Travel and Tourism

Travel and tourism is a large contributor to the UK economy. The British alone take 21.5 million trips abroad each year and 50 million holidays or short breaks are taken within the confines of the UK. This accounts for approximately £45 billion every year and provides employment to approximately 1.5 million.

Leading up to the Olympics in 2012, this figure will increase and endure.

Travel and tourism is made up of many different components such as:-

• Hotels – Spa, City, Country, boutique
• Transportation – Coach, Train, Cruise and airlines
• Holidays with included and optional excursions

These are sold to the holiday or business traveller by either a travel agent, tour operator, internet, brochures, newspapers.

Travel Agents – can be found in cities and towns. They can be either part of a chain or independent. The services they offer are:-

• Over the counter, telephone or internet advice for the independent and business traveller advice
• Booking facilities
• Customer service contact with tour operators
• Maybe foreign exchange

Tour Operators - There are approximately 1000 tour operators in the UK. They sell products either directly to the public or through a travel agent or both via advertising in the newspaper, on TV, through brochures and on the internet.

Tour Operators offer holidays either as individual components such as flights, hotels, cruises etc to the independent traveller or as a packaged holiday.

The Package Holiday - is normally made up as follows:-

· Getting to a destination e.g. flight, coach, train, cruise

· Accommodation e.g. hotel rooms, cruise, train

· Meals e.g. breakfast only, half board, full board

Excursions are either included in the package or offered as optionals and sold to the traveller before or during a tour.

There are two main types of package holiday:-

• Resort based to destinations such as St Helier – Jersey, Marbella – Spain, Kos – Greece, Orlando – Florida, Goa – India. Resort based holidays normally require the services of a Resort Representative who are based in a resort and contracted to work for a tour operator for at least six months of a year
  
• Touring Holiday to destinations in the UK, Europe and worldwide such as Austria, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South America and Far East.

Touring holidays are escorted by Tour Managers who are employed by the Tour Operator to manage the day-to-day aspects of a tour. The duration of each tour may vary from two days to four weeks. Tour Managers work as self-employed individuals and can work as often or as little as they like

Included and optional excursions are a recognised component of resort based and touring holidays and are sold to travellers as part of the main packaged holiday or during a holiday by the Resort Representative or when touring by the Tour Manager.

The services of a Tour Guide are often required to give information about a particular city or attraction to the tourist and can be employed by the Tour Operator or an attraction provider to enhance the tour. The role is varied and satisfying and can be performed in major locations in the UK or abroad

Travel and tourism offers individuals many roles within the industry and mentioned above, are three of the most popular and rewarding.

Those leaving the services should consider tourism as a worthwhile career option. The job is varied, interesting and fulfilling. You can govern your own work load offering your services from weekend work to month long tours.