Dealing with Dreams:

The Travel Agency

Industry
 To know and understand the
industry of Travel Agency and its
value to tourists

The different types of travel agencies

Objectives
“…to function in today’s
world, you need a good
doctor, a good lawyer
and a good travel
agent…”
 Travel Agency is a department store
of travel. It is a place where a person
can secure information, expert
counselling and make arrangements to
travel by air, sea or land to any point in
the world.
 Tour Operator contracts and
purchases the separate travel
components and assembles
them into one package, which it
sells to the travelers through the
travel agents.
 A Travel Agent’s Value
• a travel agent is more skilled at finding
the best travel solution;

• a travel agent can find the best deal;

• A travel agent saves time and trouble;

• A travel agent knows the supplier
better;

• A travel agent knows the destinations

better;

• A travel agent is impartial;

 Kinds of Travel Agencies
Conventional Full Service Travel Agencies
- these agencies sell it all
- air;
- lodging;
- car rentals;
- rail travel;
- cruises;
- tours and other forms of travel
packages
 Online Agencies

• These agencies concentrate in selling

travel commodities such as air, lodging,
and car rentals;

• They also sell experimental products

such as cruise and tours in toll – free
numbers that enabled customers to
speak live to a travel agent who can
explain the products and give advice;
• One of their marketing strength
is that they are not bounded by
geography;
• They can sell anywhere in the
world;
Specialized Agencies

• They believed they can

be most competitive and
profitable by narrowing
their focus to a particular
type of customer;
Home Based
Agencies
Corporate Travel Management
Duties and Responsibilities of a Corporate
Travel Manager:
 Set corporate travel policy;
 Plan meetings, conferences, and
convention programs;
 Negotiate with suppliers;
 Manage Travel Budgets;
Communicate with management in other
departments;
 …because they are considered
regular corporate employees and
have so many additional
responsibilities, they are usually
paid better than travel agents…
 Corporate vs. Leisure Agents
Corporate Agents Leisure Agents

• Respond to requests • Inform and suggests

• Are somewhat sensitive • Are extremely sensitive to
to travel costs travel costs
• Work almost exclusively • Are more likely to meet
by phone and email with clients in person
• Deal with logistics • Deal with vacation
• Are seen as service dreams
people • Are more likely to exert in
their sales skills
• Usually work with short
lead times
• May make plenty of
changes as the trip
departure approaches
• Often communicate
through the traveller's
assistant, not the traveller
• Know a lot about the
selected destinations
their clients usually go
• Usually hear how trip
went
• Just about every caller
books travel
• Are more likely to work
with long lead times
• Are less likely to make
changes once the trip is
booked
• Almost always deal
directly with the traveller
• Knows details about
many ,more destinations
• Hear about a trip went if
something went wrong
• Often deal with “phone
shoppers” so majority of
the callers don't book
 Some of the values of travel agent are:

A travel agent is more skilled at finding the

best travel solution;

A travel agent can find the best deal;

A travel agent saves time and trouble;

summary
 The different types of travel agent are the
following:

Conventional full service travel agencies,

online travel agents, specialized travel
agencies, home – based travel agencies,
and corporate travel management

summary