Legislation and Ethics in Travel and Tourism Sector

LEGISLATION AND ETHICS IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM SECTOR
Every business gets influenced by various legal and regulatory structures and
frameworks. Travel and tourism sector gains sustainable development through legal
and regulatory framework and manages to conserve natural and cultural
resources(Tourism Legislation and Regulation, 2018). TUI Group being a tourism
company needs to follow various rules and regulations and operates its agency bu
considering these legal and regulatory framework. SRA and HSG does not exist
more in the travel and tourism sectors, they have got united and named as Health
and Safety Executive(HSE). Various types of people work in legal environment of
travel and tourism sectors such as lawyers, solicitors, barristers and magistrates.
Criminal and civil law: legal case happens when there is dispute between two
parties, i.e. tour operator or client. A legal case may be even related to criminal case
or it may be a civil case.
The main objectives of providing legal and regulatory framework on travel and
tourism are:
 to provide standard procedure
 develop the travel and tourism sectors in a regulated manner
 to give rights and duties to business involved in travel and tourism
The travel and tourism sectors involves the following legal and regulatory
framework:
Strategic Rail Authority(SRA): It aims at providing strategic directions to railway
industry. SRA divided railway sectors in two parts i.e. Rolling Stock Companies
and Rail Track. Main function of SRA are to ensure compliance to rail franchises.
SRA give grants to support rail freight services and also builds freight facility(Font
and McCabe, 2017).
Health And Safety Executive(HSE): HSE aims at providing guidance and advise
on safety and health regulations and also inspection. It is a government agency
which provides regulation and enforcement of working environment. HSE provides
rules regarding welfare, safety and health and for research of occupational risks.
Health And Safety Commission(HSC): HSC aims at preventing death and injury
of people at workplace. It updates the laws, rules and regulations related to the
safety and health. It facilitates in developing and reviewing safety and health
procedure and policies and also ensures to inspect working environment.
Maritime authorities: It is a state government body aims at carrying out of shipping
roles and responsibilities, and also administers national boating and shipping laws
and issues.
International Air Transport Association (IATA): IATA focuses on developing
policies and procedures for travel and tourism sectors. It aims at promoting
cooperation with every schedule airline and ensures safe and secure air service.
Civil Aviation Authority(CAA): CAA aims at updating rules and regulations
related to airspace usage and also aviation safety of passengers. It maintains aircraft
register and regulation of civil aviation.
Association Of British Travel Agents(ABTA): It is an association developed for
travel agents and tour operators. ABTA aims at providing information related to
travel advice and also give financial protection of holiday bookings.
There are various law, rules and regulations regarding transportation of passengers
and their luggage. Legal rules and regulatory framework ensures to provide safety
and security to passengers and their luggage being carried by surface, sea and air
transports. Loss or damage in passenger's luggage creates a pecuniary loss for
travel operators(Becker, 2016). TUI Group considers and follows various legal
and regulatory frameworks while carrying passengers and their luggage, some are
explained as follows:
Carriage Of Passenger By Road Act, 1974: this law governs rules, laws and
regulation regarding surface carriage of passenger's. This law aims at protecting
the passengers who are on board and traveling on surface(Guttentag, 2015).
Surface law and legislation are related to people being carried through train, car or
buses. Surface legislation is regulated by Officials of Rail and Road(ORR).
TUI Group also aims at safeguarding passenger's and their goods and ensures
security and safety of carriage and shipping of passengers.
Athens, Geneva and London Conventions: TUI Group posses airlines and
provides facility of transport facility of passengers and goods. Therefore, it needs
to follow various legal and regulatory framework related to carriage transport.
Athens convention, 1974 regulates and governs damages and losses passengers
suffers when on ferry, ship or boat or traveling by sea. Sea legislation are
regulated by Maritime and Coastguard Agency(MCA).
Passenger charters of UK rail/coach companies:
Air Transport Conventions and Protocols: Air regulations are related to people
travelling from airplane or helicopters. Air legislation are regulated by Civil
Aviation Authority(CAA). Protocol, 2002 ensures and makes it mandatory and
check passenger's carriage through ships for certain time and also raised their
liability limit(Lopes and Almeida, 2016).
Denied Boarding Compensation Schemes: It aims at increasing security and
protection standards of passenger's who are traveling through air carriages and
ensures to harmonize carrier's operations.
Warsaw Convention, 1929: TUI Group provides facility of air transportation to
its customers and also ensures to provide safety and security to them. Therefore, it
follows various air transport laws and regulations. Warsaw Convention gives rules
and regulations related to documents of transports and carriage. By using this
convention, passenger's can claim for compensation if any injury or death
happens.
Hague Protocol, 1955: This protocol was developed to revise convention of laws
and rules related to carriage by air internationally. It also serves at changing and
updating Warsaw Convention. It is a legal basis of commercial aviation for
passenger's and cargo. The Hague Protocol generated and added to Warsaw
Convention because to bring advance of technology and update original treaty
Legal and regulatory framework Surface, sea and air transport law
REFERENCES
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.