby, sport or interest. It may also be a type of travel that meets a specific need of a particular tourist or group of tourists.

I have outlined over 150 different types of specialist tourism in my types of tourism glossary – I told you, there are A LOT of different tourism types!

Some of the most common types of tourism include adventure tourism, health tourism, educational tourism, heritage and cultural tourism , gap year travel, conservation, sustainable tourism , responsible tourism and honeymoon tourism.

Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR)

Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) is one of the biggest market segments in travel and tourism and is one of the most important types of travel.

People travel all around the world to visit their friends and relatives. This is an important form of domestic tourism as well as inbound tourism and outbound tourism .

Sometimes VFR will involve an overnight stay, and other times it will not. Travellers may choose to stay with their friends or relatives in their home or they may book accommodation of their own.

VFR is an especially prominent type of travel in areas with high migration or expatriation. For example, there are thousands of tourists who travel from the UK to India and Poland each year to visit family and friends, This is because there are a high number of Indian and Polish migrants in the UK.

Another important type of travel is day trips. Whilst according to some definitions of tourism, one may not technically be classified as a tourist unless they stay away from home overnight, they are nonetheless a valuable contribution to the tourism economy.

Most people who undertake a day trip will be visiting friends and relatives or in search of leisure or business.

Many people will choose to take a day trip to visit a tourist attraction, to go shopping, to attend an event, to visit the countryside or to take part in various activities.

A day trip can take part close to your home or it can form part of a holiday, i.e. you take a tour from your hotel whilst on holiday.

As you can see, there are many different types of travel, which can broadly be categorised as: leisure travel, corporate travel, specialist travel, visiting friends and relatives and day trips. All of these types of travel provide important contributions to the wider tourism industry and segmentation in this way allows us to assess and organise the industry according to the types of travel that are under scrutiny.

• The 3 Major Types Of Airlines + How They Work
• 50 types of transport from around the world
• 21 Types of Tourists Around The World
• 20 Popular Types of Hotels Around The World
• 150 types of tourism! The ultimate tourism glossary

The Travel Glossary - find the best Terms, Definitions and Acronyms

Travel terms, glossary, definitions and acronyms of the travel industry from A – Z. Click on a letter to see the terms and descriptions in our glossary.

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Add-collect, adjoining room.

Average Daily Rate. A hotel industry term used to calculate average hotel room rate. Equal to room revenue divided by rooms sold.

advance purchase

The advance time before travel that a fare requires a ticket to be issued, normally 3,7,14 or 21 days.

Agent Error. An incorrect entry made by a consultant during the reservation process.

AEA (see “Association of European Airlines”)

A US based travel agency that has entered into an agreement with BCD Travel to use the BCD Travel trademarks and provide travel services to customers in the affiliate’s territory.

Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC)

An independent corporation jointly owned by most of the major United States airlines; ARC collects payments for tickets sold by travel agencies and distributes the monies to the airlines; ARC also governs appointment of travel agencies to sell domestic air transportation.

airport code

The three-letter code used by airlines and the air travel industry to identify airports around the world, e.g. LHR=London Heathrow, JFK=New York John F. Kennedy. http://www.world-airport-codes.com/

airport security check

Airport security checks are procedures and measures for screening passengers and baggage to ensure security against terrorist threats and other dangers.  Find out how to get through quickly

airport tax

Tax levied by certain airports throughout the world. In many cases this can be built into the total ticket price, although some airlines will not co-operate, thus making payable locally by the passenger.

On outbound journey’s, airside includes all those areas of the airport terminal after you have passed through passport control. On inbound journey’s, airside includes all those areas of the terminal before you pass through passport control.

A short-hop aircraft for up to 20 passengers, usually flying unscheduled services with a 200 / 500-mile range.

all-inclusive

A hotel program which usually includes all meals, snacks, beverages and activities.

A joint partnership between specified carriers which may include, but not limited to, interlining, code-sharing, joint frequent flyer program participation, and even equity participation of stock ownership.

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, a government-subsidized corporation that operates all passenger train service in the United States.

Automatic Number Identification. A contact center term for a telephone network feature that passes that number of the phone the caller is using to the contact center, real-time.

American Plan. A hotel rate that includes breakfast and dinner, sometimes lunch.

Asia Pacific. A geographical term used interchangeably with ASPAC and often used in reference to the entire Asian market.

Advance Purchase Excursion Fare

applicable fare

The fare to be applied.

Accounts Receivable. Money which is owed by a customer to a company for products or services provided on credit.

ARC (see “Airlines Reporting Corporation”)

An eight-digit identification number issued by ARC to travel agencies who have met accreditation standards.

Arrival Unknown. An ARNK is added to a reservation when there is a break in the itinerary and continuity is not recognized; it does count as a segment when ticketing.

Around-the-world

A continuous journey circumnavigating the globe in one general west-to-east or east-to-west direction in which both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans are crossed not more than once each.

ARR (see “Average room rate”)

Asia South Pacific. A geographic term used interchangeably with APAC.

Automated Ticket & Boarding Pass. IATA standard transportation ticket and combined boarding pass which features a magnetic strip containing passenger and journey details.

Average Ticket Price. The average price of all tickets purchased; domestic and international are sometimes calculated separately.

availability

The total number of seats allowed to be sold at a particular rate.

average room rate (ARR)

Ratio of hotel’s sales revenue to the number of occupied rooms.

back-to-back ticketing

An against-the-rules practice whereby a traveler books a return ticket nested inside another return ticket to avoid minimum stay requirements for the purpose of saving money. For example, the traveler uses the first ticket to fly from origin to destination on Monday in week 1, then he uses the second ticket to fly from destination to origin on Friday in week 1 and back to destination on Monday in week 2, and then he uses the first ticket again to fly back to origin on Friday in week 2. The normal Saturday night stay requirement is then avoided. While this will sometimes save money, most airlines do not allow this practice and doing so might result in penalties.

backtracking

Having to return to your original airport of entry in a country to make the return trip home. A time-consuming and costly procedure to overcome by arranging an op-jaw itinerary, which allows you to fly out to one point and return from another.

Carry-on-baggage and checked baggage have many restrictions. Most notable are the number and size of the baggage. Many airlines allow only 1 carry-on bag, plus one personal item (purse, back-pack, computer bag). For checked baggage restrictions and fees, refer to the carrier’s website for details.

banker’s buying rate (BBR)

Exchange rate used to convert from one currency to another; called the ‘buying rate’ because it is the rate used when banks purchase currency from an individual

banker’s selling rate (BSR)

Exchange rate used to convert from one currency to another; called the ‘buying rate’ because it is the rate used when banks sell currency to an individual

Best Available Rate. A hotel industry pricing method for yielding room rates (floating) based on demand while ensuring the best rate is presented for sale to agents, consumers.

A fare without tax.

Measurement of hotel occupency.

blackout dates

Certain dates or periods when travel on specific fares is not permitted (usually holidays).

blocked space

Multiple reservations, often subject to deposit forfeiture, which wholesalers or travel agents make with a supplier in anticipation of resale.

boarding pass

A permit to board a ship, plane, or other form of transportation. In the case of air travel, the card indicates boarding gate and aircraft seat number.

booking code

A letter code used to make an airline reservation at a particular fare level in a computerized reservation system. (CRS/GDS)

Bank Settlement Plan. Outside the USA, a system by which the travel agent community pays carriers for tickets it issues.

Business Travel Account. If a company has a corporate credit card program where certain purchases such as air, rail, and associated transaction fees are centrally billed to one “master” credit card number, this is referred to as the Business Travel Account (BTA). This account allows for the purchase of certain air travel expenses for corporate employees without the need to issue individual credit cards to each traveler for the designated expenses. Because the account has no physical card, it’s often called a “ghost card.”

BTC (see “Business Travel Center”)

Business Travel News. A travel industry publication that delivers news and research to the corporate travel population.

bucket shop

An unlicensed, unbonded travel agency used by some airlines to dispose of excess capacity seats that are available on certain flights.

buffer zone

For taxation purposes, an extension of the US border 225 miles north into Canada and 225 miles south into Mexico border; all cities within this area are assessed the 7.5% US domestic tax when tickets are purchased and sold in the US.

A net fare contract for certain number of seats. Similar to blocked space except that the tour operator, wholesaler, or travel agent usually contracts for airline seats at a low, non-commissioned price without the option of releasing space back to the airline.

A partition (usually a wall) on an airplane separating compartments.

Travel slang for the removal of a passenger from a flight through overbooking; usually applied to those holding concessionary tickets.

bundled pricing

A pricing proposal, always a transaction fee, where elements other than air (e.g. car hire, hotel, rail) are included in the fee with the air transaction.

business class

Level of airline service between First class and Economy class. On European routes business class has now replaced first class as premier service level. Most airlines have their own brand names. (e.g. British Airways – Club World and Club Europe: Air France – Le Club etc.)

Business Travel Center (BTC)

Standard full service and online service in a local call center, undedicated, team environment.

Business Travel Management

Business travel management is the process of planning, organizing, and overseeing business travel for an organization. This includes booking travel arrangements, managing expenses, and developing policies and procedures for business travel.

cancellation policy

The advance time a hotel requires a booking to be canceled by to avoid being billed for the room

carrier (CXR)

Another term for airline.

Credit Card. A system of payment whereby the issuer of the card grants a line of credit to the cardholder, to be used to make payment to a merchant or to withdraw cash.

Collision Damage Waiver. An industry term for optional insurance provided by car rental companies that eliminates all responsibility of the driver in an accident.

centralized billing

System under which a travel supplier, credit card company, agency or other supplier consolidates all costs/charges incurred by different employees or departments into one total invoice.

change of equipment

Also known as “change of gauge”. A single flight number used to represent flights on two different aircraft; usually on international destinations.

Notification to an airline or hotel that a traveler has arrived to take a flight or stay at a hotel; some airlines provide curbside check-in while others only allow check-in at the ticket counter.

Advice to a hotel that a guest is leaving the property and usually includes payment for the stay.

A traveler who has had his/her second birthday, but not yet his/her twelfth birthday (this definition may vary by carrier).

Churning refers to any repeated booking or canceling of the same itinerary in the same class or different classes of service in one or more PNRs or GDS.

circle pacific

Travel from IATA Area 1 (North and/or South America) to IATA Area 3 (Asia, Australia, South Pacific) by way of the North Pacific Ocean in one direction, via the South Pacific Ocean in the opposite direction, and at least one flight within IATA Area 3 that crosses the Equator.

circle trip (CT)

A journey from origin to destination with a return to origin in a continuous, circuitous route using two or more fare components

The orgin (from) and arrival (to) points of a trip, usually by air or train.

city terminal

Airline office, usually city center, where passengers may check-in, receive seating details and board special bus/ taxi/ helicopter/ rail/ shuttle services to the airport.

class of service

The interior of an aircraft is divided into sections, each with a different level of service and amenities; common classes of service are first, business, and economy.

Cruise Lines International Association. An association dedicated to the promotion and growth of the cruise industry.

Section of a hotel offering higher security and special facilities either for a premium payment or as an incentive/ privilege for frequent users.

club ticket

Fully flexible, redeemable business class ticket valid one year from date of issue. Phrase used primarily in the U.K.

Another term for bus.

Close of Business. A term meaning the end of the business day.

A marketing agreement between two airlines (very common amongst airlines that have an alliance) where a seat is purchased on one airline (the selling carrier), but the flight is actually operated by a different airline (the operating carrier).

combination

Two or more fares shown separately in a fare calculation.

Computerized Reservation System

System used to book and process travel reservations, also known as a Global Distribution System (GDS).

A hotel employee who attends to guests’ needs for special information, theater and restaurant reservations, and any other special requests.

connecting flight

A flight which the passenger must change aircraft.

A stop in a given city for less than 4 hours (domestic US); less than 12 hours (domestic US as part of an international journey); less than 24 hours (international); continuing on the next applicable flight to an onward destination; designated by X/ in a linear fare construction line.

conjunction ticket

Two or more tickets concurrently issued to a passenger and which together constitute a single contract of carriage.

connecting rooms

Two rooms that are side-by-side that have a common connecting interior door.

consolidation fare

A group inclusive tour fare available to travel agents and other operators to construct packages to destinations which are inclusive of accomodation. Consolidation fares, although group fares, are for sale to individual passengers.

consolidator

A person or company which forms groups to travel on charter or at group fares on scheduled flights to increase sales, earn override commissions or reduce the chance of tour cancellations.

A group of independent companies that join together to gain greater profits.

construction point

A city through which fares have been combined for the purpose of pricing an itinerary; a destination city or a turnaround point; a fare break shown on the ticket.

A contact center term for an individual who is calling or visiting your company by phone or through the website, and who is requesting an interaction with an agent.

contact center

An umbrella term that generally refers to reservations centers, help desks, information lines or customer service centers, regardless of how they are organized or what types of transactions they handle.

continental breakfast

A light breakfast of such things as coffee, pastry and sometimes juice.

contract fare / contract discount

A discounted fare agreed upon by the client and a carrier; contract fares require a client give the carrier a certain percentage of its business in all markets.

corporate fare

A discounted airfare for business travelers.

corporate rate

A special rate negotiated between a supplier (hotel or car for example) and a company.

corporate hotel rate

Learn how to get corporate hotel rates .

Corporate Travel Department (CTD)

A CTD (Corporate Travel Department) establishes a direct purchasing relationship between the company and its travel suppliers. The accrediting body, ARC (Airline Reporting Corporation) authorizes the company to function as its own “travel agency” and control it’s financial settlement.

co-terminals

A group of cities/airports considered to be the same point; example: JFK/LGA/EWR.

country of commencement (COC)

The country in which a journey begins; the base fare is converted from NUCs into the currency of the Country of Commencement by using the IATA ROE.

country of payment (COP)

The country in which a ticket is being purchased; the base fare is converted from the currency of the Country of Commencement into the currency of the country of payment using the Bank Rate if the countries are not the same.

Cost Per Mile. A calculation of the average price paid per mile.

Cost Per Transaction. A calculation of the total cost a company incurs for generating a customer transaction.

Customer Relationship Management. A term used for a database that is used to house and maintain customer information.

CRS (see “Computerized Reservation System”)

Corporate Social Responsibility . A concept whereby companies consider the impact to society and the environment of their actions.

Central Security Record. A hotel industry term for the name of the Viewership Management Table used to maintain a list of offices authorized to access a client’s negotiated hotel rates.

Central Standard Time. A time zone in the US, also known as Central Time or CT.

Corporate Travel Department. A company’s in-house travel agency that purchases air transportation and related travel services on behalf of its own employees.

Computer Telephony Integration. A contact center term for the software, hardware, and programming necessary to integrate computers and telephones so they can work together seamlessly and intelligently.

A checkpoint at which imported goods are verified for legality and value.

Data Release Authorization (DRA)

Under a DRA, Client instructs, as of the date specified, BCD Travel to receive, process, and/or transfer certain personal travel data from Client’s travelers, including, but not limited to, transactional ticket-level, segment-level, and traveler-level information, which may include, without limitation, traveler name and address, origination and destination, corporate and/or personal credit card number, passport number, drivers license, travel preferences, and other special needs or any other sensitive data as may be provided by or behalf of the travelers (“Travel Data”).

Decision Source (DS)

A BCD Travel product that allows our customers to interact with their reservation data.

delegate rate

An inclusive rate for meetings on a daily basis. Twenty-four hour delegate rate also includes accommodation. Phrase primarily used in the U.K.

denied boarding compensation (DBC)

Commonly called “bumping,” – When more passengers arrive to take a flight than can actually fit on the plane; although legal, the carrier is only responsible for providing compensation to a traveler if he/she has a confirmed reservation and is checked in and has arrived at the departure gate within a pre-determined time period; compensation may be in cash or in a voucher for future travel; passengers who voluntarily relinquish their seats are compensated with a cash payment or voucher towards a future trip and are then accommodated on the next available flight; if an airline delivers a bumped passenger to his/her destination within an hour of the originally-scheduled time, no compensation is required.

deregulation

Originally applied to American air travel: in 1978, federal law phased out the civil Aeronautics Board and stopped government intervention or regulation of airline routes and fares.

destination

The final stopping place as shown on the ticket; the furthest point on a fare component used to price an itinerary.

Destination Management Company

Company, possibly an incoming tour operator, who organizes local ground services at destination.

differential

The difference between the fares for two different classes of service between two cities; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.

direct fare

The fare for one-way or half round-trip travel visa the shortest route operated between two cities.

direct flight

A flight from origin to destination that makes one or more intermediate stops, but passengers do not change planes.

directional fare

Fare valid only in a specified direction of travel.

discount fare

Transportation fare lower than the full published tariff for an airline’s route. A discount fare usually entails certain stipulations regarding purchase or travel (space availbility).

DMC (see “Destination Management Company”)

Domestic travel.

Travel wholly within any one country; typically used to designate intra-US travel.

A hotel room with two double beds and/or accommodating 2-4 people.

double booking

The practice of making reservations for two or more flights, cars or hotels as a type of backup; considered to be unethical.

double occupancy

The way in which almost all cruise fares and tour packages are quoted, that is, based on two people traveling together. Most hotel rooms are quoted based on two adults to a room, as well.

double open jaw (DOJ)

Travel in which the outbound departure point and arrival and the inbound point of departure and arrival are not the same.

To move a passenger to a lower class of service or accommodation.

drop-off charge

A fee charged for dropping a rental car at a different location from where it was picked up.

Being exempt from any import tax.

economy class

The rear area of the aircraft in which passengers having paid one of the lower fare types are seated.

electronic miscellaneous document – Associated (EMD-A)

Document that allows for the fulfillment of all flight related services and fees (such as bags, seats, meals, etc.). An EMD or EMD-A is linked to a specific eticket coupon in the airline’s database.

electronic miscellaneous document – Standalone (EMD-S)

Non-flight related services (such as lounge access or change fee collection) a stand alone EMD, a EMD-S is issued. To issue an EMD-S a manually created service segment must be in the PNR. Specific services that can be charged on an EMD-S is dependent on the airline’s own requirements.

electronic ticket (eticket)

An airline transportation ticket that is entirely in a GDS; no physical ticket is required for travel.

EMD (see “electronic miscellaneous document”)

Endorsement.

Permission from the plating carrier, the ticketed carrier or the carrier losing air space for the traveler to use the flight coupon(s) for travel on another airline at no additional cost; usually only required for international tickets.

end-on-end combination

A special type of combination in which two round trip fares are combined to produce a complete itinerary.

In this example, the passenger buys a round trip ticket from AAA to BBB (Rule 1), and a separate round trip fare from BBB to CCC (Rule 2). The net effect is to travel from AAA to CCC, but breaking the fare at BBB, which may in some cases be less expensive than the round trip (through) fare from AAA to CCC.

equivalent fare paid

An amount converted into the currency of the country of payment when the published fare is in a currency other than that of the country of payment.

ERA (see “European Regions Airline Association”)

Eastern Standard Time. A time zone in the US, also known as Eastern Time or ET.

Electronic System for Travel Authorization. ESTA is a free, automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program. The ESTA application collects the same information collected on Form I-94W. ESTA applications may be submitted at anytime prior to travel, though it is recommended travelers apply when they begin preparing travel plans.

Estimated Time of Arrival. A measure of when an object is expected to arrive at a certain place.

Estimated Time of Departure or Delivery. The expected start time of a particular journey or the expected delivery of a good or service.

e-ticket (see “electronic ticket”)

Electronic Ticket Record.

European Regions Airline Association

Association which aims to identify, protect and promote the interests of regional air transport in Europe. Over 170 memebers including airlines, aircraft manufacturers and airports. www.eraa.org

excess baggage

Baggage in excess of the allowable number, size or weight.

The process of reissuing a ticket due to a change of flight, fare basis, dates or routing.

excursion fare

Round-trip fare with restrictions, such as minimun and maximum stays and the need to purchase well in advance.

executive card

Types of privilege cards available to frequent users of airlines, hotel chains, car rental companies, etc. Most carry benefits and have their own brand names, e.g. British Airways Executive Blue, Executive Silver, Executive Gold and Premier.

executive room

Higher grade than standard room and usually slightly larger, the executive room often has additional facilities for the business traveler such as trouser press, desk etc. and may be located on a separate Executive Club Floor.

Expatriot (or expat)

An expatriate (in abbreviated form, expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person’s upbringing or legal residence.

explant/ outplant/ offsite

Branch office dedicated to serving a single client that is not located on the client’s premises, but rather operates as a separate part of a BTC.

familiarization tour

A complimentary or reduced-rate travel program for travel agents, airline or rail employees, which is designed to acquaint participants with specific destinations. Often known as “Fam-Trips”.

family plan

A hotel rate that allows children to stay free with adults in the same room.

A combination of letters and numbers used to identify a fare type which may also indicate the rules of the fare

fare component

A fare between two points.

fare ladder

A vertically-written fare construction that includes fare components, surcharges and additional amounts collected.

• fee – bundled air transaction fee An air transaction fee that includes the costs associated with servicing air, hotel and car transactions. Therefore, hotel and car only bookings (not to exceed XX% of air bookings) are not charged a transaction fee.
• fee – management fee Fee assessed in addition to direct costs. Covers primarily overhead and profit. Can be assessed as % of sales, per transaction or fixed amount.
• fee – management fee structure (formerly cost plus offering) Client fee arrangement whereby direct expenses are passed through to the client in addition to management fee. Management fee could be % of sales, fixed fee, or per transaction.
• fee – online booking tool fee (PNR fee) Charged per unique reserved PNR. Additional fees may be assessed for transactions booked on a website accessed via the online booking tool.
• fee – online transaction fee (e-fulfillment fee) Charged per online transaction – that excludes any ‘flow through costs’ charged by the online booking tool provider.
• fee – transaction fee structure Client fee arrangement whereby client is billed per transaction for all major program costs including direct expenses and contribution to overhead and profit, usually at POS.
• fee – unbundled (menu) transaction fee Separately charged per each type of transaction, e.g. hotel, car, rail and air. AM and MIS costs might also be charged separately.

final destination

The last point on an itinerary/fare component.

first class

The cabin on an aircraft where there are fewer seats, more elaborate service and amenities.

FIT (see “Fully Independent Traveler”)

Flag carrier.

The airline that internationally represents a given country; sometimes financed or owned by the government.

flight coupon

A section of an airline ticket; one flight coupon is required to take each flight.

flight/time specific

A fare rule that requires a to fly on a specific flight or at a specific time of day.

FOI (see “Form of Indemnity”)

Form of Payment. The method of payment for a transaction.

form of indemnity

A form that needs to be completed by the passenger in order to claim refund in respect of an air ticket that has been misplaced or stolen.

frequent flyer number

Find out what a frequent flyer number is and how to get one

frequent flyer program

An airline loyalty program that provides awards to travelers who use an airline or its partners.

frequent guest program

A hotel loyalty program that provides awards to guests who use a hotel chain.

frequent renter program

A car rental loyalty program that provides services (such as fast pickup) to those who use a car rental vendor.

front office (FO)

An industry term used for products associated with customer-facing activities. The GDS is a front office system.

fuel surcharge

A surcharge assessed for fuel use applicable for travel between specified points and/or for departure from a specified city.

Hotel rate with accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

full economy

This is a fully flexible, fully refundable ticket which is valid for one year from date of issue in economy class.

full exchange

Change an already ticketed reservation, with no flown flight segments.

full to full exchange

Change to a ticketed reservation when no segments are flown and the change is to any segment other than the outbound flights. Or when a segment has been flown and there is a change to a remaining flight segment. In either of these instances, the FULL value of the original ticket must be exchanged for the ‘combined’ FULL value of the new ticket.

fully independent traveler

A traveler / tourist not part of a tour group.

One of the world’s CRSs (GDSs).

Area in an airport where passengers for a flight gather before boarding their flight or deplane on arrival.

gateway city

The last domestic city from which a passenger departs prior to arriving at an international destination; the first point of arrival in a given country (e.g., on the journey SFO-CHI-FRA-MUC, CHI and FRA are gateway cities).

GDS (see “ Global Distribution System “)

Gds operations (gdso).

An industry term for computer reservation systems that book and sell tickets for multiple airlines.

GEBTA (see “Guild of European Business Travel Agents)

In the credit card industry a system used by corporations whereby travel related charges made through designated travel agencies are centrally billed but no plastic card actually exists. Often referred to as “Lodge card” in Europe.

global distribution system

An industry term for computer reservation systems that book and sell tickets for multiple airlines.  Learn more

global indicator

Two-letter code used to identify the direction of travel applicable to a given fare.

governing carrier

The airline whose fares and rules are used on a given itinerary.

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)

Solar based time in Greenwich, England, from which time in all other time zones in the world is based.

ground time

The time not flying.

A booking solution that allows the booking and managing of all ground transportation services, such as limousines, executive sedans, taxis, vans and parking services.

A fare that offers discounts to groups of varying minimum sizes in selected markets, with various conditions, and usually require round trip travel within a specified time limit.

guaranteed hotel reservations

This means that the hotel will hold the room all night. However if the room is not required, failure to cancel will result in a charge. Where reservations are made on an ad hoc basis, rather than through a regular account arrangement, a credit card number will be required to effect this guaranteed reservation.

Hotel rate for accommodation, breakfast and one other meal.

half round trip fare

Half of a fare designated for use on round-trip journeys.

Fee or tax some countries or cities levy on arriving or departing travelers.

Half of the globe; the North and South hemispheres are divided by the Equator; the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans divide the East and West hemispheres.

higher intermediate point (HIP)

A pair of cities within a one-way or half round-trip fare component that has a direct fare higher than the direct fare between the origin and destination of the fare component; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.

hotel sourcing

Hotel sourcing or procurement is the process of identifying, negotiating and contracting with hotels to secure accommodations for a specific group, event or organization.

An airport at which an airline centers many of its schedules, particularly connecting flights to smaller destinations.

(see “International Air Transport Association”)*

IATA Number (see “ARC Number”)

Iata rate of exchange (roe).

Rates of exchange designated by IATA to convert local currency to NUCs and to convert NUCs into the currency of commencement of travel.

ICAO (see “International Civil Aviation Organization”)

Interline e-ticket. An interline agreement between airlines that allow e-ticketing on each other’s flights. Interline agreement between airlines permitting travel service cooperation in areas such as: baggage transfer services, guaranteed connection times.

IGK (see “International Gatekeeper”)

Immigration.

Area at which a traveler’s documentation (e.g., Passport and Visa) are verified to ensure the traveler may enter the country.

implant (on-site)

Dedication operational team, based within an office of the client.

implementation

Phase of launching a new relationship, including e.g. opening a new location, training staff, installing technical equipment, and informing clients, travelers and travel arrangers.

inbound travelers

Travelers coming into a specified location are considered inbound. Travelers departing from the location are considered outbound.

A traveler who has not yet reached his/her second birthday.

Term used in the U.S. to describe an implant.

international departure taxes

Taxes levied on all travelers departing a country on an international journey that are, typically collected at the airport at the time of departure.

Between two airlines; TUS-HP-DEN-UA-LON is an interline journey.

interline baggage agreement

An agreement between two air carriers that a carrier will transfer baggage to the other carrier.

interline connection

When a passenger changes airlines as well as aircraft during a journey (same as off-line connection).

interline ticketing agreement

An agreement between two air carriers that permits air travel of one carrier to be on a ticket issued and/or ‘plated’ on another carrier.

intermediate point

A ticketed point of an international journey at which there is no fare break; an intermediate point may be a stopover or connection.

intermediate stop

An enroute stop at a city between the origin and destination (see also Direct Flight).

International Air Transport Association

The world trade association of international air carriers; appoints travel agencies to sell tickets; determines rules and regulations for international carriers. www.iata.org

International Civil Aviation Organization

Specialed agency of the United Nations with responsibility for civil aviation action in standardization, technical co-operation and the formulation of international aviation law. www.iaco.int

A chronological plan showing a traveler’s booked arrangement.

A special through fare (usually only internationally) that permits travel on two or more different airlines.

The origin to final destination of a fare construction.

BCD Travel provides support for KDS. KDS provides an online booking platform for the confirmation of air, car, hotel and rail itineraries.

On outbound journeys, landside includes all those areas of the terminal before you arrive at passport control. On inbound journeys, landside includes all those areas of the terminal after you’re through passport control.

last date of purchase

The date by which a ticket must be issued – fares are not guaranteed until tickets are issued.

last room availability (LRA)

A hotel industry term for ensuring a negotiated rate is always available when standard inventory is available or when the room type negotiated is available.

LDW (see “Loss Damage Waiver”)

One flight; one part of an entire journey.

Lowest Fare Routing. The least expensive airfare available to a destination.

local currency fare (LCF)

See Country Of Payment (COP).

locator reference

Unique identifying booking number used within a computer reservations system as part of a booking file.

In the credit card industry a system used by corporations whereby travel related charges made through designated travel agencies are centrally billed but no plastic card actually exists. Often referred to as “Ghost Card” in the U.S.

Loss Damage Waiver

Additional insurance pertaining to car rentals, covering theft and vandalism in addition to accident damage.

low cost carrier (LCC)

An airline that offers generally low fares in exchange for eliminating many traditional passenger services.

lowest combination principle

Construction of a fare using a particular combination of sector fares to provide the lowest fare when there is no published fare between two points.

Marine Travel

Specialized travel services, available 24/7, provides travel arrangements (including helicopters and charter aircraft) for marine personnel.

Market Number (MK)

A code all online booking tools (OBTs) add at the time each reservation is made, as a way to track PNRs for online adoption and fulfillment purposes. It should never be removed once added to the PNR.

Married Segments

Two or more connecting flight segments joined, or “married,” meaning that these segments are inseparable and the subsequent rebooking or cancellation of any one flight segment must, at the same time, be applied to the connecting flight segment.

maximum permitted mileage (MPM)

The number of miles that may be flown on a published direct fare between origin and destination; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.

maximum stay

The maximum amount of time a traveler may stay at a destination before return is required.

MCO (see “Miscellaneous Change Order”)

Meetings, Incentives and Corporate Events. An industry term for a department within a company that offers meeting planning services to customers. BCD Travel’s department is called BCD M&E

midoffice (MO)

An industry term for the management information (MIS) portion of a travel agency’s system.

mileage fare

A fare based on the total miles flown from the origin to destination; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.

mileage surcharge

A percentage of fare increase applied to a fare because the routing exceeds the maximum permitted mileage; the percentage is in 5% increments to a maximum of 25%; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.

minimum connection time

The amount of time required to change planes; varies by airport and often varies by carrier.

minimum stay

The minimum time a travel traveler must stay at a destination (or be gone ‘away from home’ internationally) before return travel can commence.

miscellaneous charge order (MCO)

An accountable document issued by a travel agency or airline as proof of payment for a specific fee (such as pet service fee) or as residual amount of an exchange (higher priced ticket exchanged for a lower priced ticket) to be used on a future purchase.

Mountain Standard Time. A time zone in the US, also known as Mountain Time or MT.

National Business Travel Association

U.S. business travel association which is a member of IBTA. www.nbta.org

NBTA (see “National Business Travel Association”)

New distribution capability. Read more

negotiated fare/rate

This is a term used by travel agents to descibe reduced airfares that have been negotiated by their air fare specialists on behalf of clients.

neutral units of construction (NUC)

An imaginary currency established by IATA that allows fares of different currencies to be added together; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.

Non Last Room Availability. A hotel industry term for restricting availability of a negotiated rate when occupancy levels are high. Negotiated room rate is not guaranteed to be available.

Net Operating Income. A financial term for the amount by which operating revenue exceeds operating expenses in a specific accounting period.

non-endorsable

This expression often appears in the endorsements box of an airline ticket and it means that the flight coupon on which the worlds appear may be used only on the services of the airline indicated.

non-refundable(NR)

A ticket issued on a fare that does not allow for a refund; most non-refundable tickets can be changed for a fee and any difference in fare.

normal fares

The full fare established for first, business, economy or an intermediate class and any other fares published designated as normal fares.

normal open jaw (NOJ)

Travel from a country and return to the same country with a surface sector at either the origin or turnaround point (single open jaw – SOJ) or at both the origin and the turnaround point (double open jaw – DOJ).

An airline passenger or hotel guest who fails to use and/or cancel a reservation.

National Transportation Safety Board. An independent US government agency that investigates accidents including aviation, highway, marine, pipelines and railroads.

OBT and OBLT (see Online Booking Tool”)

Off-airport location.

Usually a car rental office serving an airport but physically located off the airport site (and often picking up renters at the airport in buses or taxis). When the office is located on-site, the term used is on airport location.

A destination that a carrier does not serve; see also Interline.

off-line connections

When a traveler changes airlines as well as aircraft during a journey (may also be referred to as interline connection). Changes of aircraft with the same airline are known as on-line connections.

offline transaction (traditional transaction)

A transaction that initated by an agent following a call/email request by a client.

Time of year or day of the week when travel is less common.

off-line point

Airline term to describe points (areas or cities) they do not serve.

off-loading

This occurs when an airline has over-booked: that is, it has sold more seats on a particular flight than the aircraft has to offer. The passengers to be off-loaded are usually those who have paid the lowest fares. Off-loaded passengers will normally qualify for denied boarding compensation. Passengers may also be off-loaded at the captain’s discretion if they are unfit to travel due to drink, drugs, illness or for bad behavior.

BCD Travel is a re-seller of onesto. On-esto provides an online booking platform for the confirmation of air, car, hotel and rail itineraries.

Online Booking Tool

A web-based platform allowing travelers to make self-service reservations (e.g. Cliqbook, GetThere).

operating carrier

In a codeshare, the airline providing the plane, crew and ground handling services.

online or online point

On the same carrier; TUS-UA-DEN-UA-LON is an online journey.

online adoption

An account’s use of their predetermined online booking tool.

online high touch transaction

A transaction that originates via an online booking tool, but then requires more than one agent intervention (one touch).

online low touch transaction

A transacion that originates via an online booking tool, and then requires agent intervention or manual review/processing that is initated by the customer.

online transaction fee

(E-fulfillment fee) A fulfillment fee canged per online trasaction – that excludes any ‘flow through costs’ charged by the online booking tool provider.

A BCD Travel office located at/on/in a client’s location.

Term used to describe the principle of showing a client the complete cash-flow cycle, including commissions and overrides.

open date sector

Part of a journey for which no firm reservation has been made (usually owing to changeable plans on the part of the traveler) but for which the fare has been paid.

open jaw ticket

Where passengers fly out to one destination and return from another. Open jaw arrangements save backtracking and make a trip more cost effective.

Much-used term for unrestricted air services between several countries.

open ticket

A ticket valid for transportation between two points but has no specific flight reservation.

originating carrier

The first airline of a passenger’s journey and/or portion of a trip.

Other Service Information. A GDS entry that provides information to a carrier that does not require action for traveler action such as contract discount code, record locators of additional family members traveling together (TCP), age information for children/infants, etc.

Travel from the point of origin to the farthest destination.

outplant (off-site)

Dedication operational team, based within a BTC office.

overbooking

Also known as bumping. Airlines and hotels can predict, with some accuracy, how many travelers/guests will show up for previously made reservations; when more people show up than what is expected, travelers/guests are re-accommodated; see also Denied Boarding Compensation.

Abbreviations for ‘passport and visa’ used in the U.K. Some affliates have a specialist team which advises on and acquires passports/visa on behalf of their clients.

Pacific Asia Travel Association

Association which aims to promote travel to Asia Pacific. www.pata.org

PAR (see “Passenger Account Record”)

Passenger account record.

In Galileo, the profile showing passenger information.

passenger facility charges

An airport-designated surcharge to raise funds for airport expansion, renovation, operating costs, etc.

passenger name record

Record held within a CRS/GDS which gives the personal details associated with a particular booking.

An official document issued by a government to its citizens that establishes an individual’s identity and nationality and enables travel abroad.

PATA (see “Pacific Asia Travel Association”)

Abbreviation for passengers.

Payment Card Industry. Security standards set to help protect account data information.

Time of year or day of the week when travel is most common.

A fee charged by a carrier or vendor for changing and/or canceling a reservation or ticket.

Per diem is a daily allowance given to an employee to cover business travel expenses such as lodging, meals and incidentals while traveling for the company. Learn more about per diem .

Penalty excursion fare. Public excursion fare are within minimum stay requirements, but which has no advanced purchase requirements.

PIR (see “Property Irregularity Report”)

Plate / plated.

See Validating Carrier.

PMS (see “Property Management System”)

Pnr (see “passenger name record”).

Purchase Order. A commercial document issued by a buyer to a seller that indicates the quantities and agreed upon prices for products / services.

point-to-point fares

De-regulation has led to a growing number of these on routes throughout the world. They are low fares in first, business, or economy class between two points by direct flights. Stopovers are usually, but not always, prohibited.

Point of Service or Point of Sale. The time and place in which a transaction is made.

prepaid ticket advice (PTA)

A form used when a person is buying a ticket that will be issued at the airport of the same or a different city. Example: A ticket purchased in Chicago to be picked up by the traveler in and for a departure from Buenos Aires.

pre-trip auditing

A product offered by travel management companies that allows for the review of travel itineries before departure to identify savings or prevent unnecessary expenditure.

pricing unit (PU)

A journey, or part of a journey which can be priced and ticketed as a separate entity; a round-trip, circle trip, one-way, normal open jaw or special open jaw; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.

pricing unit concept (PUC)

An alternative method of fare construction for multiple-stopover journeys that uses pricing units; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.

primary carrier

Airline flying the governing sector (prime segment).

prime segment

The first “true” international journey; often called the “over-the-water” segment; see also Gateway.

A computerized file containing company and traveler information.

promotional fare

A fare designed to attract passengers who would not otherwise travel.

proof of citizenship

Documentation that establishes nationality.

property irregularity report

Form submitted by passengers to ground handling agents at airports in the event of loss or damaged baggage.

property management system

Computer-based system for controlling hotel inventory, check-in and -out and billing.

Pacific Standard Time. A time zone in the US, also known as Pacific Time or PT.

PTA (see “Pre-paid Ticket Advice”)

Public fares (air).

Fares that anyone can obtain and is available in a regular fare display.

Quality of Service Index. An index developed by the Civil Aeronautics Board to provide a comparative rating of service offered by individual airlines.

A computer’s electronic filing system. Also a contact center term for the holding point for a number of calls or interactions that are waiting to be answered by an agent. The calls or interactions are usually assigned to available agents in a first-arrived, first-answered basis, but may also be assigned based on a company’s routing strategies.

queue group

A contact center term for a group of virtual queues. Also referred to as a DN Group or Group of Queues.

The official posted rate for each hotel room.

rate desk (see “International Rate Desk”)

Rate of exchange (roe) (see “iata rate of exchange”), rearden commerce.

BCD Travel is a referrer for Rearden. Rearden provides an online booking platform for the confirmation of air, car, hotel and rail itineraries.

reason codes (RC)

An industry term for codes used to document and report on traveler decisions and behavior.

reconfirmation

Particularly on international flights, passengers are required to indicate their intention of using the next leg of their itinerary by contacting the appropriate carrier before departure; internationally, reconfirmation is requested 72 hours prior to departure.

record locator

A computerized number that identifies a Passenger Name Record – PNR or other reservation; when speaking to travelers, usually called a confirmation number.

red-eye flight

Usually an overnight flight that arrives early in the morning – great when you don’t want to lose precious sightseeing time at your destination.

If necessary for a passenger to change journey en route, the ticket must be reissued. The value of the original ticket will be offset against the new fare and any extra or refund, calculated. Settlement can be direct with airline or with referral to the issuing agent.

BCD Travel is a re-seller for ResX. ResX provides an online booking platform for the confirmation of air, car, hotel and rail itineraries.

return journey

A journey for which the fare is assessed as a single pricing unit using half round-trip fares.

revalidation

If the passenger’s travel date or flight needs to be changed, without affecting the route, there is not always a need to reissue the ticket. The relevant flight coupon is simply revalidated by means of a revalidation sticker.

Revenue Per Available Room. A hotel industry measure that calculates room revenue divided by rooms available (occupancy times average room rate will closely approximate RevPAR.)

Rate Loading Instructions. A hotel industry term for the instructions provided to hotel properties for loading client-specific or TMC-specific rate codes as displayed in the GDS.

room with facilities

Describes a hotel room which has a bathroom en-suite. In some smaller two-star or three-star hotels facilities may refer to toilet and washbasin only.

round-the-world (RTW) (see “Around-the-World”)

A trip that begins and ends in the same city with no un-flown portions; internationally, with the same dollar amount on both portions .

route deal / route incentive

An agreement between a corporate customer and an airline. The agreement allows for an incentive payment to be made to the cient by the airline as a reward for loyalty.

The carrier and/or cities and/or class of service and/or aircraft type via which transportation is provided between two points.

routing fare

A fare based on a specified routing.

run-of-the-house (ROH)

A flat rate for which a hotel offers any of its available rooms.

Schengen Visa

A special visa that permits holders to travel to any of the 25 Schengen member countries on a single visa (rather than obtaining a visa for each country. It is only issued to citizens of countries who are required to obtain a visa before entering Europe for leisure, tourism or business travel. Schengen Visa holders are not permitted to live permanently or work in Europe. The following countries are currently active Schengen Visa members: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

A specific time of year for a fare; High Season is the most popular time of year to travel to a specific destination and fares are more expensive at that time; Low Season is the least popular time of year to travel to a specific destination and fares are less expensive at that time; Fares affected by seasonality are usually indicated as such by fare basis coding and/or seasonality details listed in the fare’s rules.

The distance between aircraft seats, measured in inches and commonly used to show a passenger’s legroom.

security surcharge

Surcharge assessed by a carrier to cover costs of airport and in-flight security.

secondary carrier

Airline(s) flying the sectors preceding and/or succeeding the prime segment.

A journey from one point to another.

A flight; see Leg.

self-service reservations

Situation where the traveler makes his/her own reservations. A reservation generated by the customer using an online booking tool.

selling carrier

In a codeshare, the airline offering the flight for sale, under their vendor code

service fee

A fee charged by a travel agency to a company/individual for travel services.

Service Level Agreement

An agreement stating measurable performance commitments made to our customers.

Regular or schedulable bus/van transportation such as from an airport to a downtown location; regular air service on heavily-traveled routes (e.g., BOS-LGA).

A journey from and/or to an enroute point of a fare component.

Accommodations designed for one person.

SLA (see “Service Level Agreement”)

Designated take-off and landing times allocated to airlines at certain airports.

soft opening

Period when new hotel is open for business although not entirely finished – some services of facilities may not yet operate.

Standard Operating Procedure. A set of instructions that define the official standard for a specific process or situation.

Scope of Services. A document that defines the number, type, and intensity or complixity of services to be provided.

space available

Confirmation of a reservation subject to availability at the last moment.

special needs

Atypical traveler needs such as a special meal or wheelchair service.

split ticket(ing)

Issuance of two or more tickets usually for the purpose of obtaining a lower fare; usually applied to international itineraries to take advantage of fare and/or currency conversion differences.

Spouse fare

This type of are applies to selected destinations on a round-trip only basis and offers a discount of 50% to the spouse of a full first class or business class passenger. Economy passengers also qualify where there is no business fare.

SSR (see “Self Service Reservation”)

Special Service Request. A GDS request for a carrier to provide additional action for a traveler such as special meal, ticket number transmission, wheelchair, etc.

standard room

The normal hotel room type, generally with television, and en-suite bathroom.

A passenger on waitlist or one prepared to travel if space becomes available at the last moment.

Interruption of travel for more than domestic US – 4 hours; domestic US as part of an international journey – 12 hours; international – 24 hours .

stopover charge

An additional fee assessed for making a stopover.

STP (see “Satellite Ticket Printer”)

Any extra literature included with the delivery of travel documents.

sub-journey

A self-contained pricing unit that is combined end-on-end with another self-contained pricing unit on the same ticket; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.

surcharge (Q)

An airline-imposed fee included in fare calculations; see also Excess Mileage Surcharge, Fuel Surcharge, and Security Surcharge.

surface sector

Travel from one point or another not by air (ARNK – which stands for Arrival Not Known).

Travel 24. A BCD Travel department that services customers 24 hours a day when their normal business office is closed.

Ticket Fulfillment Location. An industry term for a virtual ticket printer that is shared by various BCD Travel ARC ticketing locations on the same GDS.

through fare

A fare applicable for transportation via an enroute city(ies) between the origin and destination of the fare that allows for intermediate points of travel.

A contract of carriage for an airline to transport a passenger from one point to another.

ticket on departure

Transportation ticket collected at the point of departure such as an airline ticket counter at an airport.

ticketed point

A city for which a flight coupon has been issued.

time and mileage rate

Car rental rate based on fixed charge for the rental period plus a charge for each kilometer or mile driven during the period of the rental.

TOD (see “Ticket on Departure”)

Tourist card.

A registration form required by certain countries indicating a traveler’s intended stay; used in lieu of a Visa and common in Latin America.

transaction

A Ticket issued; defined as all airline and rail tickets (electronic and paper) issued by BCD Travel or reserved by BCD Travel through a third party, regardless of whether the ticket is subsequently used, refunded, or voided in whole or in part. Cancellation of a reservation before a ticket is issued is not considered a transaction. Optional: Hotel and car booking made, regardless of whether or not the traveler uses the hotel or car reservation.

transaction – domestic air

Domestic – travel between two destinations that are within the same country. e.g. Frankfurt to Berlin

transaction – regional air

Regional – Travel within the same continent. e.g. Madrid to London

transaction – international air

International – Travel between two continents. e.g. New York to London

transaction – offline – traditional

A transaction that is initiated by an agent following a call/email request by a client

transaction – online high touch

Transaction – online low touch.

A transaction that originates via an online booking tool and then requires agent intervention or manual review/processing that is initiated by the customer.

transaction – online no touch

“Touchless E-fulfillment transaction” An electronic transaction entirely processed through an online booking tool and BCD central fulfillment service, without any agent intervention and where invoicing is provided via email.

A point at which the passenger changes aircraft; if the change is to/from the same carrier, it is an online transfer; if the change is to/from different carriers, it is an interline transfer.

transit lounge

An area within an airport for the sole purpose of international flight connections; travelers do not clear immigration or customs to enter the transit lounge as it is considered to be an international point.

transit point

Any stop at an intermediate point which does not fall into the definition of a stopover whether or not a change of planes is involved.

Travel Management Company

A travel management company (TMC) is a company that provides corporate travel services to businesses.

A BCD Travel umbrella brand name for our technology suite, which includes a variety of products listed below. read more

• TripSource:Active Itinerary A single point of access for traveler and travel arrangers for active and historical travel detail, including real time flight status, itinerary details, destination information and invoicing, billing and expense information.
• TripSource:Flight Alert Keeps travelers informed & productive while on the road by providing flight status information, including delays and real-time gate changes, for BCD Travel bookings.
• TripSource:Fulfillment Drive touch-less transactions with as little human intervention as possible while driving traveler contact behavior to minimize touches.
• TripSource:Portal (TSP) A comprehensive global solution to address traveler needs, travel program and corporation objectives. Arming travelers with rich content, productivity tools and critical safeguards for business travel, TripSource:Portal empowers travel programs as a centralized communications vehicle to deliver relevant, timely information and critical alerts to targeted audiences. The Portal expands traveler services while aligning program needs to drive savings, support business objectives and avoid corporate travel program risks.
• TripSource:Profile Manager (TSPM) Drives optimal data management by integrating profile management and online booking, and promoting secure web-based self-service maintenance of traveler-level detail.
• TripSource:Quality Measurement (TSQM) Ensures a means to track and manage supplier & transaction quality in addition to resolution of client concerns.
• TripSource:Rail Search (TSRS) BCD own rail booking tool for Deutsche Bahn only.
• TripSource:Ticket Tracker BCD manages and recovers committed travel dollars. Based on markets and supplier rules, BCD communicates with travelers to prevent loss of committed funds and when to apply unused funds toward future travel.
• TripSource:Trip Authorizer In response to growing concern for compliance, this module enables clients to implement pre-trip authorization requirements as well as post-ticketing compliance reporting.

Transportation Security Administration

twin for sole use

A twin-bedded reserved for sole occupency and charged out at a rate that falls between the single and double room price.

Two Factor Authentication

Also known as 2FA. Method of accessing a secure environment where a person proves their identity with two of three methods

User-Defined Interface Data. UDID remarks are standard and contain predefined reporting information such as lost hotel night reason codes, merchant billing codes or additional traveler data fields.

unlimited mileage rate

Car rental rate that covers all costs, other than insurance and petrol, for the duration of the rental, regardless of the distance driven.

Move to a better class of airline service, larger rental car or more luxurious hotel room.

validating carrier

Airline designated as the “owning” ticketed carrier; the carrier on whose “plate” the ticket is issued. The validating carrier is the carrier to which payment is submitted and is usually the first carrier on the itinerary (domestic) or the carrier on the first international flight (international). If a ticket is issued on multiple carriers or is validated on a carrier not on the itinerary, the validating carrier is responsible for payment to the other airlines on the ticket.

The process of stamping an air ticket or other airline document, at the time of issue, with the issue date, name and location of the issuing office and its IATA code number. Tickets not bearing such a stamp re invalid and will not be accepted by airlines.

value-added tax (VAT)

A general tax that applies, in principle, to all commercial activities involving the production and distribution of goods and the provision of services.

VAT reclaim

Value-added tax, or VAT, is included in hotel, dining and car rental bills and more when travelers go to countries that assess the tax. It can be a significant expense: VAT rates can be as high as 25%. The good news is most T&E-related VAT is eligible for reclaim. The bad news: In the past, it’s been hard to collect. But automation has made VAT reclaim for European Union transactions much easier. BCD Travel has partnered with VAT-recovery firm Taxeo to automate the process.

virtual credit card (VCC)

A VCC isn’t a physical card, but it has many of the same features as plastic corporate cards.

virtual payment

A virtual payment is a terminal-based payment method where the payment is delivered through a virtual card (VCC) instead of by check or cash.

An endorsement or stamp placed into a passport by officials of a foreign government giving a traveler permission to visit; not all countries require visas.

VCC (Virtual Call Center)

A network of call centers where the client calls one phone number, regardless of where they are based, that will be routed through to an available agent. For multi-national accounts this service would be multi-lingual as appropriate.

Virtual Multiple Purpose Document. A document issued by a travel agency or airline, working with BSP, as proof of payment for transactions and services, either related to an eticket already issued (example: rebooking fees) or for services other than flights (for items like surface transportation, transfers, and excess luggage charges).

A traffic document which has been spoiled or canceled.

Documents issued to confirm arrangements or used to be exchanged for services.

A list of people seeking a travel service that is sold out; generally, as other travelers cancel, waitlisted individuals are confirmed in the order in which their waitlist request was received – sometimes prioritized by frequent traveler membership.

When a hotel is sold out and there are no rooms available for a person who has a confirmed reservation, the hotel provide alternate accommodations at a different hotel.

an agreement to pay to use an aircraft with a crew , fuel, and insurance

wide-body aircraft

Aircraft with wide passenger cabins and seating configurations that require more than one aisle. Current models include Boeing 747, 777 or Airbus A380, A350

system that checks hand luggage at an airport, without damaging, for example, light-sensitive film material or laptops.

Yield Management

is a variable pricing strategy, based on understanding, anticipating and influencing consumer behavior in order to maximize revenue or profits from a fixed, time-limited resource (such as airline seats or hotel room reservations).

Zulu Time Zone (Z) has no offset from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Zulu Time Zone is often used in aviation and the military as another name for UTC +0. Zulu time, also known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), is the time zone used by the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England. It is the basis for all other time zones in the world.

2FA, or two-factor authentication, is an extra layer of security used to protect online accounts. In addition to a password, users are also required to enter a code that is sent to their mobile device. This makes it more difficult for hackers to gain access to an account, as they would need to have both the password and the code.

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Category: Travel

Date: July 5, 2024

Online Travel Agencies – A Brief Introduction

The role of an online travel agency (OTA) is becoming increasingly important in the accommodation industry as they provide a convenient way for travelers to arrange their stay. From the comfort of their home, travelers can compare hotel prices and book them over the internet. 

In this blog, we are going to discuss what an OTA is, the best OTA platforms, travel website development and how to do it right, and more.

Ready? Let’s go.

What Are Online Travel Agencies?

An online travel agency (OTA) arranges and sells accommodations, tours, transportation and trips on an online platform for travelers. They are third parties who sell services on behalf of other companies.

Usually, these OTAs offer many benefits with added convenience with more of a self-service approach. They also include a built-in booking system which allows instant bookings.

How Do Online Travel Agencies Work?

OTAs generally work on two models. They are,

1. Merchant Model

In this model, hotels sell rooms to OTAs at a discounted or wholesale price. Then, the OTA sells them to the customer at a markup price

2. Agency Model

This is a commission-based model where OTAs acts as a distribution partner. OTAs receive full commission after the stay has taken place. The hotel directly receives the payment from the end customer and does not wait for the payment transfer from third-party distributors.

What Are the Benefits of Partnering with Online Travel Agencies?

In one word – exposure! Online travel agents get thousands of website visitors from all over the world. Plus, they have positioned themselves as an authority on everything related to travel. So, people trust the recommendation they receive from OTAs.

By listing in OTAs, accommodation businesses like hotels not only reach a vast set of audience but will also find their service among many other reputable sources of information.

In addition, hotels that are listed on OTAs can also benefit from what is referred to as the ‘billboard effect’. This means that OTAs provide a form of advertising for service providers such as hotels on their platforms. Once the user gains this awareness, they may even go to the website of that particular hotel to make a direct booking.

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Selling Through Online Travel Agents?

Accommodation businesses like hotels and B&Bs have pros and cons of getting listed in OTAs. Let’s take a look at them.

Advantages Of Online Travel Agents

• Low-cost method of selling accommodation services
• Reduced online marketing spend as OTAs invest in advertising to attract potential customers
• Impartial reviews give customers the confidence to book
• Users can easily compare various accommodation costs at one place

Disadvantages Of Online Travel Agents

• Commission rates are charged on every sale. It can range between 10-15% of the gross cost
• Restrictive cancellation terms
• Even if accommodation businesses use OTAs, the need for their own website and booking engine does not go away
• Investment in a balanced multi-channel strategy may be needed to boost sales

Even though OTAs can help to fill your rooms, accommodation businesses must try to maximize revenue through their own website. Consistent work on search engine optimization tactics and other digital marketing techniques is a must. Accommodation businesses must focus on customer retention techniques and directly target their existing customers through emails and direct marketing.

How To Start An Online Travel Agency?

Travel agencies no longer inform customers about the availability of flights and rooms. They issue rooms and get a commission from the respective accommodation businesses. That is why most of the new travel businesses follow the OTA model.

If you plan to enter the OTA arena, you can specialize in pilgrimages, leisure travel, business travel or any niche. But, focusing on how effectively you offer things is the key to success.

Here Are Some Points You Have To Consider When Starting An Online Travel Agency.

• Register the name of your agency and if applicable, take a license as per your local laws
• Try to get a membership in IATA or any other reputed travel organization
• Gain more knowledge about the travel industry and particularly the nice you want to concentrate
• Get your travel website designed by a professional company like ColorWhistle
• Offer deals that focus on a specific geography. Focusing on a particular niche will also bring more success
• Publicize your business in the online space
• Utilize the power of blogging
• Create a good social media presence

Why Do People Use Online Travel Agencies?

 here are some of the main reasons they prefer ota’s..

• Few OTAs offer reward programs which can be used for future travel needs
• Special rates which cannot be found elsewhere
• Some OTAs may have generous cancellation policies. For example, Priceline does not offer any penalty if the user cancels the ticket until the end of the next business day
• Most users may not have an idea on where to book other than an OTA
• OTAs make it easy to compare different rates

Which Are the Best OTA Platforms?

1. booking.com.

Booking.com is one of the largest accommodations websites which has now expanded to smaller markets such as family-operated bed and breakfast, vacation rentals and self-catering apartments.

Interesting statistics

• Every day, 1,550,000 nights are booked
• 68% of nights booked came from families and couples
• 42% of nights booked came from unique places such as homes and apartments
• 38% of reviews are given by guests which are useful for other travelers
• 75% of nights booked come from guests who booked more than 5 times

2. Expedia’s Hotels.com

Expedia’s Hotels.com is a popular brand which has a global audience and attracts diverse travelers. The company gained more power in the industry by acquiring Travelocity.

• Gets over 675 million monthly site visits
• Operates in 70+ countries and 40+ languages
• Attracts 75 million monthly flight shoppers

Airbnb revolutionized the travel accommodation industry by introducing home-sharing. The website has diverse listings and travelers get a sense of safety as they can know their guest’s identity.

• 2.9 million hosts are present on Airbnb
• Average of 800k stays each night
• 14k new hosts join every month

Apart from these major OTAs, there are many small ones such as OneTravel, Vayama, Tripsta, TravelMerry, ExploreTrip, Kiss&Fly, Webjet, GoToGate, Travelgenio, Bookairfare, Fareboom, Skybooker, Travel2be, OneTwoTrip!, and eBookers.

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What the future holds for online travel agencies.

It is clear that, in the near future, accommodation businesses are not about to back down from OTAs. They are enjoying the billboard effect and trying their best to retain website visitors and convert them into direct booking. 

Sure, there is a cost involved. The upside of this is that accommodation businesses are working hard to create a loyal customer base that will continue to seek direct bookings.

The chances of OTAs suffering in the long run are pretty slim. Smaller accommodation businesses have a lot to gain from the exposure they receive through OTAs. Plus, a large portion of the younger generation prefers OTAs. So their market will continue to grow.

If you need any help to design, develop or market an OTA website, contact our travel web design and development experts at ColorWhistle . 

We can create an amazing website with beautiful designs combined with dynamic content such as live rates and special offers. Contact us today for your free business analysis and consultation.

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Travel Concierge – All You Need to Know

Curious about what exactly it is that a travel concierge does? We’ll tell you that, plus everything else you need to know, in this detailed guide to travel concierges!

What’s in the job description, how are they different from travel agents, and what kinds of services they offer are just some of the topics that are covered in this detailed guide. We’ve also included a list of the top travel concierge agencies that are used by the elite, in case you’re considering hiring one for your next trip.

Read on to learn more about travel concierges, and see whether you should even consider using their services!

What Is A Travel Concierge?

When you think of a travel concierge, what’s the first thing that pops into your mind? The concierge desk at the last fancy hotel you stayed at, right? Hotel concierges are similar to travel concierges in their expertise and connections, but their job description is a bit different.

A travel concierge can do the same things a hotel concierge can do for you, plus a few extra things. It’s the person you hire to make all your wishes come true, as long as they’re not against the laws of the country you are in.

Travel concierge services are very pricey, and they’re often used by the rich and famous who don’t have the time or the energy to make travel arrangements on their own.

The duties and responsibilities of a travel concierge extend far beyond making hotel and airplane reservations – their duty is to ensure that everything about the trip is exactly how the customer wants it, from the destination to the daily itineraries.

In addition to that, concierges also provide 24/7 support for customers during their trips. That means that if a customer needs anything, it’s the concierge’s job to make it happen, no matter how difficult or impossible the task may seem.

And since the customers are usually ultra-rich people who don’t have a lot of patience or understanding, if they can’t complete the task quickly and successfully, it’s likely they will lose a customer for good.

This is why a travel concierge is nothing without their connections. They need to know all the right people to call to make even the impossible happen, and that’s how they can keep the customers with insanely high expectations happy. Also, concierges will often rely on word of mouth for recommendations, instead of looking at Yelp or Google reviews.

In other words, if they need something done and they’re not sure who to turn to, they’re going to ask their contacts until they can get a great recommendation.

Travel Concierge Vs. Travel Agent

Although they might have similar job descriptions, a travel agent and a travel concierge do very different things. A travel agent is a person who works alone or with an agency to promote hotels, make travel arrangements for others, and find deals for certain destinations. When you book a trip with an agent or an agency, their responsibilities generally stop once you arrive at your destination.

A travel concierge, on the other hand, will be at your beck and call 24/7 even during your trip.

Concierges don’t have to promote other hotels or restaurants – their sole obligation is to the customer, and to ensure that the trip goes exactly how they wanted. While a travel agent might be able to recommend restaurants and even make reservations on your behalf, a travel concierge can get you into the hottest restaurant in town, even if all the tables are booked for the foreseeable future.

There’s also a difference in how agents and concierges get paid. A travel agent takes a commission and if they work for an agency, the agency will take a cut of their commission as well. A concierge, on the other hand, earns money from fees, commissions, and tips that are often given out by generous customers.

Concierges can also take fees from providers depending on their arrangement, and certain customers can even keep them “on-call” with a monthly or yearly fee, depending on how often they need something done.

With all of that in mind, it should come as no surprise that concierges generally make more money than travel agents. Although the numbers are very individual and dependent on the type of work and clientele a concierge usually works with, but you can imagine that making wishes of the ultra-rich come true is a job that pays quite nicely.

Luxury, Business, Personal, And Travel Concierge Services

The duties of a concierge are varied and plentiful. It’s rare for a concierge to offer only one type of service, so in most cases, these people will offer travel, luxury, business, and even certain personal services at the same time.

Luxury lifestyle concierge services are most utilized by the rich and famous, and they can include everything from planning parties to shipping valuable artwork all over the world. More often than not, luxury concierges will also make various travel arrangements for their customers, which can include anything from finding suitable hotels to chartering a private jet.

Corporate concierges are also a thing, and they’re often employed by large companies whose employees travel often. They do pretty much the same thing as luxury and travel concierges, but instead of being employed by rich individuals, corporate concierges are generally employed by large companies.

Their duties often include everything from making travel arrangements to organizing company events, but instead of needing to please just one individual, corporate concierges must respect the wishes of all the key personnel.

Although you can find concierge services that specialize in working with a particular clientele, more often than not these agencies will be capable of fulfilling your every demand. They might have certain individuals within the company who are specialized in one area, but even that’s not too common anymore.

Why Use A Travel Concierge?

The main reason why most people decide to use a travel concierge is to save time. Keep in mind that concierge services are expensive, and they’re mostly utilized by large companies or very rich individuals. These are people who don’t have the time to spend hours making travel arrangements or ensuring that the caterer got the menu right for their upcoming party.

Another reason why people opt to hire travel concierges, and travel agents for that matter, is because they can get access to exclusive deals. Both concierges and agents have connections with people in the industry, and they can offer exclusive deals to their customers, which they wouldn’t be able to get otherwise.

A good concierge should be able to get you a table on the same night at a restaurant that’s booked for the next two months, as well as get you tickets to a front-row seat at a fashion show. And just like travel agents, they can offer exclusive deals to their customers, which often include discounts for hotels, airlines, restaurants, etc.

The mega-rich will often employ concierges to do the work of a personal assistant. It can be closing down a Tiffany’s to purchase a ring, or shipping furniture halfway across the world – in any case, a concierge should be able to complete the task quicker and more efficiently than a personal assistant, because they can use the vast network of connections they’ve developed over the years.

Best Travel Concierge Services (Agencies)

Now that you know exactly what it is that travel concierges do, it’s time to go over some of the best (and most exclusive) travel concierge agencies in the business!

Quintessentially is one of the most popular luxury concierge companies in the world. They offer many types of concierge services, including travel, restaurant reservations, education, everyday errands, and much more.

This luxury concierge company has offices in 60 places over the globe, from Amman to Zagreb, and they work with both individuals and companies. Individual customers are usually the mega-rich, whose requests can range from fulfilling daily errands to closing down the Golden Gate bridge for a proposal.

It’s worth noting that Quintessentially is one of the largest concierge agencies in the business, so it should come as no surprise that they offer so many different services. The company employs more than 1500 people across their worldwide offices, and all those individuals are specialized in something.

Pure Entertainment Group is another luxury travel concierge company that works with private and corporate clients. Although they list some basic services they offer on their site, Pure Entertainment Group wants their clients to know that they’re capable of making all their wishes come true – all they need to do is ask.

The company prides itself on being of service to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients from all over the world, as well as being able to make even the most impossible wishes and dreams come true.

John Paul is a well-known concierge company that works with both private and corporate clients. The range of services they offer is wide and varied – the agency can do pretty much anything from finding VIP basketball tickets to developing customized mobile apps for a specific brand.

John Paul agency was founded in 2008, but in 2015 they merged with LesConcierges – a company that has been around since 1987.

As you can imagine, the concierges who work for this company are seasoned professionals with networks of contacts that allow them to get things done with a single phone call, whether it’s arranging a two-week vacation in the Maldives or getting their client a table at a restaurant that hasn’t even opened yet.

One Concierge is an agency that offers lifestyle management, private aviation, and corporate concierge services. In total, they offer more than 150 different concierge services to both their private and corporate clients, and they’re very popular for their on-demand service.

There’s no subscription or membership fee for their on-demand service – simply fill out a form when you need something, and you’ll be contacted by their team shortly after.

Also, it’s worth noting that the agency offers a wide variety of event management services, which range from planning private events to finding you tickets to the most exclusive events. They also work with quite a lot of celebrities and public figures, and they’re able to offer various talent procurement services to their clients.

Knightsbridge Circle is a concierge service founded in 2012, and it’s one of the best and most expensive companies in the industry. They offer several membership levels to their clients, with their “Elite” tier being the most expensive concierge membership you can purchase.

The £25,000 per year membership gets you a personal manager who works only on your needs and requests, which is amazing. This company has the best staff-to-client ratio – each Personal Manager is assigned up to five clients, with the exception of PMs who work with Elite tier clients.

It’s worth noting that their most expensive concierge membership is by invitation only, and it’s reserved for the richest and most influential people on the planet.

Innerplace Concierge is a London-based company that’s been in the business for nearly two decades. They’re one of the top concierge agencies in the UK, and they’re pretty much the ones you should turn to if you ever need something while you’re in London.

Innerplace Concierge agents can get you in pretty much any London restaurant you want, and the same goes for clubs, VIP events, and even sold-out events.

This agency offers a wide variety of concierge services, which include lifestyle and event management, travel planning, and even corporate services. They also offer several different membership plans, ranging from short-term memberships for people who are traveling to London for a little while, to bespoke membership plans for big businesses.

Innerplace Concierge remains one of the top agencies in the business for London residents who are in need of lifestyle management services because this agency can do pretty much anything for you, from event planning to getting you access to exclusive events and even sample sales.

About the Author Anna Timbrook

Anna is the co-owner of expert world travel and can't wait to share her travel experience with the world. With over 54 countries under her belt she has a lot to write about! Including those insane encounters with black bears in Canada.

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What is the future of travel?

All aboard! After the pandemic upended life and leisure as we know it, travel is roaring back. The industry is set to make a full recovery by the end of 2024, after losing 75 percent of its value in 2020. Much of this has been so-called “revenge travel,” or people embarking on international or bucket list trips that were delayed by the pandemic. But domestic travel is recovering quickly too and is set to represent 70 percent of travel spending by 2030.

Get to know and directly engage with senior McKinsey experts on travel and tourism

Margaux Constantin is a partner in McKinsey’s Dubai office, Matteo Pacca is a senior partner in the Paris office, and Vik Krishnan is a senior partner in the Bay Area office.

We’ve done a deep dive into the latest travel trends and how industry players can adjust accordingly in The state of travel and hospitality 2024 report. Check out the highlights below, as well as McKinsey’s insights on AI in travel, mass tourism, and much more.

Learn more about McKinsey’s Travel, Logistics, and Infrastructure Practice .

Who are today’s travelers, and what do they want?

In February and March 2024, McKinsey surveyed  more than 5,000 people in China, Germany, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom, and the United States who had taken at least one leisure trip in the past two years. Here are six highlights from the results of that survey:

• Travel is a top priority, especially for younger generations. Sixty-six percent of travelers we surveyed said they are more interested in travel now than before the COVID-19 pandemic. And millennials and Gen Zers  are traveling more and spending a higher share of their income on travel than their older counterparts.
• Younger travelers are keen to travel abroad. Gen Zers and millennials who responded to our survey are planning nearly an equal number of international and domestic trips in 2024. Older generations are planning to take twice as many domestic trips.
• Baby boomers are willing to spend if they see value. Baby boomers still account for 20 percent of overall travel spending. They are willing to spend on comforts such as nonstop flights. On the other hand, they are more willing to forego experiences to save money while traveling, unlike Gen Zers who will cut all other expense categories before they trim experiences.
• Travel is a collective story, with destinations as the backdrop. Travelers both want to hear other travelers’ stories and share their own. Ninety-two percent of younger travelers were inspired by social media in some shape or form for their last trip.
• What travelers want depends on where they’re from. Sixty-nine percent of Chinese respondents said they plan to visit a famous sight on their next trip, versus the 20 percent of European and North American travelers who said the same. Respondents living in the UAE also favor iconic destinations, as well as shopping and outdoor activities.

Learn more about McKinsey’s  Travel, Logistics, and Infrastructure Practice .

What are the top three travel industry trends today?

Travel is back, but traveler flows are shifting. McKinsey has isolated three major themes for industry stakeholders to consider as they look ahead.

• The bulk of travel spending is close to home. Seventy-five percent of travel spend is domestic. The United States is currently the world’s largest domestic travel market, but China is set to overtake it in the coming years. Stakeholders should make sure they capture the full potential of domestic travelers before turning their attention abroad.
• New markets such as India, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe are growing sources of outbound tourism. Indians’ travel spending is expected to grow 9 percent per year between now and 2030; annual growth projections for Southeast Asians and Eastern Europeans are both around 7 percent.
• Unexpected destinations are finding new ways to lure travelers and establish themselves alongside enduring favorites. Rwanda, for example, has capitalized on sustainable tourism by limiting gorilla trekking permits and directing revenue toward conservation.

Looking for direct answers to other complex questions?

For a more in-depth look at these trends, check out McKinsey’s State of travel and hospitality 2024   report .

How will AI change how people travel?

In the 1950s, the introduction of the jet engine dramatically reduced travel times, changing the way people traveled forever. Now AI is upending the industry  in a similarly fundamental way. Industry players down to individual travelers are using advances in generative AI (gen AI) , machine learning , and deep learning  to reimagine what it means to plan, book, and experience travel. “It’s quite clear,” says McKinsey partner Vik Krishnan , “that gen AI significantly eases  the process of travel discovery.”

For travel companies, the task now is to rethink how they interact with customers, develop products and services, and manage operations in the age of AI. According to estimates by McKinsey Digital, companies that holistically address digital and analytics opportunities have the potential to see an earnings improvement of up to 25 percent .

McKinsey and Skift Research interviewed executives from 17 companies across five types of travel business. Here are three key findings on how travel companies can reckon with emerging technologies, drawn from the resulting report The promise of travel in the age of AI :

• Segmentation. Companies can use AI to create hyperspecific customer segments to guide how they interact with and serve customers. Segmentation can be based on a single macro characteristic (such as business versus leisure), or it can be so specific as to relate to just one customer.
• Surprise and delight. In the travel context, gen AI could take the form of digital assistants that interact with customers throughout their journeys, providing personalized trip itineraries and tailored recommendations and helping to resolve unexpected disruptions.
• Equipping workers better. AI tools can free up frontline workers’ time, allowing them to focus more on personal customer interactions. These tools can also shorten the training time for new hires and quickly upskill  the existing workforce.

AI is important, yes. But, according to Ella Alkalay Schreiber, general manager (GM) of fintech at Hopper, “The actual challenge is to understand the data, ask the right questions, read prediction versus actual, and do this in a timely manner. The actual challenge is the human thinking, the common sense .”

How is mass tourism changing travel?

More people are traveling than ever before. The most visited destinations are experiencing more concentrated flows of tourists ; 80 percent of travelers visit just 10 percent of the world’s tourist destinations. Mass tourism can encumber infrastructure, frustrate locals, and even harm the attractions that visitors came to see in the first place.

Tourism stakeholders can collectively look for better ways to handle visitor flows before they become overwhelming. Destinations should remain alert to early warning signs about high tourism concentration and work to maximize the benefits of tourism, while minimizing its negative impacts.

Destinations should remain alert to early warning signs about high tourism concentration and work to maximize the benefits of tourism, while minimizing its negative impacts.

For one thing, destinations should understand their carrying capacity of tourists—that means the specific number of visitors a destination can accommodate before harm is caused to its physical, economic, or sociocultural environment. Shutting down tourism once the carrying capacity is reached isn’t always possible—or advisable. Rather, destinations should focus on increasing carrying capacity to enable more growth.

Next, destinations should assess their readiness to handle mass tourism and choose funding sources and mechanisms that can address its impacts. Implementing permitting systems for individual attractions can help manage capacity and mitigate harm. Proceeds from tourism can be reinvested into local communities to ensure that residents are not solely responsible for repairing the wear and tear caused by visitors.

After risks and funding sources have been identified, destinations can prepare for growing tourist volumes in the following ways:

• Build and equip a tourism-ready workforce to deliver positive tourism experiences.
• Use data (gathered from governments, businesses, social media platforms, and other sources) to manage visitor flows.
• Be deliberate about which tourist segments to attract (business travelers, sports fans, party groups, et cetera), and tailor offerings and communications accordingly.
• Distribute visitor footfall across different areas, nudging tourists to visit less-trafficked locations, and during different times, promoting off-season travel.
• Be prepared for sudden, unexpected fluctuations triggered by viral social media and cultural trends.
• Preserve cultural and natural heritage. Engage locals, especially indigenous people, to find the balance between preservation and tourism.

How can the travel sector accelerate the net-zero transition?

Global warming is getting worse, and the travel sector contributes up to 11 percent of total carbon emissions. Many consumers are aware that travel is part of the problem, but they’re reticent to give up their trips: travel activity is expected to soar by 85 percent  from 2016 to 2030. Instead, they’re increasing pressure on companies in the travel sector to achieve net zero . It’s a tall order: the range of decarbonization technologies in the market is limited, and what’s available is expensive.

But decarbonization doesn’t have to be a loss-leading proposition. Here are four steps  travel companies can take toward decarbonization that can potentially create value:

• Identify and sequence decarbonization initiatives. Awareness of decarbonization levers is one thing; implementation is quite another. One useful tool to help develop an implementation plan is the marginal abatement cost curve pathway framework, which provides a cost-benefit analysis of individual decarbonization levers and phasing plans.
• Partner to accelerate decarbonization of business travel. Many organizations will reduce their business travel, which accounts for 30 percent of all travel spend. This represents an opportunity for travel companies to partner with corporate clients on decarbonization. Travel companies can support their partners in achieving their decarbonization goals by nudging corporate users to make more sustainable choices, while making reservations and providing data to help partners track their emissions.
• Close the ‘say–do’ gap among leisure travelers. One McKinsey survey indicates that 40 percent of travelers globally say they are willing to pay at least 2 percent more for carbon-neutral flights. But Skift’s latest consumer survey reveals that only 14 percent  of travelers said they actually paid more for sustainable travel options. Travel companies can help close this gap by making sustainable options more visible during booking and using behavioral science to encourage travelers to make sustainable purchases.
• Build new sustainable travel options for the future. The travel sector can proactively pioneer sustainable new products and services. Green business building will require companies to create special initiatives, led by teams empowered to experiment without the pressure of being immediately profitable.

What’s the future of air travel?

Air travel is becoming more seasonal, as leisure travel’s increasing share of the market creates more pronounced summer peaks. Airlines have responded by shifting their schedules to operate more routes at greater frequency during peak periods. But airlines have run into turbulence when adjusting to the new reality. Meeting summer demand means buying more aircraft and hiring more crew; come winter, these resources go unutilized, which lowers productivity . But when airlines don’t run more flights in the summer, they leave a lot of money on the table.

How can airlines respond to seasonality? Here are three approaches :

• Mitigate winter weakness by employing conventional pricing and revenue management techniques, as well as creative pricing approaches (including, for example, monitoring and quickly seizing on sudden travel demand spikes, such as those created by a period of unexpectedly sunny weather).
• Adapt to seasonality by moving crew training sessions to off-peak periods, encouraging employee holiday taking during trough months, and offering workers seasonal contracts. Airlines can also explore outsourcing of crew, aircraft, maintenance, and even insurance.
• Leverage summer strengths, ensuring that commercial contracts reflect summer’s higher margins.

How is the luxury travel space evolving?

Quickly. Luxury travelers are not who you might expect: many are under the age of 60 and not necessarily from Europe or the United States. Perhaps even more surprisingly, they are not all millionaires: 35 percent of luxury-travel spending is by travelers with net worths between $100,000 and $1 million. Members of this group are known as aspirational luxury travelers, and they have their own set of preferences. They might be willing to spend big on one aspect of their trip—a special meal or a single flight upgrade—but not on every travel component. They prefer visibly branded luxury and pay close attention to loyalty program points and benefits .

The luxury-hospitality space is projected to grow faster than any other segment, at 6 percent per year  through 2025. And competition for luxury hotels is intensifying too: customers now have the option of renting luxurious villas with staff, or booking nonluxury hotels with luxury accoutrements such as rainfall showerheads and mattress toppers.

Another critical evolution is that the modern consumer, in the luxury space and elsewhere, values experiences over tangible things (exhibit).

Luxury properties may see more return from investing in a culture of excellence—powered by staff who anticipate customer needs, exceed expectations, create cherished memories, and make it all feel seamless—than in marble floors and gold-plated bath fixtures. Here are a few ways luxury properties can foster a culture of excellence :

• Leaders should assume the role of chief culture officer. GMs of luxury properties should lead by example to help nurture a healthy and happy staff culture and listen and respond to staff concerns.
• Hire for personalities, not resumes. “You can teach someone how to set a table,” said one GM we interviewed, “but you can’t teach a positive disposition.”
• Celebrate and reward employees. Best-in-class service is about treating customers with generosity and care. Leaders in the service sector can model this behavior by treating employees similarly.
• Create a truly distinctive customer experience . McKinsey research has shown that the top factor influencing customer loyalty in the lodging sector is “an experience worth paying more for”—not the product. Train staff to focus on tiny details as well as major needs to deliver true personalization.

What’s the latest in travel loyalty programs?

Loyalty programs are big business . They’ve evolved past being simply ways to boost sales or strengthen customer relationships; now, for many travel companies, they are profit centers in their own right. One major development was that travel companies realized they could sell loyalty points in bulk to corporate partners, who in turn offered the points to their customers as rewards. In 2019, United’s MileagePlus loyalty program sold $3.8 billion worth of miles to third parties, which accounted for 12 percent of the airline’s total revenue for that year. In 2022, American Airlines’ loyalty program brought in $3.1 billion in revenue, and Marriott’s brought in $2.7 billion.

But as this transition has happened, travel players have shifted focus away from the original purpose of these programs. Travel companies are seeing these loyalty programs primarily as revenue generators, rather than ways to improve customer experiences . As a result, loyalty program members have become increasingly disloyal. Recent loyalty surveys conducted by McKinsey revealed a steep decline in the likelihood that a customer would recommend airline, hotel, and cruise line loyalty programs to a friend. The same surveys also found that airline loyalty programs are driving fewer customer behavior changes than they used to.

So how can travel brands win customers’ loyalty back? Here are three steps to consider:

• Put experience at the core of loyalty programs. According to our 2023 McKinsey Travel Loyalty Survey , American respondents said they feel more loyal to Amazon than to the top six travel players combined, despite the absence of any traditional loyalty program. One of the reasons for Amazon’s success may be the frictionless experience it provides customers. Companies should strive to design loyalty programs around experiential benefits that make travelers feel special and seamlessly integrate customer experiences between desktop, mobile, and physical locations.
• Use data to offer personalization  to members. Travel brands have had access to customer data for a long time. But many have yet to deploy it for maximum value. Companies can use personalization to tailor both experiences and offers for loyalty members; our research has shown that 78 percent  of consumers are more likely to make a repeat purchase when offered a personalized experience.
• Rethink partnerships. Traditionally, travel companies have partnered with banks to offer cobranded credit cards. But many credit card brands now offer their own, self-branded travel rewards ecosystems. These types of partnerships may have diminishing returns in the future. When rethinking partnerships, travel brands should seek to build richer connections with customers, while boosting engagement. Uber’s partnership with Marriott, for example, gives users the option to link the brands’ loyalty programs, tapping into two large customer bases and providing more convenient travel experiences.

In a changing travel ecosystem, travel brands will need to ask themselves some hard questions if they want to earn back their customers’ loyalty.

Learn more about McKinsey’s Travel, Logistics, and Infrastructure Practice . And check out travel-related job opportunities if you’re interested in working at McKinsey.

Articles referenced include:

• “ Updating perceptions about today’s luxury traveler ,” May 29, 2024, Caroline Tufft , Margaux Constantin , Matteo Pacca , and Ryan Mann
• “ The way we travel now ,” May 29, 2024, Caroline Tufft , Margaux Constantin , Matteo Pacca , and Ryan Mann
• “ Destination readiness: Preparing for the tourist flows of tomorrow ,” May 29, 2024, Caroline Tufft , Margaux Constantin , Matteo Pacca , and Ryan Mann
• “ How the world’s best hotels deliver exceptional customer experience ,” March 18, 2024, Ryan Mann , Ellen Scully, Matthew Straus, and Jillian Tellez Holub
• “ How airlines can handle busier summers—and comparatively quiet winters ,” January 8, 2024, Jaap Bouwer, Ludwig Hausmann , Nina Lind , Christophe Verstreken, and Stavros Xanthopoulos
• “ Travel invented loyalty as we know it. Now it’s time for reinvention. ,” November 15, 2023, Lidiya Chapple, Clay Cowan, Ellen Scully, and Jillian Tellez Holub
• “ What AI means for travel—now and in the future ,” November 2, 2023, Alex Cosmas  and Vik Krishnan
• “ The promise of travel in the age of AI ,” September 27, 2023, Susann Almasi, Alex Cosmas , Sam Cowan, and Ben Ellencweig
• “ The future of tourism: Bridging the labor gap enhancing customer experience ,” August 1, 2023, Urs Binggeli, Zi Chen, Steffen Köpke, and Jackey Yu
• “ Hotels in the 2030s: Perspectives from Accor’s C-suite ,” July 27, 2023, Aurélia Bettati
• “ Tourism in the metaverse: Can travel go virtual? ,” May 4, 2023, Margaux Constantin , Giuseppe Genovese, Kashiff Munawar, and Rebecca Stone
• “ Three innovations to solve hotel staffing shortages ,” April 3, 2023, Ryan Mann , Esteban Ramirez, and Matthew Straus
• “ Accelerating the transition to net-zero travel ,” September 20, 2022, Danielle Bozarth , Olivier Cheret, Vik Krishnan , Mackenzie Murphy, and Jules Seeley
• “ The six secrets of profitable airlines ,” June 28, 2022, Jaap Bouwer, Alex Dichter , Vik Krishnan , and Steve Saxon
• “ How to ‘ACE’ hospitality recruitment ,” June 23, 2022, Margaux Constantin , Steffen Köpke, and Joost Krämer
• “ Opportunities for industry leaders as new travelers take to the skies ,” April 5, 2022, Mishal Ahmad, Frederik Franz, Tomas Nauclér, and Daniel Riefer
• “ Rebooting customer experience to bring back the magic of travel ,” September 21, 2021, Vik Krishnan , Kevin Neher, Maurice Obeid , Ellen Scully, and Jules Seeley

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Travel Goes Mobile

June 19, 2014  By  Jason Guggenheim ,  Stephen Kremser ,  Pranay Jhunjhunwala ,  Tom McCaleb ,  Lee McCabe , and  Garcia-Mon Antonio Alvarez

Travel is on the move—again. Travel companies can’t afford to stand still.

The travel industry has been upended more than most by digital technology. More than 95 percent of travelers today use digital resources in the course of their travel journeys: dreaming about, planning, booking, experiencing, and reflecting on their trip. The average customer visits or uses a combination of 19 websites and mobile applications during the course of one trip, and many travelers use digital tools to share their experiences and reactions throughout the process.

Until recently, the travel revolution played out primarily on personal computers (PCs). Online travel agencies (OTAs) grabbed about a third of U.S. online bookings while search engines and metamediaries , companies that act as single points of contact between suppliers and intermediaries on the one hand and online customers on the other, inserted themselves as major influencers in the travel journey. Now the landscape is shifting again, this time to mobile platforms. IDC expects the number of U.S. mobile users to grow at an annual rate of 9 percent for the next several years. The number of Internet-connected mobile devices worldwide will increase by 16 percent per year, led by strong growth in developing countries, according to Ovum. Meanwhile, PC sales are in steep decline. PhoCusWright expects mobile’s share of U.S. travel bookings to grow from 4 percent in 2013 to 12 percent by 2015, while eMarketer projects the value of U.S. travel purchases made on smartphones and tablets to soar from $26 billion in 2014 to $65 billion in 2018.

This shift presents multiple challenges. For one thing, travel companies need to address a fast-growing sales-and-marketing channel. For another, mobile usage adds complexity to the relationship between travel companies and their customers as travelers use multiple devices—starting on a PC, moving to a smartphone, then to a tablet, and back to the PC, for example—to dream about, plan, and book their trips. In 2013, almost half of all travelers using digital resources began the dream phase of their travel journey on one device and completed it on another. This makes it increasingly difficult for travel companies to follow individual travelers’ identities throughout their journeys.

We believe that the impact of mobile technology on the travel industry will be at least as far-reaching as that of the PC and the Internet. Suppliers and intermediaries—including OTAs, metamediaries, and search engines—need to come to grips with mobile’s transformative potential in all of its present and future manifestations: smartphones, tablets, “wearables,” “drivables,” and innovations still in development, such as virtualization. For many travel suppliers, this shift means an opportunity to strengthen or reestablish customer relationships that have been eroded by online intermediaries. For intermediaries, it means rethinking their offerings to protect the positions they have established on the PC. In both cases, companies will need to understand their customers’ mobile-usage trends, tailor their marketing, and even adapt their operating models accordingly to win. They will also find themselves working with a shifting universe of “gatekeepers,” whose influence over how consumers use their mobile devices, including where they spend their time and the apps they access, can be compared (albeit imperfectly) to the role of search engines on PCs.

This report examines the changes under way and offers some suggestions on how travel companies can make the most of the opportunities they present.

Mobile Changes the Digital Game

Mobile is still just getting moving. According to TripAdvisor’s most recent Trip-Barometer survey, 4 percent of travelers worldwide now book their trips using mobile devices. The percentage is higher in many emerging markets where, as we have observed before, mobile technology is leapfrogging PC-based access. In China, for example, research by The Boston Consulting Group shows that 28 percent of consumers are using apps to plan their trips, compared with only 33 percent who use travel websites accessed from PCs. From 2013 to 2017, mobile hotel-bookings worldwide will triple, from $20 billion to $60 billion, while nonmobile online reservations will rise only 4 percent annually, from $142 billion to $167 billion, according to Deutsche Bank Securities. BCG’s research shows that Millennial consumers (ages 18 to 34) are more likely to use a mobile device for making travel arrangements. Far more Millennials than non-Millennials report having travel apps on their smartphones: 75 percent versus 47 percent.

All that said, our research indicates that while most travel companies recognize the rapid ascent of mobile, they have yet to develop a full understanding of its reach and impact. Mobile rearranges the relationship between a travel company and its customers, much the way the original wave of digital disruption did, scrambling established patterns of behavior in different phases of the travel journey. (See Exhibit 1.) The mobile experience is a whole new universe of connectivity that’s local (it’s always where you are), personal (tailored to your needs and preferences), and social (all your friends are there as well). And it’s always on. For companies, the opportunity to build brand and relationships, drive incremental purchase opportunities, and add to the overall service offering is enormous. But the dynamics of interaction on a mobile device are very different from those on a desktop. Companies cannot approach mobile users as if they were simply carrying a PC in their pocket.

Controlling the Journey

On a PC, search is king: 58 percent of travelers working on PCs use search engines to plan their trips, according to a recent study by Google. As aggregators of information on choice and price, OTAs and metamediaries occupy privileged positions in the king’s court. In a PC environment, search has the unparalleled ability to steer demand, boost awareness, and influence consumer consideration.

On mobile platforms, however, the king must yield his throne. According to mobile-analytics firm Flurry, the average U.S. consumer spends two hours and 42 minutes per day on his or her mobile devices, using apps for 86 percent of that time. Data from comScore shows that the amount of time spent on the apps of the top five travel companies (as opposed to visiting their websites) jumped to 48 percent in February 2014 from 38 percent in February 2013—an increase of 26 percent. TripAdvisor’s mobile app has been downloaded 100 million times; Expedia’s app, more than 25 million times in more than 220 countries and territories. Mobile usage accounted for almost two-thirds of searches and almost half of local ad revenues at Yelp in the third quarter of 2013.

Apps are closed environments, a fact that works to a company’s advantage as long as the company maintains the user’s interest. It pays to remember that apps are also easy to leave—and easier still to avoid altogether—if the user’s experience is slow, difficult, or frustrating. Good apps are fun and simple to navigate, especially when the time comes to transact business. Very good apps make the user want to return.

This dynamic creates a completely new battleground for the travel industry. Travel companies vary widely in how well they have replicated their success on the Web in the mobile environment. (See Exhibit 2.) For example, Delta Air Lines has fewer unique visitors on the Web than its major competitors, but almost 40 percent of them use its mobile app, which puts it in the lead in terms of mobile success—at least for the moment.

App design is getting better almost daily. The earliest incarnations, which are only about five years old, seem increasingly clumsy as more recent advances simplify use and reduce transaction time. There’s still room for improvement, however, and functionality and usability vary widely. It can take several minutes to download and use an app for transacting business, especially if the user needs to upload payment information. The single log-in functionality offered by social networks and others addresses this issue by enabling seamless movement among apps, eliminating the need to log in for each visit. Innovations such as app install ads (ads that link to and directly install a company’s app on the user’s device), as well as conversion ads and deep links (which take the user directly from a Google search or Facebook feed to the room-booking page of a hotel app), simplify moving among multiple apps. Streamlined payment functionality will cut usage time still further.

Many experts project that major technological advances to come in such areas as wearable devices, virtual reality, and semantic search (which employs technology that seeks to understand and act on user intent and context as well as actual words) will change the mobile experience in ways that can only be imagined today. But the experience will still be mobile, always on, and with the user 24/7, and will continue to improve at a rapid rate, attracting more users and more of each user’s time, even in the near term. We are still in the early days of this transformation. Early movers, therefore, will gain a big advantage, while those that miss the shift will find catching up increasingly difficult once consumers’ patterns of behavior and relationships with mobile apps and their companies solidify.

The Travel Journey Gets Personal

This evolving playing field presents opportunities and threats to both travel suppliers and intermediaries. The biggest opportunity is to cement relationships with customers—especially a company’s best, high-value customers—by offering them truly personalized service and experiences. The biggest threat is that one or more companies will cement their relationships with your best customers before you do. In this context, travel companies of all kinds need to recognize that the universe of potential competitors is broadening, a process that started on the PC. Suppliers are competing directly with OTAs, metamediaries, search engines, and social networks—and each of those players with all the others—to “own” customer relationships. New entrants that offer predominantly mobile-based functionality, meanwhile, are moving into the travel market more easily than ever.

The sharp edge of this wedge is a good mobile app. Screen real estate is a prime commodity on most mobile devices, at least at this stage in their development. While the number of apps installed on the average smartphone varies, depending on who is doing the counting, it ranges from about 25 to about 40—in other words, not a lot, especially given the panoply of uses that people find for their devices. There are plenty of travel apps in the market: TripAdvisor estimates that three-quarters of hotel operators worldwide have some kind of mobile capability, and of those that don’t, half plan to introduce a mobile offering in 2014. Thus far, however, only a few are used regularly by a significant share of consumers. (See Exhibit 3.) This may be partly because design, functionality, and ease of use are huge factors for consumers, and app design is still a work in progress for most travel companies.

A successful app, meaning one that the consumer finds value in using regularly, provides a direct link to the travel company, one that is in the consumer’s pocket or handbag 24/7. This connection can empower all phases of the travel journey, from dreaming about and planning (through personalized offerings or featured routes and properties) to booking and travel customization (hotel room choice or flight seat selection, for example). Apps can also play a role in the sharing phase, allowing consumers to capture and communicate their travel experience as it unfolds. Apps help suppliers stay relevant in a competitive mobile environment. According to a recent EyeforTravel report, almost two-thirds of U.S. smartphone users agree that making apps easier to use would influence them to complete more travel purchases on mobile devices.

Most important, apps generate data related to usage, search, time, location, spending, preferences, friends and followers, and countless other criteria. The more travel companies can encourage consumers to interact with them directly via mobile devices, the more information they will be able to collect on users’ preferences, inclinations, spending habits, and decision-making processes. They will be able to segment and target their best customers on the basis of frequency of use and expenditure, among other criteria, including customers’ current location, status, and the time of day.

As BCG has observed about loyalty programs, which got their start in the travel industry, consumers continue to actively seek out ways to interact with their favorite brands, and companies with successful brands are fanatical about providing the best end-to-end loyalty-program experience for their customers. (See Leveraging the Loyalty Margin: Rewards Programs That Work , BCG Focus, April 2014.) Today, this increasingly means interacting with loyal members on their mobile devices, using such innovations as digital loyalty cards, mobile wallets, and real-time location-based offers.

Ultimately, the ability to collect, aggregate, mine, and analyze data enables personalization of the travel experience—from making suggestions based on known patterns and preferences to reducing transaction times to a matter of seconds. Consider a hotel’s ability to greet a returning high-value guest with a vase of her favorite flowers or a glass of his favorite beverage. Or an airline that lets passengers choose their in-flight entertainment from a selection of top movies and TV shows when they book their flights. Or a rental car company that preloads directions to the driver’s destination on the car’s navigation system. Or an OTA or a metamediary that can recommend hotels, restaurants, car services, and sites to see in Boston, Brussels, or Buenos Aires on the basis of a customer’s calendar of upcoming flights. For providers and intermediaries alike, this personalization of the travel experience can lock in customers more tightly, giving them more to lose if they consider switching to a competitor.

OTAs and metamediaries, whose business models depend on online interactions, will need to be especially creative in the way they approach mobile to defend the turf they have staked out on PCs. Mobile apps will increasingly form the core of the value proposition for these companies; if they don’t offer the current app of choice, they could risk losing relevance in a short period of time. Some of these companies already have added to their apps innovative features and capabilities, which users value. Thanks to aggressive marketing, large budgets, and the speed with which they have adapted to market shifts, 7 of the 10 most used travel apps (when measured by both unique visitors and minutes of usage) belong to metamediaries and OTAs. Kayak, for example, has added the ability to check and change flights and reservations on the go to its popular aggregation capability for flights, hotels, and car rentals.

The battle for mobile supremacy is only just being joined, however, and the marketplace is wide open. Most travel companies, across all categories, have converted less than 20 percent of their PC customers to mobile app usage. In Asia, where mobile usage is high, TripAdvisor reports that only 10 percent of travelers in China, 9 percent of travelers in Thailand, and 7 percent of travelers in Indonesia and Malaysia book using mobile devices. No travel app anywhere has yet established itself as the go-to resource on more than 2 percent of smartphones.

Gaining Access Through Gatekeepers

Some travel companies may choose to walk this mobile road alone. Others may benefit from joining forces with one or more mobile gatekeepers, whose positions in the mobile ecosystem, including the ability to offer users single log-in functionality, enable them to collect enormous breadth and depth of user data much the way that major search-engine owners have done on the Web. These companies know better than any other where and how users spend their mobile time, and they have unmatched ability to influence these decisions. Small wonder that they are playing an important role early in the travel journey.

Gatekeepers have the power and sophistication to vastly augment travel companies’ own data collection and analysis efforts, and given their capabilities and the amount of consumer information they manage, they have the potential to target likely travel customers better than anyone else. They can redirect consumers to specific travel apps through deep links and conversion ads as well as help increase awareness and penetration among the right customers. In the UK, for example, entertainment and lifestyle app YPlan uses mobile-app install ads for geographic segmentation, targeting a London-only audience.

This universe is still evolving, but the biggest gatekeepers today are the device manufacturers and the companies behind the main mobile-operating systems and app stores, app-to-app marketers, and social networks and messaging app operators. The top three players currently account for half of total app usage. (See Exhibit 4.) Gatekeepers of the future may include gaming companies (people use gaming apps for 32 percent of the time they spend on mobile devices, according to Flurry) and entertainment apps, such as YouTube. Since this segment is in flux—and, with a few exceptions, it is impossible to know who the ultimate winners will be (much like the rest of the mobile ecosystem)—travel companies will want to experiment and place multiple bets.

A client-supplier model, in which travel companies (suppliers and intermediaries) pay for ad placement in top apps such as Facebook and Yelp, will likely emerge as the standard model in the market. Strategic partnerships—between a device manufacturer and a travel company, for example—could also be formed with significant potential to change dynamics in the industry. Google Maps recently added a feature to its mobile apps that allows users to connect directly with transportation provider Uber.

Because they have strong customer bases and well-known brands, and already offer apps of choice for many consumers, leading travel intermediaries such as Kayak, Expedia, TripAdvisor, and Booking.com will not be as dependent on mobile gatekeepers as smaller companies or start-ups. Even these leaders, however, need to understand the effect of the mobile channel on customer behavior and adapt their marketing if they want to maintain their advantaged positions.

Making the Move to Mobile

The mobile travel environment creates opportunities for all types of players. App penetration rates remain low, and, with a few exceptions, no individual players have broken from the pack to establish leadership positions. New winners will emerge among both travel suppliers and intermediaries. These companies will be successful because they differentiate themselves, they develop a deep and practical understanding of the dynamics of the mobile environment, and they create “sticky” relationships with their customers, most importantly by personalizing the user experience. They will also experiment; early movers with successful apps have the opportunity to establish lasting advantage. For travel suppliers, differentiation will continue to be grounded in the travel experience that they provide, but their mobile presence needs to reflect this positioning. For intermediaries, differentiation will depend substantially on how well they transfer their competitive advantages from PCs to apps.

Travel companies want their customers to do three things with respect to their apps: discover and download them; engage with them at multiple stages of the travel journey; and find the experience so simple, satisfying, and useful that they want to come back and use the apps again—to the exclusion of the other travel apps out there. This is a tall order, to be sure, but as we have emphasized, the market is wide open, and the success factors are clear. At a practical level, travel companies also need to do three things:

• Design apps with functionality that customers—especially high-value customers—prize and others cannot match, including personalizing the experience as much as possible for users.
• Market the app effectively—for both installation and engagement.
• Experiment and bring out new functionalities quickly, offering them exclusively to a company’s own users, to keep the app fresh and make it more useful, as well as to make the experience more personal over time.

Design apps with value. Competing in the mobile game requires designing a competitive app that is easy to use, intuitive, fast, and reliable. Apps also need to work across multiple devices and operating systems. Personal information should be available in whatever way travelers choose to access it, including as they move back and forth between their PCs and mobile devices, as many inevitably do. Winning the game—meaning that consumers tap your app first when they start to dream about, plan, or book their travel—will be a function of how much a company can personalize the app experience for each user.

Suppliers may have an advantage here if they meet two conditions:

• They are good at collecting and analyzing data on what travelers—especially high-value travelers—like and do when they are visiting their hotels, flying in their planes, or driving their rental cars.
• They use this information to approach each traveler truly as an individual all the way through the journey, beginning with the moment he or she powers up the app.

A supplier with an app of choice may benefit from greater pricing flexibility because it is interacting with customers in an environment that it controls rather than in an OTA or a metasearch bazaar, where price is the first level of competition many customers look for.

Intermediaries are not totally sidelined in the personalization game. Many can draw on the substantial databases of traveler information that they have already compiled over the past several years. Those that do not move quickly to establish strong mobile positions, however, may find themselves squeezed out by aggressive suppliers on one side and gatekeepers on the other, both of which will be armed with more and better customer data. Suppliers and intermediaries that build an early lead in collecting and using customer data are likely to find themselves with a self-sustaining advantage as their ability to personalize will become increasingly difficult to challenge over time.

Market the app effectively. A successful app needs to be top of mind. Companies should start by targeting their best customers, usually loyalty program members, to defend these relationships, and then expand from this base. Multiple travel companies are already targeting loyalty program members with features that offer rewards for recognition and program points when members share their travel experiences on social networks or use social media sites for check-in. Some offer extra loyalty points for booking via a mobile device.

Pushing app installation will likely require working with the mobile gatekeepers; they have the greatest access to users today, they provide single log-in functionality, and they will likely maintain this position, at least in the near term. Gatekeepers are rapidly advancing expertise with such installation techniques as app install ads, conversion ads, and deep links. They will be important resources over time for travel companies with poor or inadequate reservoirs of digital data or those looking to experiment with new functionality or features and to expand their own user bases.

Mobile marketing currently costs less than other forms of online advertising. This may argue for rethinking resource allocation and shifting marketing dollars to mobile while a supplier or intermediary establishes a strong mobile link with its most valuable customers and experiments with features and functionalities that can provide mobile advantage. Effective targeting is key. A scattershot approach, especially for companies with small budgets, will almost certainly fail.

Experiment and bring out new functionality quickly and exclusively. The ability to offer exclusive functionality through an app, including differentiated products, services, and loyalty program benefits, can help establish direct relationships with users, which is a prerequisite to competing effectively for most companies. Being a first mover with new functionality and innovation is a source of advantage.

Delta, for example, has fewer visitors to its website than Southwest Airlines, but it has twice the percentage of app users. What’s more, these users spend twice as many minutes with Delta’s app each month as with Southwest’s. Delta’s app covers the basics well, offering the ability to search, book, and pay for flights, as well as receive boarding passes, all via mobile device. Even more significantly, it is far ahead of its competitors in the exclusive features it offers. It provides checked-bag tracking, which many other airline apps do not, and it was the first to offer standby and upgrade lists, in-app service recovery, and seat selection and upgrade capabilities.

Marriott International is rolling out a check-in, check-out feature on its mobile app that allows loyalty program members to skip the front desk entirely. It has also added a feature to its meeting-services app that enables meeting organizers to make real-time requests for hotel services without leaving their seats. IHG and Hilton Worldwide, among others, use their mobile apps to remind users of reward levels and to offer opportunities for additional reward points for sharing experiences via mobile devices. Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide is experimenting with room entry via smartphone and a Google Glass app for its preferred-guest program members. Lufthansa’s Facebook app, SceneSpotter, provides real-time information and advice on places to see and visit in 20 of its destination cities on the basis of recommendations from Facebook users as well as SceneSpotter editors. OTA Expedia is tiering pricing and promotions that vary by platform, offering the best deals on its mobile app.

This will be a hard-fought battle among travel suppliers and between travel suppliers and intermediaries. In some cases, suppliers are already coming under pressure from intermediaries to make their new functionality table stakes for all channels. Resisting such entreaties will be more difficult in some segments (highly franchised lodging, for example) than others (such as airlines, where assets are mostly owned).

The mobile environment today is young, dynamic, volatile, and still in formation. It is evolving at a rapid pace, and regardless of where mobile apps are installed—on a phone, in a car, on a pair of glasses, or somewhere else no one has even considered yet—as consumers get comfortable with the technology, they will begin to make choices that determine winners and losers. Gatekeepers are already playing a crucial role and will likely continue to do so. Travel companies that move quickly to design and market their apps, including experimenting with new functionality, will put themselves in the forefront of delivering the capabilities that enhance the various stages of the travel journey. In the process, they will build a big advantage in all aspects of their business over those that do not or are slow to take up the challenge.

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Ben Stevenson and Kim Plough of BCG, and to Julie Ruggiero and Marc Kelechava of Facebook, for their assistance in the preparation of this report.

Managing Director & Senior Partner, Travel & Tourism Global Leader

Managing Director & Senior Partner

Managing Director & Partner

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Volgograd city, Russia

The capital city of Volgograd oblast .

Volgograd - Overview

Volgograd (until 1925 - Tsaritsyn, until 1961 - Stalingrad) is a large city located on the west bank of the Volga River in the south of the European part of Russia, the administrative center of Volgograd Oblast.

The population of Volgograd is about 1,001,200 (2022), the area - 859 sq. km.

The phone code - +7 8442; the postal codes - 400000-400138.

Volgograd city flag

Volgograd city coat of arms.

Volgograd city map, Russia

Volgograd city latest news and posts from our blog:.

28 March, 2020 / Volgograd - the city restored from ruins .

4 April, 2019 / Cities of Russia at Night - the Views from Space .

23 August, 2018 / Elton - the Largest Lake of the Volgograd Region .

4 December, 2017 / Stadiums and Matches of the World Cup 2018 in Russia .

8 May, 2017 / Discharge of Water at the Volga Hydroelectric Station .

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History of Volgograd

Prehistory of the founding of volgograd.

The birth of the city was given by the Volga trade route, the Don-Volga Portage and shipping on the Volga River, which began to take shape back in the 10th century, when Rus’ (in the upper Volga), Volga Bulgaria (in the Middle Volga) and Khazaria (in the Don-Volga interfluve and the lower Volga) became their main participants. The role of merchants was played by the Varangians and Arab merchants.

By the end of the 10th century, the Volga trade was disrupted due to the waves of resettlement of the Pechenegs (from the 950s), the Polovtsians (from the 1100s), the Mongol invasion (1236-1243). The Volga trade route was revived after the Mongol conquest, when the entire river was under the control of the Ulus of Jochi (the Golden Horde). Here, three trade routes from north to south and a route from east to west began to intersect. In 1260, this factor of a convenient trade location was used when Sarai Berke, the capital of the Golden Horde, was founded. It was located about 60 km from present-day Volgograd.

On the site of today’s Volgograd there was a settlement of the Golden Horde with an unknown name. Volgograd is not the successor of this settlement. It was located about 18 km north of the historical core of Volgograd and ceased to exist 200-250 years before its foundation.

In the 15th century, the Golden Horde began to disintegrate into independent khanates: Kazan, Siberian, Astrakhan, Crimean, and others. In the 16th century, the Tsardom of Russia, on the contrary, went through a period of centralization, it became stronger and conquered the khanates one after another: Kazan in 1552, Astrakhan in 1556, Siberian in 1598. At the time of the founding of Volgograd (Tsaritsyn), only the Crimean Khanate remained unconquered.

More Historical Facts…

Foundation of Volgograd

The trade route along the Volga was revived again. Russia exported timber, grain, cloth, leather, wax, and honey through Astrakhan, and imported salt, fabrics, metals, and incense. The Volga became a transit route for international trade as well. The first mention of Tsaritsyn , as a seasonal guard post on Tsaritsyno Island, reached us in a letter from the merchant Christopher Burrow, written in 1579.

In 1585-1590, voivode Grigory Zasekin founded a number of permanent fortresses with garrisons of 100-150 people along the Volda. Today, some of them are large regional centers: Volgograd (Tsaritsyn), Samara and Saratov. The Tsaritsyn fortress also controlled the eastern side of the Don-Volga Portage - the shortest (about 70 km) distance between the Don and Volga rivers. The instructions of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich on its development date back to 1589. This year is considered the year of Volgograd’s founding.

In 1718-1720, by order of Peter I, the Tsaritsyn fortified line was built from the Volga to the Don. Until the 1750s, the Volga-Don region was a buffer zone between the provinces of the Russian Empire north of Voronezh and the nomads and khanates of the Caucasian and Central Asian regions. During this period, Tsaritsyn remained a border settlement with military-administrative functions: supply depots for the waterway, quarantine of sick people from passing ships, and small trade. The main population was the military - up to 400 people, and a small number of civilians.

After the reforms of Peter the Great and the formation of the Russian Empire, Russian expansion into the Crimea, the Caucasus and Central Asia began. The year 1775 can be considered a new stage in the development of Tsaritsyn, when the Tsaritsyn fortified line and the Volga Cossack army were abolished and the Azov-Mozdok fortified line took over the function of the southern border of the country.

Volgograd in the 19th century

In 1820, a new urban development plan of Tsaritsyn was approved without a fortress wall and ramparts. From this period, the settlement of the adjacent territory by peasants from the central provinces began. In addition to Russians, German colonists settled here, invited by Catherine the Great. They brought with them new technologies and a new way of life.

The first school, pharmacy, coffee shop, the first planting of potatoes, mustard and tobacco in the Tsaritsyn region took place in the German colony of Sarepta-on-Volga, located 30 kilometers south of Tsaritsyn. Until the middle of the 18th century, the food industry developed primarily in Tsaritsyn, which was facilitated by the proximity of the Elton salt mines, the fish resources of the Volga and the Caspian Sea, and melon growing.

After the abolition of serfdom in 1861, the town’s industry began to grow rapidly, which was facilitated by the factors of convenient transport - the Volga and a developed railway network, and the terrain - a flat undeveloped steppe. This made it possible to build huge industrial complexes with their own infrastructure and workers’ settlements. In May 1862, the Volga-Don railway was commissioned, which connected the Volga and Don along the shortest distance and laid the foundation for the rapid industrial growth of Tsaritsyn.

In 1880, on the site of the present Central Park of Culture and Leisure, the oil refining complex with the largest oil storage facilities in the Russian Empire was built by the company “Nobel Brothers” (it became known as the Nobel town). Tsaritsyn became an important oil hub. Here, Caspian oil was poured from river tankers into railway tank cars for transportation to the European part of the Russian Empire. The availability of crude oil gave impetus to the development of oil refining. With the assistance of the British company “Vickers”, the Tsaritsyn gun factory was built (sea and field artillery of large calibers).

By 1913, Tsaritsyn in terms of the number of residents, more than 110,000, overtook many regional centers of the Russian Empire. It was a period of rapid growth in the construction of residential, industrial, public, and entertainment buildings, hospitals, schools, hotels. The infrastructure also developed rapidly: the electric network (1880), the telephone (1885), the water supply (1890), the movie theater (1907), the city tram (1913).

Volgograd in 1917-1940

The growth of population and housing development was interrupted with the outbreak of the First World War and the subsequent Russian Civil War. Due to the presence of large-scale industry, there were significant masses of workers who sympathized with the Bolsheviks, which contributed to the rapid establishment of their power in the city. Soon Tsaritsyn became a “red” outpost in the south of Russia. Fighting in the vicinity and city limits of Tsaritsyn caused significant damage to the city economy and residents.

In 1921 and 1922, the grain harvest suffered from drought and famine struck the city. Famines had happened before, but this time the consequences were aggravated by the forcible withdrawal of grain for the needs of the Red Army and the introduction of the policy of war communism.

Foreign charitable organizations provided enormous help in saving Tsaritsyn from starvation: the American Relief Administration, the International Working Committee, the Italian and Swiss Red Cross missions. In April 1922, at the peak of the famine, they opened 853 canteens in Tsaritsyn and the province, where 668,900 people received hot meals or dry rations - about half of the total population.

Even during the battles of 1919, the Soviet government took into account that in terms of population and industry, the city had long outgrown its district status, and this year the Tsaritsyn Governorate was formed. At the end of the Civil War, a peaceful life began to improve, forced “grain surplus” appropriation and elements of war communism were canceled, economic relations began to be determined by the New Economic Policy. Agriculture and industry were actively reviving and the city restored the rate of population growth.

On April 10, 1925, during a mass renaming campaign and getting rid of everything connected with the monarchy and religion, in honor of the recognition of Stalin’s merits in the defense of the city during the Civil War, Tsaritsyn was renamed Stalingrad .

As part of the industrialization of the USSR, in Stalingrad, the State District Power Plant (1929), the Tractor Plant (1930), the Shipyard (1931), and the Hardware Plant (1932) were built in a short time. The already existing factories were included in the Stalingrad tractor and tank cluster. The Stalingrad Tractor Institute was established to train engineers and workers in 1930. Two similar clusters were deployed on the basis of the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant and Kharkov Tractor Plant.

The Stalingrad Tractor Plant was designed according to the project of the American architect Albert Kahn, the first tractor of the plant was the STZ-1 (licensed copy of the American McCormick Deering 10/20 tractor), the first tank was the T-26 (licensed British tank Vickers Mk E). In the first half of the 1930s, Stalingrad engineers launched production of new models: the STZ-3 tractor (1937) and the legendary Soviet tank T-34 (1940).

Volgograd during and after the Second World War

From July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943, on the outskirts of Stalingrad and in the city itself, one of the most important battles of the Second World War took place - the Battle of Stalingrad. By the number of total irrecoverable losses (killed, died of wounds in hospitals, missing), it became one of the bloodiest in the history of mankind.

Soviet soldiers - about 500,000, German soldiers - about 300,000, German allies (Italians, Romanians, Hungarians, Croats) - about 200,000 people, the number of killed city residents cannot be estimated even approximately, no less than tens of thousands. The military significance of the Soviet victory was the removal of the threat of seizure by the Wehrmacht of the Lower Volga region and the Caucasus, especially the Baku oil fields.

The damage caused by the war was enormous: 41,685 houses were destroyed (90%), only 32,181 residents of the pre-war 450,000 remained in Stalingrad (of which 30,666 were in the least affected Kirovsky district). Sapper units left for the demining of the city defused more than 300 thousand mines and 1 million shells and bombs. It was only by July 1945 that it became safe to move around the city.

After the war, it was decided to prioritize the allocation of captured German construction equipment and property to Stalingrad. For example, the children’s railway received the HF110C steam locomotives of the Wehrmacht railway troops.

A significant part of the restoration work was carried out by prisoners of war. The last of them were released in 1949, except for those with criminal sentences for personally committed war crimes. By 1949, the volume of industrial production in Stalingrad exceeded the pre-war level.

Volgograd in the second half of the 20th century and beyond

The 1950s were the heyday of Stalingrad’s architecture. In the first post-war years, the most necessary objects were rebuilt, and from the beginning of the new decade, large-scale construction of monumental buildings in the Stalinist Empire style began. In this decade, the image of Stalingrad as an exemplary socialist city was created. The entire historical center of the city, the Stalin district, was rebuilt in one style.

The Volga-Don Canal, put into operation in 1952, became another symbol of the city. After Stalin’s death in 1953, during de-Stalinization, all the monuments to Stalin were demolished, all objects named in his honor were renamed. On November 10, 1961, Stalingrad was renamed Volgograd.

By the end of the 1950s, there was a gradual rejection of the Stalinist Empire style in architecture. New buildings began to be constructed in a more functional style. To speed up the solution of the housing problem in the USSR, serial production of standard apartment buildings in the form of prefabricated panels began. Unofficially called Khrushchyovkas, they were built in large numbers in all districts and micro-districts of Volgograd without exception. Today, they constitute a huge part of the housing stock of the city.

In 1967, in memory of the Battle of Stalingrad, the memorial complex Mamayev Kurgan was built. A modern transport infrastructure began to take shape, where the main role belonged to road transport. The dismissal of Khrushchev and the beginning of Brezhnev’s rule in 1964 did not cause obvious changes in the architecture of the city. In the beginning of the 1970s, the economy of the USSR entered a period of stagnation.

In 1989, the millionth resident of Volgograd was born. September 2-3, 1989, Volgograd celebrated its 400th anniversary. Starting this year, it has become a tradition to celebrate the City Day of Volgograd on the first weekend of September.

After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, a rapid decline began in the industries of the city and its urban economy. All public construction was frozen. For a decade some objects were in a state of protracted construction.

Construction again intensified in the mid-2000s. In 2018, Volgograd hosted 4 matches of the FIFA World Cup. For this, a modern stadium “Volgograd Arena” with a capacity of 45,000 people was built.

Streets of Volgograd

On the street in Volgograd

Author: Victor Belousov

Busy intersection in Volgograd

Volgograd cityscape

Author: Igor Kurylko

Volgograd - Features

Volgograd is located in the lower reaches of the Volga River on its western bank with various forms of relief. The part of the city adjacent to the Volga is low-lying, with a height of 0-40 meters above sea level, at a distance of 1-3 kilometers from the Volga there is a chain of gentle hills (50-140 meters): Mamaev Kurgan (102 meters), Lysaya Gora and others.

The city got its original name (Tsaritsyn) from the Tsaritsa River, which flows into the Volga. The name was probably based on the Tatar words “sari-su” (yellow river) or “sari-chin” (yellow island), since a Russian settlement with a wooden fortress originally arose on Tsaritsyn Island.

In 1965, after Volgograd received the status of a hero city, its coat of arms that is still in use was adopted: in the upper red field - the Star of the Hero and the battlements of the fortress wall symbolizing the Stalingrad fortress, in the lower blue field - a gear wheel and a sheaf of wheat, as symbols of advanced mechanical engineering and agriculture.

The climate in Volgograd is moderately continental. Winters are mild, with frequent thaws, summers are hot and long. In all seasons, sharp temperature changes are possible. The average temperature in February is minus 5.9 degrees Celsius, in July - plus 24.2 degrees Celsius.

After the collapse of the USSR, the industrial potential of Volgograd significantly decreased. Traffic on the Volga-Don Canal dropped significantly in 1990-2010. However, now it is close to record numbers again.

Volgograd is an important junction of highways leading to Moscow, Astrakhan, Syzran, Elista, Samara, Donetsk (Ukraine). Volgograd airport “Gumrak” is located about 20 km from the city center and offers regular flights to such cities as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Krasnodar, Kaliningrad, Ufa, Nizhny Novgorod, and a number of others.

The specificity of the Volgograd road network comes from its unusual shape: a built-up strip with a width of 1 to 5 and a length of about 90 kilometers, in which multi-storey buildings, private residential buildings, industrial zones, and areas of undeveloped steppe alternate several times. Public transport in Volgograd is represented by buses, trams, trolleybuses, minibuses, as well as an underground high-speed tram - a kind of analogue of the metro.

Tourism in Volgograd

Today, Volgograd is quite an interesting place from a tourist point of view. Here you can see the largest river island in Europe, the only underground tram in Russia, the largest river port in Europe, and unique museums. In addition, Volgograd attracts tourists with its natural and climatic conditions and recreational resources - a huge water area, kilometers of sandy beaches and more than 200 sunny days a year.

Volgograd has the tallest sculpture-statue in Europe - the famous Motherland Calls monument, one of the largest monuments to a person who actually lived - a 57-meter-high monument to Lenin, installed at the entrance to the Volga-Don canal, the longest street in Russia - Vtoraya Prodolnaya magistral (more than 50 km), the longest residential building in the world (1,142 meters).

On the territory of Volgograd Oblast, you can visit the amazing lake of lotuses (flowering period: August-September), Lake Elton, “Volga Switzerland” - the natural park Shcherbakovsky, as well as the natural parks “Tsimlyanskie Sands”, “Donskoy”, “Nizhnekhopersky”, “Ust-Medveditskiy”, etc. Today, Volgograd is one of the twenty most popular Russian tourist destinations.

To help those traveling in the Volgograd region, there are two tourist information centers in the city. The first one is located at Gagarina Street, 12, not far from the Volgograd Planetarium, and the second - in the museum-reserve “Staraya Sarepta” (Izobilnaya Street, 10).

Traditional Volgograd souvenirs can be found in shops and kiosks on Mamayev Kurgan, in Staraya Sarepta and other museums in the city. Usually tourists buy small figurines in the form of the Motherland Monument, St. George ribbons and other items related to the glorious military past of the city.

Main Attractions of Volgograd

Mamaev Kurgan and the statue “The Motherland Calls!” In the very center of Volgograd, on the right bank of the Volga, Mamayev Kurgan (hill) rises - the place of the fiercest fighting during the Stalingrad Battle. Each of the belligerents tried at all costs to take and hold this strategically important height.

The central element of the monument-ensemble “The Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad” on Mamayev Kurgan is the statue “The Motherland Calls!” - a grandiose statue of a woman with a sword in her hands, 85 meters high. In addition to it, the ensemble includes the Square of Those Who Fought to Death, the Hall of Military Glory with an eternal flame, Ruined Walls, the Square of Heroes, and the Square of Sorrow.

There are also several mass graves on Mamayev Kurgan, in which the ashes of more than 35 thousand defenders of Stalingrad rest. A staircase of 200 granite steps leads from the foot of the hill to its top - the number of days of the Stalingrad Battle.

Museum-Panorama “The Battle of Stalingrad” . In the 8 halls of this museum, Soviet and German weapons, military equipment, uniforms, battle flags, photographs, and documents are exhibited. The main exhibit of the museum is a huge panoramic painting “The Defeat of the German Troops in Stalingrad” devoted to the fighting for Mamayev Kurgan.

The first version of the painting was created in 1948-1950. Completed only in 1982, it became the largest battle painting in the Soviet Union. The viewers of the panorama are, as it were, on the top of Mamayev Kurgan and see all the surroundings and the events of January 26, 1943. Some of the exhibits are displayed in the open air: military equipment, several monuments. Imeni Marshala V.I. Chuykova Street, 47.

Gerhardt’s Mill . Near the museum-panorama “The Battle of Stalingrad”, you can see the ruins of a 5-storey brick building. Before the Second World War, it housed a mill that belonged to the Volga German A. Gerhardt. The war turned this building into what we see today.

Its walls are covered with traces of bullets and shell fragments, the roof and part of the ceilings have collapsed, the empty eye sockets of the windows are distorted by explosions. The building was left in a dilapidated state as a reminder of what happened here during the Second World War, as a monument to the heroism of the city’s defenders.

Fountain “Barmaley” - one of the most famous fountains in the world created on the basis of the tale of Korney Chukovsky “Barmaley” and consisting of figures of children dancing around a huge crocodile. The original fountain was created in 1930. In 2013, two replicas of the fountain were installed in its memory: near the Gerhardt’s mill and on the square near the railway station of Volgograd (Privokzalnaya Square, 1), where the original fountain once stood.

Embankment named after the 62nd Army . The central embankment of Volgograd got its name in honor of the 62nd Army, which defended the riverside during the Battle of Stalingrad. The Volgograd embankment is considered one of the most beautiful on the Volga. It consists of two levels: the first one is directly adjacent to the river, the second one runs near residential buildings. The most beautiful place on the embankment is its central stairs, built after the war and called the “front gate” of Volgograd.

Volgograd River Station - the largest river station in Russia and Europe (296 m long and 47 m high). Inside there is a concert hall for almost 1,000 spectators where organ music concerts are held. In addition, there are cafes, restaurants, a fitness center, and nightclubs. However, ships continue to dock here: a trip along the Volga River, during which you can enjoy the panoramas of Volgograd from the water, takes about one hour. Embankment of the 62nd Army Street, 6.

Pictures of Volgograd

Volgograd architecture

In the center of Volgograd

Colonnade and stairs on the central embankment of Volgograd

Pavlov’s House - a residential building famous for the fact that during the Battle of Stalingrad a group of Soviet fighters defended it for 58 days. The soldiers were led by senior sergeant Yakov Pavlov, hence the name of the building. In 1985, in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Victory, a memorial wall was erected next to it from the original material. Lenin Square (Sovetskaya Street, 39).

Volgograd Memorial Historical Museum . The collection of this museum is exhibited in a mansion (1903) that once belonged to the Repnikov merchant family. The building itself is a valuable architectural monument constructed in the new Russian style from bright red bricks.

This museum has more than 1,000 exhibits that tell primarily about the events of 1917-1923. Here you will see paintings and graphics from the Russian Civil War, military posters and historical photographs, leaflets and rare books, collectible coins, postage stamps and postcards, household items of the early 20th century. Gogol Street, 10.

Museum of Fine Arts named after Ilya Mashkov . The collection of this art gallery has paintings of the 18th-20th centuries. The history of Russian landscape painting is well represented here. There is a separate section dedicated to the works of Volgograd painters. Lenin Avenue, 21.

Tower of the Tsaritsyn Fire Brigade . This architectural structure of the late 19th century was built in an eclectic style. It is an excellent observation deck, from a 36-meter height you can see most of the city’s streets and the Volga Hydroelectric Station. Visiting the observation deck is carried out by excursion groups from the Museum of Local Lore (Lenin Avenue, 7). Kommunisticheskaya Street, 5.

Museum-Reserve “The Old Sarepta” - an open-air museum covering an area of 5 hectares and located on the site where the German colony of Sarepta-on-Volga was located in the past, about 30 km from the center of Volgograd. The memorial complex includes 26 buildings, 23 of which are architectural monuments of federal importance. It was organized for preserving the architectural heritage of the 18th-19th centuries, as well as reviving the traditions of the peoples of the Volgograd region.

The museum collection consists of ethnographic, archaeological and artistic exhibits. On the territory of the museum there are excursion programs that will help you learn the history, culture and way of life of the people of Sarepta. Here you can also listen to organ music, visit the Mustard Museum, and other interesting exhibition halls.

Volga-Don Canal . About one kilometer from “The Old Sarepta”, you can find the arch of the first sluice of the Volga-Don Canal. This is a kind of “gate” of the canal, reminiscent of a triumphal arch. The height of the structure is 40 m. More information about the canal can be found in the nearby Museum of the History of the Volga-Don Navigable Canal.

Near the approach to the sluice, a monument to Vladimir Lenin is erected (previously there was a monument to Joseph Stalin) - the largest among the monuments to people who actually lived (57 m). On the other side of the canal there is a monument-lighthouse to the sailors of the Volga military flotilla, who defended Tsaritsyn, and later Stalingrad.

Kazan Cathedral (1896-1899) - a picturesque building constructed in the eclectic style, combining the architectural styles of different eras. Perhaps that is why it looks so festive and picturesque. In 2010, the cathedral was restored to its original appearance during the reconstruction. Lipetskaya Street, 10.

Volgograd Underground Tram . The Volgograd high-speed underground tram, also known as the metro-tram, is a unique type of urban transport. This is essentially a hybrid of a metro and a tram: most of the route of two-car trains runs underground (there are only two ground stations).

Except for Volgograd and Krivoy Rog (Ukraine), such a project was not implemented anywhere else, and therefore it became a tourist attraction of Volgograd. Today, it passes through five districts and includes 22 stations. The metro-tram of Volgograd carries over 50 million passengers annually.

Volgograd city of Russia photos

Sights of volgograd.

Volgograd Railway Station

Author: Dmitriy Tkachenko

Volgograd Planetarium

Author: Sean Fitzgerel

Tank T-72 in Volgograd

Author: Igor Borozdin

Monuments of Volgograd

The Motherland Calls statue in Volgograd

Author: Maxim Popov

Monument to Alexander Nevsky in Volgograd

Author: Ermolayev Sergey

Gerhardt Mill damaged during the Battle of Stalingrad

Author: Phil Johnson

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