CU-BBA-SEM-V-Travel Agency and Tour Operations-Second Draft

that help with customer service analytics, but reps can also use it to look up past cases that may have a solution related to their present problem. Communication If your company is offering an Omni-channel support experience, then a ticketing system can help your team consolidate communication into one thread. The benefit of Omni-channel support is that customers can access your customer service teams using a variety of different communication channels. However, the downside of this is that customers may not consistently use the same channel when troubleshooting an individual support or service issue. They may start by tweeting at your team, then calling for an update, all while expecting you to email them for the follow up. This can make communication confusing especially for reps who deal with over 20 customers a day. Ticketing systems eliminate this problem by moving all communication to one individual thread. No matter which medium the customer uses to reach out, the interaction is always logged to the same place. Even if the customer ends up working with a different rep, that communication can be transferred over to the original ticket. By consolidating information to one thread, your customer service team will be less likely to miss important details that may lead to a faster resolution. Accessibility With communication being limited to one shared location, ticketing systems make it easy for both the customer and customer service rep to communicate with one another. Customers can quickly access a ticket via their email inbox and send questions directly to the rep who is handling their case. This gives the customer a sense of empowerment as they feel they have a direct line to their customer service rep rather than a generic support inbox. The accessibility factor also benefits the rep because it puts less pressure on them to quickly resolve cases. Since customers do not have access to their personal email address, reps can work at their own pace without being bombarded by messages from impatient customers. Reps can also set communication expectations when creating the ticket so that customers know what to expect moving forward. This gives some power to the customer service team because it allows reps to dictate the pace of communication on their support tickets. By providing that type of transparency to the customer, it creates a more trustworthy experience and improves customer satisfaction. Now that you know what a ticketing system is as well as how it can improve the customer experience, you may be eager to explore potential options. In the next section, we listed some of the best ticketing system software that we would recommend adopting for your customer service team. 13.3 THE PROCESS OF TICKETING 201 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

A ticketing system works by first creating a document, or \"ticket,\" that records the interactions on a support or service case. The ticket is shared between both the rep and the customer and logs their communication to one continuous thread. If there is any confusion, or if a detail is overlooked, both parties can refer back to the thread at any point to review past information on the case. Once the ticket is created, reps can then work on the issue on their end. When they have updates or a resolution, they can alert the customer via the ticket. If the customer has any questions in the meantime, they too can use the ticket to communicate with the customer service rep. The ticketing system then alerts the rep that there has been a response logged on the ticket, and the rep can address it immediately. 13.4 SUMMARY  The electronic support ticket management system is an issue tracking system for monitoring Support ticket on the web portal. Electronics Support ticket for organization or an educational institution to create, update, Tracking, troubleshooting and correction Customer or customer's problem experienced. Electronic support ticket is an electronic support ticket system based on PHP or ASP.  Tickets can be received electronically on the Web portal via e-mail.Alternatively, as a web form. The appearance or user interface of the e-ticket support system can be modified to update the appearance of the e-ticket support system portal. Integrated electronic support ticket system No query or trouble creating queries via e-mail and web forms etc. The service is easy to use and provides electronic support.  The ticketing system has a multi-user web interface on the Internet. Ticket support system Administrators can manage, archive, and organize support requests in the form of tickets through a web form on the website. Housework. When the ticket is created, it is now asIt is as simple as submitting a web-based form. This e-ticket system will be responsible for assigning unique numbers by automatically generating unique numbers.  The number or code of each service request will be stored in the database. The ticketing system scalable solution for any organization. Run on a powerful database server, such as MySQL or Microsoft SQL Server engine. It is a software suite or website package Enable customer support through assignment.  The agent receives, requests, processes and responds to service requests on the website. When created Powerful ticket management system or platform allows you to centralize all customer data or customer dialogue. One can quickly and easily increase productivity through automation through automation, triggers, and create a default response, also called macro in terms of frequency Ask questions on the website. 202 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Customer I am grateful to have a single point of contact Get help from the support system Questions on the portal.  It also allows Conversations through the Internet, e-mail, social networks, online chats, forums, knowledge bases, etc. When you create an account in the support system, you can use the e-ticket support system Web portals.  Remarkable in the first phase of the post-independence period. Afterwards many actions were taken to increase the share of India’s position in benefited with the increasing flow of tourist traffic to India. There has been a paradigm shift in the travel trade in the second phase of the liberalization in India and travel organizations have the business diversified to target the growing outbound and domestic tourism markets. 13.5 KEYWORDS  Agent: one who acts or has the power to act as the representative of another. Most frequently in travel anyone other than a principal, such as a retail travel agent, receiving agent, ticket agent, local operator, or wholesaler.  Air Coupon: One flight coupon that allows passengers to fly internationally on several airlines.  Infrastructural Facilities: These include facilities like Airport, Roads, Drainage, and Buildings etc. at a destination.  Promotion: All activities such as advertising, publicity, personal selling, and public relations, which are carried out to enhance sales.  Travel Agent: An individual or a firm who is authorized by the airlines, hotels, etc. to enhance the sale of all travel related services.  Tour Operator: A company or a firm, which designs tour packages and makes them available to customers through travel agents. 13.6 LEARNING ACTIVITIES 1. The Hobbies Of Photography In Tourist Places Made Available To The Tourist. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. Has The Commission Invested In Latest Technology In Enhancing The Domestic Tourism? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 203 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

13.7 UNIT END QUESTIONS A. Descriptive Questions ShortQuestions 1. How does a plain tourist benefit from means of technology to know the commission projects, activities, and general centres? 2. What are the services, which the commission website provides on the internet? 3. How can tourists finalize their procedures at the travel and tourism agencies level through the website? 4. What is the administrative organization issued by scat for organizing events of ceremonies and coordination between their times? 5. What are features of diversity in tourist festivals and ceremonies? Long Questions 1. What are the mechanisms of attraction and marketing adopted by the commission for marketing of the festivals and ceremonies? 2. List the most remarkable archaeological sites in the kingdom? 3. What other tasks can a tour guide do other than his regular work? 4. What are the five characteristics of great tour guide? 5. List the challenges you face while handling tourist? B. Multiple Choice Questions 1. Which is a type of package tour brochure? a. Shell brochure b. Umbrella brochure c. Regular brochure d. All of these. 2. Which is not included in a brochure? a. Itinerary b. Name of the firm c. Details of price d. Name and address of the client 204 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

3. What does FIT stand for? a. Foreign inclusive travel b. Foreign independent travel c. Foreign independent Tour d. None of these 4. When a travel agency provide the service of a well-educated, trained tour manager during the course of travel, it is known as a. Escorted tour b. Hosted tour c. Inclusive tour d. Incentive tour 5. What does Navy blue Colour passport depict? a. Ordinary passport b. Official passport c. Diplomatic passport d. Alien’s passport Answers 1-a, 2-b, 3-c, 4-b, 5-a 13.8 REFERENCES References  AngeloA.& Francesca Di Virgilioand Isabel C. [Camillo]. (2017).the Impact of Social Network on Italian Users’: Behavioural Intention for the Choice of a Medical Tourist Destination.  MahirNakip & AytaçGökmen. (2018). The Importance of the Destination Choices of Tourists: The Case of Kazakh Tourists Visiting Turkey. International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management in the Digital Age.  Nicholas A. Ramchurjee & Charles V. Ramchurjee (2018).An Evaluation of the Attitudes and Perception of the Local Communities in Mysore: Towards the Impacts of Tourism Development. International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management in the Digital Age 205 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Textbooks  Chand Mohinder. (2006). Travel Agency Management: An Introductory Text. New Delhi: Anmol Publications Pvt. Ltd.  Sinha P.C. (n.d).Tourism:Transport and Travel Management. New Delhi: Anmol Publication Pvt. Ltd.  Mohinder Chand Dhiman.& Ravi Bhushan Kumar. (2006). Building Foundations for Understanding the International Travel Agency and Tour Operation. New Delhi: Anmol Publication Pvt. Ltd. Websites  http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2001/08/02/stories/0602000n.htm  .http://www.ttsvisas.com/visas.aspx?page=FAQ.  www.igi-global.com/article/an-evaluation-of-the-attitudes-and-perception-of-the- local-  communities-in-mysore-towards-the-impacts-of-tourism- development/201104?camid=4v1a 206 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

UNIT 14 – ITINERARY PREPARATION AND TOUR PACKAGING STRUCTURE 14.0 Learning Objectives 14.1 Introduction 14.2 Tour Package 14.2.1 Concept 14.2.2 Nature 14.2.3 Scope 14.3 Case of India’s Tour Package 14.4 Case of Outbound Tour Package 14.5 Summary 14.6 Keywords 14.7 Learning Activity 14.8 Unit End Questions 14.9 References 14.0 LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this unit, you will be able to:  Analysea tour package.  Explain case of India’s tour package.  Explaincase of outbound tour package.  Illustrate the concept of tour packages.  Analyse the nature and scope of Tour packages. 14.1 INTRODUCTION The core business of travel companies, especially wholesalers and tour operators, is derived from selling tour packages. For any tour package to be designed, well thought planned itinerary is most essential. Itinerary is central to any tour package around which all the other features are incorporated. Manyplanning, additions, deletions go into the process before final 207 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

itinerary and the route along which a tour should be organised. The next stage is to design and package at our around this itinerary which is developed into a final product for sale to prospective clients. Travel industry offers listless tour packages from tailor-made, customised to specialise. Hence, itinerary planning and tour packaging are considered central to the business of travel companies. In this chapter, we will learn about all that is necessary in formulating a feasible itinerary and designing a marketable tour package. A package tour itinerary may be divided into five types with the primary Objective of reminding the duties and responsibilities of different stakeholders involved in organising a package to such as tour managers, vendors, coach drivers, interpreter, escorts, and guides. Thus, the five types of itinerary can be tourist’s itinerary, tour manager’s itinerary, escort or guide’s itinerary, vendor’s itinerary and coach driver’s itinerary. Another classification of itinerary may also be done keeping in mind the needs of tourists and convenience of tour operators such as GIT itinerary, FIT itinerary, Tailor-made itinerary, and special interest itinerary. Let us now learn the nature of these types in detail. It is important to check its feasibility. Generally, planners organise FAM trips in advance to have the feel of the itinerary and identify the limitations and they are rectified before they are incorporated into a package tour and made available for the reference of the tourists. Hence, tour planners should take into consideration various aspects such as purpose of tour, budget, accommodation, transportation, choice of destinations and attractions, activities at destinations, legal issues, and host and guest behaviour and so on. They may also keep certain things as optional. Basically, a tourist itinerary is a reference for the tourist to follow during his journey like points of halt, hotel, time taken between two points, meal plans, activities, attractions to visit etc. apart from arrival and departure points/time and check-in check-out time. Tour operators are expected to strictly follow the itinerary. If they intend to change or modify it that should be only in the interest of safety and security of the guests. In addition, they should take their client into confidence before doing that. 14.2 TOUR PACKAGE Economic development in India has changed the way people think; both inbound and outbound travel is flourishing, travelling has become fashionable for many people, and package tours are the preferred mode of domestic , inbound and outbound travel for e travellers when taking vacations. Tour package is the product of travel agency or tour operator. In fact, it is the total tourism product, which is designed and offered to the tourists. In this lesson, you will understand the concept of tour package and its various types. Travel agency and tour operator are in the business to promote tour package, which is the combination of both natural and manmade tourist resources. Thus, in order to work in the travel agency or tour operation business one must be able to describe the tour product or tour 208 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

package and its components. Keeping in view this fact, in a unit an attempt has made to familiarize you to the tour package, types of tour package, and its importance. 14.2.1 Concept Package holidays, popularly known as a tour package or simply the word ‘tour’ in the travel and tourism industry refers either to a package tour escorted or not escorted by the tourist guide. When we say tour package, it means a pre-arrangement, prepaid trip that combines two or more travel components like airfare, airport transfer, accommodation, and other services. Practically, to define the tour package concept is complex one rather understands. Holloway defines a tour package as “a total tourism product consisting of transportation from the market area to the destination, accommodation at the destination and recreational activities promoted by the tourists.” According to Gregorg, “a tour package is advertised journey including specific features, arranged and promoted with tour literature by a tour operator and paid for in full by the tourists before starting the tour.” Technically, a package tour/tour package is a total tourism product as it generally includes transport from the origin place to the destination, accommodation at an enroute place or at the destination and other recreational or travel services. These components are purchased by an individual, firm or company called the ‘tour operator‘. He combines all the travel components in a package and sells them at all-inclusive prices to the clients. History of Tour Package The term ‘tour’ was in vogue as early as 1670. The Britishers travelled to widen their knowledge of the continent, especially to study the culture and social life. Other lovers of cultural centres gradually adopted this practice. The result of the process was that many European historic and cultural centres were opened to the British tourist. By the early 1730’s the small fishing resorts around the British coast begin to attract tourists seeking to their diseases by drinking the seawater or by immersing themselves in it. The introduction of a rail link between the major centres in 1830 had a profound impact on the pleasure travellers for the first time. Many entrepreneurs began to inspire rail travel by organizing excursions for the public at discounted offers. However, to ‘the origin of package tour’ the credit goes to Mr. Thomas Cook in 1855, Cook, extended his business operation to different countries by introducing the first ‘inclusive tour ‘to Paris. 209 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Mr. Cook put together all the components of tourism products and sold them as ‘inclusive tour’ to the tourists. His pre-packaged tour inspired other tour organizations in the travel industry to organize similar tours to all parts of the globe. Most of Cook’s tours were a linear tour i.e., the person went from place to place on a single destination. Mr. Cook developed the concept of ‘grand tour and escorted tour’, the concept which is still used. Incidentally, World War II has tremendously developed the package tour concept because of the following reasons: Social and Economic Conditions i. Lower Cost ii. Increase in Aircrafts iii. Marketing Conditions iv. Legal Requirements v. Integration took place. Today, package tours are a vital segment of the world’s travel and tourism industry. According to WTTC, the package tour sales generate $25 billion annually in the United States, $18 billion in Europe, $19 billion in Britain, and $21 billion in Asia. Today tour sales represented 50 percent of all leisure travel sales and 35 percent of all travel agency revenues. Types of Tour Packages A travel agency/tour operator deals with variety of ‘tour packages,’ catering to the diverse needs of tourists such as adventure, beach, architecture, cultural, business, conference, incentive tours, Ayurveda packages, Buddhist, religious, incentive tour, special interest tours, cruise tour group tour, educational tour, heritage, monuments, wildlife lovers, etc. These are broadly classified into five categories: Figure 14.1: Tour packages  Independent Tours 210 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

 Escorted Tours  Hosted Tours  Incentives Travel/Tours  Freedom Tours Independent Tour Independent tours are prepared/formulated for those tourists who want to travel independently. The components of such tours are air travel, air transfer, accommodation, travel documents, sightseeing, boat riding, entertainment, and other travel services. However, in some cases, the tourists are free to purchase every single component separately. Thus, this type of tour provides the tourists considerable freedom to plan the activities according to their own choice. An independent tour may or may not be an all-inclusive tour. Therefore, tour price varies depending on the type of air travel, air transfer, accommodation and is inclusive of other tour components. The foreign independent travel and domestic independent travel are examples of an independent tour. Escorted Tour When a travel agency includes the services of a well-educated and trained tour manager in its package, the tour is called an escorted tour. Escorted tours are meant for those travellers who are planning to visit a foreign country first time. The escort’s responsibilities and duties are to provide comprehensive information and assistance to the group or individual traveller, at the origin, enroute and the destination place. The excursion tours are the example of escorted tours. Hosted Tours A hosted tour means when an agency utilizes the services of another agency at a particular destination. Suppose a group of French tourists is coming to India. When the group arrives in India, they are greeted at the airports by TCI, which assists them in clearing their baggage and transfer them to the hotel. Their tour-host is available to offer device and information about the local attractions and entertainment. Further, when the group arrives at another designation in India, a different travel agency greets them at each tourist spot. Thus, a hosted tour provides the tourists maximum level of pre-arranged and personalized services. Incentives Travel/Tour It is a motivational programme or a fully paid holiday, which is given to the employees by the enterprises as a reward. Mostly in medium and large-scale companies and usually too distant 211 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

destinations to spur them in maintaining their record of accomplishment, to increase output, improve the image and to earn the long period loyalty of the employees. There are a number of the other packages offered by a tour company such as a custom tour, an excursion tour, an adventure, and special interest package tours. Freedom Tours Freedom tours are becoming very popular these days among the working class. These tours are designed as per the choice of tourists. The tourist is free to choose and plan how they want to travel and enjoy their holidays. These types of tours are meant for that kind of people who like to decide how, when, and where to travel. This tourist may an individual, family, group holidays for families and group travel for business. These tours are promoted and developed by the ORBIT. Components of Tour Package What is to be included in a package tour largely depends on and varies from one tour organization to another, or from the one country to another, or from one destination to another and from one market to another market. However, there are certain well-defined travel services, which always turn a part of a package tour irrespective of the tour operator/travel agency, destination, and even the market condition. If we study and see the package tours offered by Thomas Cook and Sons Ltd., Cox and King Ltd., and other international travel companies, we find that a package tour has two major components. Therefore, a standard package tour has two basic components namely: Travel Ground Arrangements Travel industry experience has shown that the first component, i.e., ‘Travel’ is directly bought by the agency from the principal providers like airlines and transport operators and for ground arrangement, the travel agency management asks the ground operators. The reason behind buying ground arrangement from a handling agency is that it represents as a ground operator at a particular destination for the numerous tour organizations. Secondly, the price offered by it is much lower than an individual agency obtained. Thirdly, it is very difficult to get credit from the supplier and finally, it ensures professional travel services. Factor Affecting the Tour Package Formulation Generally, the business of package tours involves great risk, high breakeven, high-quality product, and competitive prices. Therefore, the tour management requires in-depth tour planning and market survey. However, before a tour is designed the tour manager should take into consideration certain factors, which are crucial in the formulation process. These factors have a profound impact on the tourist’s satisfaction. The main factors are: 212 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

 Purpose of Tour  Choice of Destinations  Tourist Budget  Legal Requirement  Types of Tourist Accommodation  Tour Period  Departure and stay information  Tour price; inflationary condition  Tour Reference Tools  Tour Features – political stability  The relationship between the host and tourist generating nation Tour Package Design and Selection Process The quality of a package tour is entirely based on the above factors. Essentially, to design/formulate a travel product, the tour manager has to take the biggest responsibility, intuitiveness, imagination, and innovation coupled with many business activities, which range from finding new exotic destinations and planning, organizing or promoting such tour. The following are the main stages in the tour design and selection process: Initial Research i. The Destination Research The decision to develop and formulate a new package is a multi-stage process that involves various positive and negative points/steps. Normally, the idea for a new product comes either from the tour executive within the company due to a review of the questionnaire completed by the previous tour members because of the political, economic, and social development in a particular area. When a tour manager seesthat, a large number of old clients are interested in taking a trip to particular destinations, naturally, those destinations become the nucleus of a new ‘tour concept’. ii. Market Research Since tour package is a complete tourism product, obviously, before formulating/designing this product, market research needs to be analysed and assessed in a systematic manner. Market research provides us the answer to the following questions: a. What is the size of the tourism market? b. Who are the existing clients? 213 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

c. Where do they live? d. Who will be their potential buyers? e. Who are their competitors – their strategy and area of business leisure?How many tourist ones want to cater? f. What price will the clients accept? What facilities are available and required? g. What are the constraints viz., license, permission, finance, restrictions, taxes, and others? Once we know the basic components of the package tour, distribution channels, market conditions, constraints in the tourism market, we can develop the marketing strategy. It enables the smooth functioning of the agency and offers a clear picture of the tour programme. Practically, the private tour companies / private tourism enterprises conduct market research in order to penetrate the market. Itinerary Preparation By itinerary one means the designing of a programme which one wants to sell, and it includes destinations, stopping points, number of days and the travel services that are to be included in the programme. Whether it is a lean season or an offseason, escorted or not escorted, consumer-oriented, or readymade tour programme, the itinerary is prepared to identify the origin, destinations, stopping points, accommodations, sightseeing, and other travel services on travellers’ trip. Handling Agency or Destination Company The appointment of handling agency not only ensures excellent travel services to the tourist but also make the operation smooth and profitable. It is a matter of great significance as the success of travel business largely depends upon the clients is actually taken care of during the tour. It is a positive match between the promised services and tourist’s actual experiences or feelings. Thus, the tour operator should consider the experience of the handling travel agency in the business, the area of operation, reputation, credibility, professional staff, credit facilities, and the competitive price in appointing a handling agency. Negotiation It is another important management decision area in tour designing and planning. Once the decision has been made regarding the destination is concerning their date, duration and number of clients to be carried during the trip, the tour management starts negotiations with the principals’ suppliers for a normal contract. Negotiation means talk between the travel companies and the principal suppliers for the terms, conditions, and prices of the components of a tour package. When both parties are satisfied, it leads to a formal or informal contract between them. The tour company negotiates with the following tour vendors/suppliers: 214 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

 Airlines  Accommodation  Transport Operations- Rail and Road  Ground Operators  Cruise Companies  Car Rental Companies  The overseas representatives  Ancillary Service Organizations Coasting and Pricing a Package Tour The cost of a package tour encompasses the air ticket, the hotel room, car rental, entertainment charges, administrative costs, promotional costs, and other travel services. The confidential tariff helps the travel company in preparing the cost sheet, which will enable the concern to determine its price strategy. Tour pricing is a big factor in the success of the company’s tour programme. The price of a package tour is, whether it is an escorted, independent, or hosted tour hi, often lower than the combined costs of the same components purchased separately from the principals. However, the purchase price of a travel product is based on three factors: Cost, competition, and demand. Every tour package sold by a vendor has a quantifiable cost. To produce profit the price paid by the tourists must be greater than the agency is cost. Tour Brochure The tour package is an intangible product, which has to be purchased by the tourists/clients without inspection and sometimes even without adequate knowledge. In these circumstances, the brochure becomes the principal instrument to perform the major tasks to inform the clients about the products and to pursue them to purchase it. Designing, printing, and distributions of tour brochures require necessary skills and knowledge about the components of the tour package. In the era of specialization and intense competition, tour considers various pros and cons while preparing a tour brochure. A brochure should contain the following information:  Name of the Travel Company  Means of transport  Details about destinations  Itinerary 215 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

 Accommodation, types, location, meals  Name of the overseas representative  Duration of each tour  Booking, reservation and cancellation conditions  Details of other services – insurance, currency, entertainment Travel documents required  Details of price Development of Reservation System The next step in tour formulation process is reservation system. The agency management in order to put a package into operation must develop and implement a scientific reservation system. The system depends on whether the reservation is to be handled manually or with a computer working on the distribution method. Whatever method the agency may adopt, the agency management should always keep in mind the sole objective of the reservation system. Marketing of Tour Package Once a tour package is ready, travel agency management has to make a careful decision regarding promotion and marketing of the particular package tour. The basic objective of management is to make a tour package widely known to make it more and more attractive. To achieve these objectives, the management must consider the budget available, promotion mix, potential market, easiest and most effective media, campaigning through the international, regional, or the public/private sector etc. The promotion of a package tour means increasing its sales potential and creating an awareness of the existing and potential markets. The following methods are commonly used to promote package tours:  Middlemen – Retail Travel Agents, GSA, consolidators  Familiarization tours  Building Brand Loyalty  Encouraging Potential Buyers  Competitive Market  Courier Tour Handling/Actual Tour Operation After the successful marketing and achieving target sales, the next and final step in the process of tour designing is tour handling. It means an actual operation of tours, which 216 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

generally includes administrative work and passenger handling like maintaining reservations, handling deposits, sending advice to ground operators, arranging travel representation, analysing the feedback received from clients/escorts/ground operator and so on. Not all this is an easy task. At every stage, one has to face different types of queries and problems due to lack of coordination and communication. Significances of Tour Package Tour package is beneficial to travel companies, travellers, destinations and other organizations, which are directly or indirectly involved in the tourism business. The main benefits are:  Time Saver  Increase the seasonality of a destination cost/price  Earn foreign currency  Better quality of products professional services  Wide-variety of the tour package  Provide bulk business to organizers 14.2.2 Nature A package tour, package vacation, or package holiday comprises transport and accommodation advertised and sold together by a vendor known as a tour operator. Other services may be provided such a rental car, activities or outings during the holiday. Transport can be via automobile, buses, charter airline, and may include travel between areas as part of the holiday. Package holidays are a form of product bundling. Package holidays are organised by a tour operator and sold to a consumer by a travel agent. Some travel agents are employees of tour operators, others are independent. Dynamic packaging is a method that is becoming increasingly used in package holiday booking procedures that enables consumers to build their own package of flights, accommodation, and rental car instead of pre-defined packages. Dynamic Packaging allows guests to create their own vacation, similar to a private or custom tour. This method allows guests to use a company's itinerary or create their own to allow for more flexible options while using an agency's service 14.2.3 Scope Tour package business is becoming more profitable these days; many organizations are entering this venture. Tour operators are leveraging our research skills in developing carefully planned and dynamic itineraries. 217 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Professional and expert tour guides, whose unique understanding of indigenous cultures and domestic landscapes, lends to the ultimate success of your tour. From both a travel agent’s and a consumer’s perspective, package tours provide a number of advantages, which often outweigh the disadvantages. Advantages for the Consumer 1. Cost saving and budgeting - the price of a trip when organised as a package is generally less as travel agencies bulk buy their package deals and therefore can sell the tours at a lower and more competitive rate. This is an instant cost saving benefit for the consumer, as the discount travel agencies receive is generally passed on to the consumer. In addition, as the tour often includes all meals or trips for example, this reduces any uncertainty about the additional costs and allows the consumer to budget properly for costs associated with their travel. For example, if airport pickups or taxi transfers are pre-booked and paid for beforehand there is no potentially expensive surprise when travelling to the accommodation on arrival at the destination. 2. Responsibility is on the operator - the lack of responsibility on the traveller is an advantage. If something goes wrong, e.g., a flight is delayed, resulting in the traveller missing a connecting flight, it is not the traveller’s responsibility to arrange a new ticket. The responsibility lies with the airline or tour operator. In a certain respect, travellers can relax knowing if something goes wrong, someone else is there to solve theproblem. 3. Convenience and timesaving - this is definitely the most convenient way to arranging a vacation or tour. The travel agency deals with all the arrangements relating to airlines, hotels, transfers directly through the tour provider. This saves the consumer the effort and the time of contacting each company/service individually. 4. Social - this is frequently a main reason why people may opt to travel on a package tour. The chances of social interaction are higher, allowing the fostering of short or long-term friendships. People regularly choose a tour which ensures they are socialising with people of a similar age, for example, young people who like to party may opt for an 18-30 party group tour, some adults may choose to stay in accommodation which caters to the needs of children and will opt for a family tour, or some people may choose to go on adult only tours to avoid children completely! 5. Quality of service - tour operators spend a great deal of time assessing the airlines, hotels, sightseeing operators etc, which they use to make up the tour package. By doing so they ensure a high standard of quality, and the consumer can have peace of mind. Tour companies are eager to meet their own business needs and so they ensure that the most frequented areas of interest are included in their tour, thus meeting the needs of the consumer. 218 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Advantages for the Travel Agent 1. Agent commission - travel agents normally receive 10% commission on all tours they confirm. Clearly, the financial incentive means travel agencies find it extremely advantageous to sell tour packages and not solely flights and/ or accommodation. 2. Savings in time and cost – in order for a travel agent to put together all the components of a package tour, this would take extensive communication with the different service providers, initially to check rates and availability and then to send through deposits and secure bookings. 3. By using a tour provider, the travel agent only needs to make one call, send one email, or use an online booking system once to confirm the tour package. Clearly, this saves a great deal of time, freeing up the agent to work for other consumers, thus increasing sales and commission. Wide variety of package tours available - this means the travel agent can always make suggestions on tours, which match the needs of the consumer. 4. The high number of very different packages available allows people with possibly lower budgets to still enjoy tours. Outstanding value in an all-inclusive trip, priced to make your travel experience affordable and elimination of any unexpected additional trip costs. Camaraderie, companionship and unique insights derived from the make-up and size of our tour groups information on and interpretation of destinations: i. Facilitation of Business and Political Access. ii. Business and Legal Advisory Services. iii. Market Research iv. Operational Support. v. Saving of time vi. Low prices vii. Help the tourist to solve their problems. viii. Limitations of Tour Package ix. Control - travel agents have little or no say over the tour 14.3 CASE STUDY OF INDIAN TOUR PACKAGES Incredible India started as a marketing campaign in 2002 by the Government of India to boost tourism in the country and project India as a credible tourist destination. The incredible diversity that exists in India, be it the people and their customs or the topography, lends itself perfectly to the slogan ‘Incredible India’. However, if only a marketing campaign could bring tourists to a country, then, all countries would invest heavily in marketing, rather than making the country tourist friendly. 219 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

The biggest advantage that India has from the perspective of tourism is its diversity. Very few countries in the world have this eclectic fusion of the traditional and the modern, the historical and the contemporary, the mountains and the seas, the deserts and the forests, and the different religions and communities. Yet, India received only 2.4 million foreign tourists in 2001. By contrast, Switzerland received close to six million tourists and Spain more than 13 million. To check this gross imbalance and exploit the untapped potential of India as a destination for international tourists, the Government launched the ‘Incredible India’ campaign and formulated the National Tourism Policy in 2002. The Challenge The Incredible India campaign was launched by Ministry of Tourism to promote India as an excellent tourist destination. Incredible India was facing numerous challenges including:  Competing with other campaigns for the attention of their key audience  Struggling to reach premium and affluent travellers across APAC and EMEA  Identifying and communicating a distinct side of India that general audiences would not know about already. The client wanted to inspire and educate audiences that India has something to offer everyone based on pre-defined audience clusters:  Off the beaten track travellers seeking unique experiences.  Culture and heritage enthusiasts; and  Foodie enthusiasts Incredible India- the Campaign The campaign marked the first concerted effort by the Government of India to tap into the vast tourism potential of the country in an organized manner. Launched in 2002, the government hired professionals and engaged the services of Ogilvy &Mather to formulate an integrated communication strategy aimed at promoting India as the preferred destination for the international traveller. The campaign highlighted various facets of Indian culture and history such as yoga, spirituality, festivals, and monuments such as the Taj Mahal and so on. Case study: India is well known for its rich cultural heritage and diversity. With the Changed scenario and advancement of technology, where the time and Distance compression lead to the opportunity to individual to travel Around the world just with very less time period. India may not be able to attract the enough overseas tourists only with its scenic, rich Architectural and monumental beauty but also its traditional values and Hospitality attracted thousands of tourists. The Indian values and mottoOf “AtithiDevoBhav” is not merely a marketing strategy to enhanceThe tourism industry but something inherited from the culture and Ethos. Despite all, Indian Tourism Industry has yet not been able to develop to its full potential. The present study deals with promotional and marketing strategies adopted for the improving the 220 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

performance of. Our Indian tourism industry. This paper also focused on how the Tourism sector contributed to the India Economy. 14.4 CASE OF OUTBOUND TOUR PACKAGE Outbound Tour Operators take residents from one country to travel in another country. These tours take travellers all over the world and to every continent. Where do the tours go? The most popular place is Europe, but that is just a start on opportunities. Add to that the South Pacific, China, Australia, Patagonia, Antarctica, worldwide cruising, the Middle East. Where would you like to go? Case Study: Strong evidence points to an increasing number of senior citizens in the outbound travel market in Hong Kong. However, only a limited number of travel agencies in Hong Kong have paid attention to this potential market. This research investigates Hong Kong senior citizens’ perceptions of the importance of the criteria used to select from the outbound package tours currently offered in the market and of the performance of these attributes. Importance-performance analysis (IPA) was carried out to analyze the data collected and categorize them into the four quadrants of the IPA grid. The results indicate the high mobility of senior citizens in Hong Kong and that they tend to join outbound package tours when traveling abroad. With regard to the provision of outbound package tours, they are generally satisfied with the performance of existing travel agencies, although some areas for improvement are noted. The findings also lend support to the high potential that exists in the senior citizen travel market and to the need for travel agencies to put extra effort into this niche market. Building upon previous literatures focusing only on selection criteria of group package tours, our study contributes further to the body of knowledge on seniors’ travel decision making and the perception gap between them and the service providers. Recommendations to travel agencies regarding how to capture this market segment more effectively are also offered. 14.5 SUMMARY  The main business of travel companies, especially wholesalers and tour operators, is derived from the sale of travel packages.  To design any travel package, the most important thing is a well-planned itinerary. The itinerary is essential for any tour package that includes all other features. Before the final itinerary and the route of travel must be arranged, many plans, additions, and deletions will enter the process. The next stage is to design and package our itinerary around this itinerary and become the final product sold to potential customers. The tourism industry offers different travel packages, from tailor-made, personalized to professional. 221 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

 Therefore, itinerary planning and travel packages are considered the basis of the travel company's business. In this chapter, we will learn everything needed to make a feasible itinerary and design a marketable travel package. Package travel itinerary can be divided into five types, mainly one Remember the responsibilities and objectives of the different stakeholders involved in the organization's package, such as travel managers, suppliers, coaches, interpreters, companions, and tour guides. Therefore, the five types of itineraries can be tour itinerary, tour administrator itinerary, escort or tour guide itinerary, supplier's itinerary, and bus driver's itinerary.  Considering the needs of tourists and the convenience of tour operators, itineraries can also be classified into another category, such as GIT itinerary, FIT itinerary, tailor-made itinerary, and special interest itinerary. Let us now understand the nature of these types in detail. It is important to check its feasibility.  The general planners will organize the FAM itinerary in advance to understand the feeling of the itinerary, find out the restrictions, and correct them before including them in the tour group for tourists' reference. Therefore, travel planners must consider all aspects of the purpose of the trip, budget, accommodation, transportation, choice of destinations and attractions, destination activities, legal issues, host and guest behaviours, etc. They can also keep certain content as optional content. Basically, the travel itinerary is the reference that the tourist follows during the journey, such as stopover, hotel, time between two points, food plan, activities, attractions visited, etc., except arrival and departure points \\/ times and check- in. and departure times.  The travel agency is expected to strictly adhere to the itinerary. If they plan to change or modify it, it should be only for the safety and protection of the guests. Before doing so, they must give their customers confidence. 14.6 KEYWORDS  Agent: one who acts or has the power to act as the representative of another. Most frequently in travel anyone other than a principal, such as a retail travel agent, receiving agent, ticket agent, local operator, or wholesaler.  Air Coupon: One flight coupon that allows passengers to fly internationally on several airlines.  Infrastructural Facilities: These include facilities like Airport, Roads, Drainage, and Buildings etc. at a destination.  Promotion: All activities such as advertising, publicity, personal selling, and public relations, which are carried out to enhance sales.  Travel Agent: An individual or a firm who is authorized by the airlines, hotels, etc. to enhance the sale of all travel related services. 222 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

 Tour Operator: A company or a firm, which designs tour packages and makes them available to customers through travel agents. 14.7 LEARNING ACTIVITY 1. What Is The Concept Of Tourist On Which Tourism In The Kingdom Focus? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. What are The Tourist Events Covering All Types of Sport and the Recreational Sports Accepted in the Society? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 14.8 UNIT END QUESTIONS A. Descriptive Questions ShortQuestions 1. What background information is required while preparing an itinerary? 2. List out some major do is of itinerary preparation. 3. List out some major don’ts of itinerary preparation. 4. Mention any features of the itinerary for FIT. 5. Mention features of itinerary for GIT. Long Questions 1. What is a package tour? 2. How do you classify the types of tour packages? 3. Explain escorted package tour? 4. Identify major elements of package tours? 5. What is the major difference between an FIT and GIT package tour? B.Multiple Choice Questions 1. What does CATM Stand for? a. Consolidated Air Traffic Manual b. Consolidated Air transport Manual c. Consolidated Air Tour Manual d. None of these 223 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

2. What is OHRG? a. Official Hotel & Resort Guide b. Official Hotel & Restaurant Guide c. Official Hotel & Resort Group d. Organisation for Hotel & Restaurant Guide 3. Which is not a vendor? a. Hotel b. Airlines c. Cruise companies d. Travel agents 4. What is Ground operation is also known as? a. Tour operator b. Travel agencies c. Shuttle operators d. Tour wholesalers 5. What does ITC stand for? a. Inclusive Tour by Charter b. Inclusive Tour Cost c. Inclusive Travel Charter d. None of these Answers 1-c, 2-a, 3-d, 4-c, 5-a 14.9 REFERENCES References  Angelo A., Francesca Di Virgilioand Isabel C. [Camillo].(2017). The Impact of Social Network on Italian Users': Behavioural Intention for the Choice of a Medical Tourist Destination 224 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

 Mahir Nakip&Aytaç Gökmen. (2018). The Importance of the Destination Choices of Tourists: The Case of Kazakh Tourists Visiting Turkey. International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management in the Digital Age.  Nicholas A. Ramchurjee & Charles V. Ramchurjee. (2018).an Evaluation of the Attitudes and Perception of the Local Communities in Mysore: Towards the Impacts of Tourism Development. International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management in the Digital Age Textbooks  Chand Mohinder. (2006). Travel Agency Management: An Introductory Text. New Delhi: Anmol Publications Pvt. Ltd  Sinha P.C. (n.d). Tourism:Transport and Travel Management. New Delhi: Anmol Publication Pvt. Ltd.  Mohinder Chand Dhiman.& Ravi Bhushan Kumar. (2006). Building Foundations for Understanding the International Travel Agency and Tour Operation. New Delhi: Anmol Publication Pvt. Ltd. Websites  http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2001/08/02/stories/0602000n.htm  .http://www.ttsvisas.com/visas.aspx?page=FAQ.  www.igi-global.com/article/an-evaluation-of-the-attitudes-and-perception-of-the- local-communities-in-mysore-towards-the-impacts-of-tourism- development/201104?camid=4v1a 225 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)