CHAPTER 5- TRAVEL AND TOURISM Better By The Bunch: The Tour Industry Today

OBJECTIVES: Describe the many kinds of tours that exist Explain why tour manager jobs are in such demand Determine what motivates people to take a tour Explain how tours are priced and sold

TERMS: Adventure tour All-inclusive tour Day tour Deadheading Ecotourism Fly-drive tour Incentive tour Mystery tour Split itinerary Tour Tour manager Tour operator Transfer service Trip director

TOURS Tour: any preplanned package to one or more places, which includes two or more travel components (flights, lodging, attractions) Tour: can be highly structured or loosely organized

KINDS OF TOURS Escorted Tour: structured tour with a travel professional that oversees everything Tour Manager: the professional in charge of all details of the escorted tour, may also be called the tour leader, tour director, escort, conductor or tour guide

KINDS OF TOURS Motorcoach tour: Escorted tour with main mode of transportation is a motorcoach Motorcoach: the preferred mode of transportation for escorted tours, “bus” designed for touring, may cost as much as $500,000

KINDS OF TOURS Intermodal tours: combines different types of transportation into one package; may include bus, train, airplane, motorcycle, bicycle, etc.

KINDS OF TOURS Hosted tour: similar to escorted tour, however, guide only meets with travelers and does not travel with them Independent tour: for travelers that want their own itinerary, but get discounts for a package that includes overnight accommodations plus one or more other travel components, you get to a destination, then do what you want ( this type of tour out sells other tours 4 to 1 in the U.S. and Canada) Fly-drive tour: must have air transportation and rental car

KINDS OF TOURS Day tour: lasts fewer than 24 hours, usually a city tour Site tour: conducted at a specific building, attraction or limited area, may be a walking tour or a vehicle tour

KINDS OF TOURS Adventure tour: features physical activity such as hiking, diving, white-water rafting, safaris, etc) Sustainable tours: also known as ecotourism, where you “leave no trace” of a human being there Incentive trip: business with pleasure, usually a company’s way of rewarding an employee

Tour Facts: U.S. and Canada spend $11 Billion a year on tours Tours packages are purchased from tour companies, packagers, brokers or wholesalers Travel agents like to sell tours because they make commissions from suppliers

Why people take tours… Time and Money: tours often give you a better deal for your money-you get more with the package Quest for Knowledge: you “learn” as you travel, often the most important benefit of a tour Camaraderie: you meet people and become friends, share the experiences Groups: you go with a group when you foresee problems such as language, customs, safety issues

Tour Price All-inclusive tour: offers most of its features for one price, traveler usually pays for most everything before they go Cost: depends on where, when and how long the trip is

How Tours are Sold… Public or per-capital tours: sold to the general public and groups Customized or charter tours: tailored to a specific group, for a specific price Inbound operator: company that concentrates on tours in a particular city, area or country Outbound operator: company that takes groups from a particular city or country to another country

Careers in the Tour Industry Senior executives, directors, and managers Clerical support Reservationists Tour conductors Tour guides District sales managers Human resource officers Tour planners Drivers Technological support

Web Sites American Association of Museums (AAM) http://www.aam-us.org American Bus Association: (ABA) http://www.buses.org National Tour Association (NTA) http://www.ntaonline.com U.S. Tour Operators Association (USTOA) http://www.ustoa.com

Touring with the Internet Brendan Worldwide Vacations: http://www.brendantours.com Collette Vacations: http://www.collettevacations.com Contiki Holidays: http://www.contiki.com Tauk World Discovery: http://www.tauck.com Travcoa: http://www.travcoa.com