Tour Operators
Tour operators are the holiday companies that many of us use when booking a UK or overseas trip, e.g Thomson Holidays.
Unlike travel agents, who sell holidays and arrange other travel products, tour operators actually assemble the different parts of a holiday, by dealing with airlines, hotels and other accommodation providers, coach companies and other travel service companies. They put together all the different components that make up a holiday and sell them as packages to the consumer.
Did you know?...
In the UK there are approximately 900 tour operator office members of ABTA- The Travel Association.
In tour operations there are four different types:
Mass Market - 2 weeks holidays for example by Thomson
Specialist Operators- special destinations for example by Cox & Kings
Domestic Operators- e.g. YHA or PGL
Incoming Tour Operators- e.g. Evan Evans Tour, Gullivers Sports Travel
Mass Market
A mass market tour operator is an organisation which provides holidays for general and popular travellers. The company arranges for transport accommodation, activities and any extra services that might be needed. It needs to understand the tourism industry really well, know which are the most affordable routes and modes of transport. Where tourists get most of the adventure and what services can be offered for free. A mass market tour operator must understand operations of related companies and how they compliment or conflict.
For example with Thomson people can book online or they can also go to Thomson travel agent.
Specialist Operators
A specialist tour operator is different to a mass market tour operator which puts together packages with a combination of accommodation, travel and sometimes transfers. A specialist operator is more flexible for the customer to be able to do what they want to do, they specialise and cater to the tourists interests for example cycling holidays etc.
Tour operators are the holiday companies that many of us use when booking a UK or overseas trip, e.g Thomson Holidays.
Unlike travel agents, who sell holidays and arrange other travel products, tour operators actually assemble the different parts of a holiday, by dealing with airlines, hotels and other accommodation providers, coach companies and other travel service companies. They put together all the different components that make up a holiday and sell them as packages to the consumer.
Did you know?...
In the UK there are approximately 900 tour operator office members of ABTA- The Travel Association.
In tour operations there are four different types:
Mass Market - 2 weeks holidays for example by Thomson
Specialist Operators- special destinations for example by Cox & Kings
Domestic Operators- e.g. YHA or PGL
Incoming Tour Operators- e.g. Evan Evans Tour, Gullivers Sports Travel
Mass Market
A mass market tour operator is an organisation which provides holidays for general and popular travellers. The company arranges for transport accommodation, activities and any extra services that might be needed. It needs to understand the tourism industry really well, know which are the most affordable routes and modes of transport. Where tourists get most of the adventure and what services can be offered for free. A mass market tour operator must understand operations of related companies and how they compliment or conflict.
For example with Thomson people can book online or they can also go to Thomson travel agent.
Specialist Operators
A specialist tour operator is different to a mass market tour operator which puts together packages with a combination of accommodation, travel and sometimes transfers. A specialist operator is more flexible for the customer to be able to do what they want to do, they specialise and cater to the tourists interests for example cycling holidays etc.
Thomas Cook Tour Operator
The History...
On 9 June 1841 a 32-year old cabinet-maker named Thomas Cook walked from his
home in Market Harborough to the nearby town of Leicester to attend a temperance meeting. A former Baptist preacher, Thomas Cook was a religious man who believed that most Victorian social problems were related to alcohol and that the lives of working people would be greatly improved if they drank less and became better educated. As he walked along the road to Leicester, he later recalled, 'the thought suddenly flashed across my mind as to the practicability of employing
the great powers of railways and locomotion for the furtherance of this social reform'.
At the meeting, Thomas suggested that a special train be engaged to carry the
temperance supporters of Leicester to a meeting in Loughborough about four weeks later. The proposal was received with such enthusiasm that, on the following
day, Thomas submitted his idea to the secretary of the Midland Railway Company.
A train was subsequently arranged, and on 5 July 1841 about 500 passengers were
conveyed in open carriages the enormous distance of 12 miles and back for a
shilling. The day was a great success and, as Thomas later recorded, 'thus was
struck the keynote of my excursions, and the social idea grew upon me'.
Thomas Cook tour operator is considered to be a mass-market operator as it sells holidays in packages. They offer air-inclusive packages so they are required by law to have an ATOL license ( which they have) . This is a scheme that protects air travellers and package holiday makers from losing money or being stranded abroad if air travel firms go out of business. Thomas Cook organises flights, accommodation and package tours. They are in the private sector and as part of the global tourism industry they are working towards developing, operating and marketing their business in a sustainable manner. Their aim is to make profit, increase their income and to grow the business. It's vertically integrated as it has taken over other smaller businesses that offered other travel products and services.
Also Thomas Cook as a travel agent owns other companies e.g. Co-op travel, Neilson, Airtours, Manos, Sunset, Panorama, Cresta etc. This is also shows that Thomas Cook works vertically integrated as it owns travel agents and also accomodations e.g. Hotels4u and Elegant Resorts.
Thomas Cook's Board of Directors has a Health,Safety and Environment Committee and they have a Group-wide Health and Safety Policy, as well as Group-wide safety standards, the Thomas Cook Group Preferred Practice (TCGPP). These are minimum standards relating to resort accommodation, transport to and from destination airports and excursions. Customers are reminded of the precautions they can take to reduce health and safety risks through information provided in the brochures, with their tickets, on the flights and in the resorts. In addition, Thomas Cook monitors public health issues, working with international bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and advice customers on appropriate actions. They also ask customers to let they know about any safety concerns or incidents, which are always investigated thoroughly to prevent reoccurrence.
They say they do everything they can to help customers with disabilities, reduced mobility or
certain medical conditions have as comfortable a journey as possible, and they offer a wide range of pre-bookable services to meet needs. All UK airline customer-facing staff and third parties who act on their behalf have undertaken
training to conform with the Disability Discrimination Act and Disability Equality Training Act. Compliance with this training is monitored and non conformances reported through the airline’s quality management system. Thomas Cook Airlines are also able to offer assistance at the airport for those passengers who need it due to disability or a medical condition.
DDA DIDABILITY DISCRIMINATION
ACT
This act was passed in 1995 and its main aim is to ensure that discrimination against people
with disabilities in unlawful in respect of unemployment, education and access
to goods, facilities, services and premises.
HASAW
This act was passed in 1974 and ensures that specific regulations must be followed in your place of work. This is particularly important for holiday companies who have the safety of their passengers to consider at all times. For some organisations failure to ensure safety can cause the collapse of a business! Companies that organise activity holidays for children must make Health and Safety a priority.
Thomas Cook and Sustainability
What Is Sustainable Tourism?
Over 160 years ago Thomas Cook created the first package holiday out of a sense of social responsibility. In keeping with the values of the Victorian Society of the day,
he believed that by offering alternative, more virtuous and learning leisure
activities, the lives of working people would be greatly improved if they became
better educated through travel.
Fast-forward to the 21st century and the Thomas Cook name lives on as one of the world’s best known and respected brands in travel. And over the years the business has helped millions of people to relax, unwind and broaden their horizons.
Today they are still inspired by those values. They believe they make a world of difference, not only to customers but to all the people whose lives they touch. Their mission is to perfect the personal leisure travel experience whilst at the same time, managing their activities in a sustainable way.
Sustainable Tourism (also called Responsible Tourism) is simply about making a positive difference to the people and environment of destinations they travel to by:
- Respecting local cultures and the natural environment
- Buying local, giving fair economic returns to local families
- Recognising that water and energy are precious resources that we need to use carefully
- Helping to protect endangered wildlife
- Protecting and enhancing favourite destinations for the future enjoyment of visitors and the people who live there
- Taking responsibility for our actions while enjoying ourselves
What Is Sustainable Tourism?
Over 160 years ago Thomas Cook created the first package holiday out of a sense of social responsibility. In keeping with the values of the Victorian Society of the day,
he believed that by offering alternative, more virtuous and learning leisure
activities, the lives of working people would be greatly improved if they became
better educated through travel.
Fast-forward to the 21st century and the Thomas Cook name lives on as one of the world’s best known and respected brands in travel. And over the years the business has helped millions of people to relax, unwind and broaden their horizons.
Today they are still inspired by those values. They believe they make a world of difference, not only to customers but to all the people whose lives they touch. Their mission is to perfect the personal leisure travel experience whilst at the same time, managing their activities in a sustainable way.
Sustainable Tourism (also called Responsible Tourism) is simply about making a positive difference to the people and environment of destinations they travel to by:
- Respecting local cultures and the natural environment
- Buying local, giving fair economic returns to local families
- Recognising that water and energy are precious resources that we need to use carefully
- Helping to protect endangered wildlife
- Protecting and enhancing favourite destinations for the future enjoyment of visitors and the people who live there
- Taking responsibility for our actions while enjoying ourselves
Thomas Cook and the Economy
Outbound tourism has a negative effect on balance of payments. Money is taken out of the UK and spent on goods and services provided by overseas destinations. So people who's going for holidays from the UK to other countries, they will spend their money in there for accommodation, transport, restaurants and entertainments.
However there are tourist coming to the UK and spend their money here which is good to our economy.
Tourism can contribute greatly to LEDCs because it brings money to them. For example places such as Kenya in East Africa, where tourists go on safari, or Bali in Indonesia, visited for its beautiful beaches, all benefit financially from tourism. However, tourism in LEDCs needs to be carefully managed to prevent harm to the environment and disruption to local communities.
Multiplier Effect
Money spent in a hotel helps to create jobs directly in the hotel, but it also creates jobs indirectly elsewhere in the economy. The hotel, for example, has to buy food from local farmers, who may spend some of this money on fertiliser or clothes. The demand for local products increases as tourists often buy souvenirs, which increases secondary employment.
The multiplier effect continues until the money eventually 'leaks' from the economy through imports - the purchase of goods from other countries.
GDP
Travel & Tourism’s total contribution to GDP in the UK was £101 billion
in 2011, or 6.7% of total GDP. This compares 2.3% for automotive manufacturing,
1.9% for mining and 4.1% for chemicals.
With 2.3 million direct, indirect and induced sustained jobs in the UK,
Travel & Tourism directly supports nearly as many jobs as the financial
service sector in the UK. Travel & Tourism is a vast contributor to economic growth and job
creation.
Money spent in a hotel helps to create jobs directly in the hotel, but it also creates jobs indirectly elsewhere in the economy. The hotel, for example, has to buy food from local farmers, who may spend some of this money on fertiliser or clothes. The demand for local products increases as tourists often buy souvenirs, which increases secondary employment.
The multiplier effect continues until the money eventually 'leaks' from the economy through imports - the purchase of goods from other countries.
GDP
Travel & Tourism’s total contribution to GDP in the UK was £101 billion
in 2011, or 6.7% of total GDP. This compares 2.3% for automotive manufacturing,
1.9% for mining and 4.1% for chemicals.
With 2.3 million direct, indirect and induced sustained jobs in the UK,
Travel & Tourism directly supports nearly as many jobs as the financial
service sector in the UK. Travel & Tourism is a vast contributor to economic growth and job
creation.
UNITED KINGDOM: VISITOR EXPORTS AND INTERNATIONAL TOURIST ARRIVALS
This graph shows the increase of foreign visitor exports and foreign tourist arrivals from 2002-2012 and the predicted fall of T&T's share of total national investment 2012-2020.