Legislation and Ethics in Travel and Tourism

This report examines the legal and ethical framework of the travel and tourism sector, focusing on the TUI Group. It analyzes key legislation related to health, safety, security, and equality, and explores ethical dilemmas faced by the industry, including environmental concerns and corporate social responsibility. The report also highlights TUI Group's approach to these issues.

LEGISLATION AND ETHICS
IN
TRAVEL AND TOURISM SECTOR

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LO 1.................................................................................................................................................3
Covered in leaflet...................................................................................................................3
LO 2.................................................................................................................................................3
2.1 Impacts of principles of health, safety and security legislation on travel and tourism sector
................................................................................................................................................3
2.2 Legislation related to equality of TUI Group travel agency.............................................4
LO 3.................................................................................................................................................6
Covered in leaflet...................................................................................................................6
LO4..................................................................................................................................................6
4.1 Ethical dilemmas faced by the travel and tourism sectors...............................................6
4.2 Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) policy of TUI Group business............................7
CONCLUSIONS..............................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Legal and regulatory framework are necessary for every business organization and even
for industries within travel and tourism sectors. These legal frameworks governs travel and
tourism sectors, travel agency, tourism related organization, airport, cargo, etc. TUI Group
operates its business in travel and tourism sector in around 180 countries and serves approx 30
million customers. It is a German travel and tourism company which provides wide range of
travel related products and services to its customers. TUI group also possess hotels, airline, retail
stores, cruise ships and travel agencies. In this study report, various surface, sea and air transport
laws which are related to carriage of passengers are discussed. Impacts of principles of health,
safety and security legislation and law related to equality and contract in travel and tourism
sectors are also explained. The study report also includes ethical dilemmas faced by travel and
tourism sectors and Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) are discussed further.
LO 1
Covered in leaflet
LO 2
2.1 Impacts of principles of health, safety and security legislation on travel and tourism sector
Various rules, regulations and laws on travel and tourism sector aims at bringing
development of this sector and to provides safety and security to passengers(Verhey, Baum and
Hai, 2016). They contribute their role and maintain legal regulation and governs effective flow of
travel related business activities. Legislation and laws aims at governing possible hazards and
issue related to health, safety and security. Health and safety legislation obliged organizations to
ensure safety and security of employees which helps in decreasing risk of accidents and hazards.
Principles of health, safety and security legislation ensures to make safe working environment
for travel and tourism sector businesses. TUI Group make sure to provide safety and security to
its employees and ensure that they are free from injury and accidents. TUI Group aims at giving
safe and secure working environment by following various health and safety legislation and
regulations. TUI Group follows various European legislation while operating its various travel
and tourism related business activities, some are explained as follows:
Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974:
Health and Safety Act lays down various duties and responsibilities on employers. It
provides various duties and responsibilities for business organization to maintain safety and

security for its employees(Paraskou and George, 2017). Health and Safety at Work Act provides
various regulations and makes it necessary for travel and tourism sector businesses to follow
them in order to provide safety to employees. TUI Group perform various duties and provide
safety and security to its employee. Organisations are responsible for employee's welfare and
security.
Positive impact: Health and safety at work maintained by a business organization makes it
employees satisfies towards job. This also influences customers or visitors views who visits the
destinations through travel and tour operators. TUI Group maintains complete safety and security
for its employees and provides them safe working environment, This leads to inspire visitors.
Implementation of this act reduces that chances of occurring accidents and injuries . It creates a
positive image of business organization among employees. It also improves satisfaction level of
workers as encourage them to work more effectively towards attaining objectives of company.
Negative impact: If firm avoids safety of its employees then it put negative impact on its
employees which results in high level of dissatisfaction among them. It may also lead to increase
the chances of accidents and injuries which will decline the profits and brand image of
destination. This also makes visitors unsatisfied and make them threatened.
Data protection act, 2018:
This act regulates regarding use of personal information of client or tourist and it
provides guidelines to tour operator to comply with rules in handling the information.
Occupiers Liability Act, 1984:
This act aims at covering liability of occupier for trespassers. Occupiers Liability Act
aims at providing injured trespasser to claim for personal injury or death. It does not include
claims regarding damage of personal property(Mani, Gunasekaran and Delgado, 2018). TUI
Group being a travel and tour agency provides its visitors with right to claim for injury or
damage as trespassers under Occupiers Liability Act. This makes its visitors to trust on tour
operator and makes them claim for their loss and damage. Occupiers liability act provides duty
of care to trespassers.
TUI Group aims at providing safety and security to its visitors, therefore follows certain rules
and duties provided by occupiers' liability act.

2.2 Legislation related to equality of TUI Group travel agency
Equality laws and regulation aims at treating every employee equally in an organization.
Travel and tourism sectors firms needs to follow various legislations made by government as it
helps in satisfying employees and running their operations effectively. Travel and tour related
equality legislation provides services to every customers. It does nit consdide their gender, age,
caste or race. TUI Group does not aim at discriminating its customers. Different laws and
regulations that needs to be followed by TUI are explained as follows:
Sex Discrimination Act, 1975: this act protects individuals from discrimination the basis
of gender i.e. men and women and their marital status. This act regulates that travel and tourism
sector does not discriminate employees on the basis of gender or marital status. Every one needs
to be treated equally while working within an firm.
Race Discrimination Act, 1976: this act ensures to prevent discrimination on the basis
of race, nationality, color or national origin(Font and McCabe, 2017). Travel and tour sectors has
its visitors or customers from various parts of world. TUI Group ensures to treat every employee
with equality.
Equality act, 2010:
This act gives rights of equality and does not allow discrimination on basis of race or
nationality. This act is regulated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. This act aims
at protecting various characteristics of client and tourists such as disability, skin color, maritial
status, age, gender, sex orientation, religion, etc.
Employment Act 2002: this act provides basic working conditions and terms for every
employee working in an organization. It provides various rules and regulations regarding
maternity, paternity leave, adoption leave, equal pay, fixed and flexible term of work. This also
contains changes of tribunal systems of UK. Employment act, 2002 ensures to provide equality
rights to every employee working in travel and tourism sector. TUI Group does not discriminate
its employees and provide them with basic working conditions and treat every employee equally.
Employment act supports equality and diversity in business environment and enable organization
to treat everyone equally.
Human Rights Act, 1998: this act allows people or employee to claim for human rights
regard to complaints and also legal system. Employees are allowed to defend their rights in
courts and ask for claims against discrimination(Gibson, 2016). This act also supports various

employment law which ensures to provide equal treatment to everyone. Human Rights Act
ensures to provide equality to everyone and also to get treated with respect and dignity. TUI
Group makes sure to treat every employee with respect and dignity and does not discriminate
them on basis of race, caste, or gender. It follows various rules and regulations provided by
various equality related legislation.
LO 3
Covered in leaflet
LO4
4.1 Ethical dilemmas faced by the travel and tourism sectors
Ethical dilemmas is a decision making problem, between two possible moral imperatives,
neither of which is unambiguously acceptable or preferable. The complexness originated out of
the situation battles in which obeying one would result in transgressing another (Font and
McCabe, 2017). The travel and tourism industry brings lots of ethical issues including leakage of
income, ethics of green issues, ethics of false advertisement and employment ethics. TUI group
is also facing these ethical issues within there operations and functions. The travel agency or TUI
faced unethical competition which are extremely low prices. This is one of the biggest issues
faced by TUI group. These issues can be solve or overcome by TUI Group by creating code of
conduct of ethics that will enable it to act in order or harmony with the host countries as well as
achieve high competitive benefits. All the information regarding the risk of health and safety
and all other information are provided by country before traveling.
Moreover, TUI Group also boost or encourage travellers to respect and care about the
local environment. Thy also make them understand that they should avoid or debar any actions
that are against the law. It is very essential that the care as well as safeguarding the natural
environment will be on the top list of ethics of organisation. In order to overcome the burden or
pressure on the natural environment, TUI Group used to distribute holiday packages in such a
manner the flow of travellers or tourist will be smooth and glassy which do not harm the
environment (Mani, Gunasekaran and Delgado, 2018). TUI Group will plan all their activities of
tourist and travellers that will respect the ecosystem. TUI will work in cooperation with local
authorities and take care of customer's or tourist health and security in there expected manner.
Addition to this, TUI Groups also respect the religious or spiritual demand of the tourists as well

and allow them to worship there practices of particular religion. For example, dilemmas of
environmental issues.
There are some indication from the researchers that the main area of dilemmas that is
faced by travel and tourism industry and TUI Group are corruption, bribery, discrimination
against racial and gender, sexual harassment, damaging natural resources as well as selling
unhealthy food. These badly affects the image of company as well as tourist. To achieve the
personal motive, corruption is the misuse of authority (Gibson, 2016). It is forbidden by law and
it is criminal activity. Bribery, appropriating the goods, extortion, embezzled and all other
financial misconduct are included in the criminal activity and it is forbidden under law. UK and
many other countries promote laws that governs the rights of women's work and delivering them
equal opportunities (Paraskou and George, 2017). There is a study conducted by the states of
European Union that there is a discrimination at the workplace from the European women after
the enactment of Equal Treatment of Men and Women Act (ETA). Some another unfortunate
determination is that of employment of child labour within the organisation. These activities are
also punishable and it is forbidden by law.
4.2 Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) policy of TUI Group business
The concept of management whereby organisations integrate social as well as
environment concerns within there operations of business and interact or communicate with there
stakeholders is known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) (Verhey, Baum and Hai, 2016).
In order make the balance between economic, social and environmental imperatives as well as
addressing the expectation and demands of stakeholders, presenting Corporate Social
Responsibility report (CSR) is the best way. It is very important for all types of company to
make there CSR report as it is the reputation of company. TUI Group also make CSR report
every year.
Here are the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy of TUI Group-
Tourism Union International, often shortened as TUI Group is a one of the largest travel
and tourism company in the world. It owns travels agencies, airlines, hotels, cruise ships as well
as retail shops. TUI Group presently owns six airline of Europe and it is one of the biggest
holiday fleet in Europe. They are providing vital arteries for trade as well as investment and they
are also offering leisure travel opportunities for person and families (Becker, 2016).

This is the another policy of TUI CSR - They are aware of there customers demands and
expectation but boards of directors are very much concern about the issues like the impact on
local communities, environment as well as on the health of tourist.
They also ensure to address all these issues as well as develop in sustainable manner
while respecting the entire world where humans are living. The board of directors of TUI Group
has developed the programme and policies of Corporate Social Responsibility.
Today, TUI Groups is a well defined and managed business in the world. It is only
because they have minimized the cost and management has taken all necessary actions to raise or
increase the governance or control structures along with increasing the accountability (Lopes and
Almeida, 2016). Boards will continue to look for the opportunities in order to manage the cost as
well as operations effectively and efficiently.
There are many reasons why Tourism Union International Group has chosen to engage in
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
This is the best instrument or technique that aid TUI Group to achieve or accomplish the
organisations long term strategic goals.
CSR also improve as well as develop the best efficiency along with minimizing the cost
by energy and waste programmes or campaigns. These campaigns and programmes furnished a
powerful base for Corporate Social Responsibility(Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR),
2016).
CSR also help company in effectively managing the risk by determining the risk related
to health, safety as well as environment that can hinder the opportunities to attract investors.
The last and most important reasons for preparing CSR is because it recognized as well
as enhance the name of brand. TUI Group can gain the trust of there stakeholders and they
praised the company (Guttentag, 2015).
CONCLUSIONS
As per the above mentioned report, it has been concluded that travel and tourism
industries needs to follow various regulations and legislation regarding health, safety and
security of employees and its visitors or customers. Various legislation and regulation protects
and safeguards the rights of employees. Travel agencies, tour operators and destination
authorities follow health and safety measures to protect rights of consumers. Legislation related
to equality guides travel and tour businesses to treat every one equally rather than discriminating

them. Ethical dilemma and ethics influences the decision making. Travel and tourism sectors
businesses follows various regulation and legislation in order to maintain sustainable
development. Travel and tour operators also performs various Corporate Social Responsibilities
which makes development of organization free from deterrent.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Guttentag, D., 2015. Airbnb: disruptive innovation and the rise of an informal tourism
accommodation sector. Current issues in Tourism, 18(12), pp.1192-1217.
Lopes, A.S. and Almeida, P.S., 2016. Environmental Law and Sustainable Tourism: critical
analysis between environmental ethics and interests in relation to non-human animal
life. Revista Gestão & Políticas Públicas, 6(2), pp.187-200.
Becker, E., 2016. Overbooked: the exploding business of travel and tourism. Simon and Schuster.
Verhey, B., Baum, T. and Hai, N.T.T., 2016. Locating child rights within the emerging CSR
narrative in travel and tourism: Reflections from a Vietnam pilot study. CAUTHE 2016:
The Changing Landscape of Tourism and Hospitality: The Impact of Emerging Markets
and Emerging Destinations, p.681.
Paraskou, A. and George, B.P. eds., 2017. Legal and Economic Considerations Surrounding
Reproductive Tourism: Emerging Research and Opportunities: Emerging Research and
Opportunities. IGI Global.
Mani, V., Gunasekaran, A. and Delgado, C., 2018. Supply chain social sustainability: Standard
adoption practices in Portuguese manufacturing firms. International Journal of
Production Economics, 198, pp.149-164.
Font, X. and McCabe, S., 2017. Sustainability and marketing in tourism: its contexts, paradoxes,
approaches, challenges and potential. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 25(7), pp.869-
883.
Gibson, S., 2016. Mobilizing hospitality: The ethics of social relations in a mobile world.
Routledge.
Lovelock, B., 2008. Ethical travel decisions travel agents and human rights. Annals of Tourism
Research, 35(2), pp.338-358.
Stabler, M.J. and Goodall, B., 2017. Environmental awareness, action and performance in the
Guernsey hospitality sector. Tourism Management, 18(1), pp.19-33.
Lovelock, B. and Lovelock, K., 2013. The ethics of tourism: Critical and applied perspectives.
Routledge.

Forno, F. and Garibaldi, R., 2015. Sharing economy in travel and tourism: The case of home-
swapping in Italy. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 16(2),
pp.202-220.
Online
Tourism Legislation and Regulation. 2018. [ONLINE]. Available
through:<http://www2.unwto.org/technical-product/tourism-legislation-and-regulation>
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). 2016. [ONLINE]. Available
through:<https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/corp-social-responsibility.asp>