Tour Operations Management Assignment - Audley Travel

TOUR
OPERATIONS
MANAGEMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
1.1. Analysation of the effects of current and recent trends on tourist operations industry........3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
2.1. Stages and timescales involved in developing holidays......................................................4
2.2. Evaluation of the suitability of various methods of contracting for different components
of the holiday and different types of tour operators....................................................................6
2.3. Calculation the selling price of a holiday from given information......................................7
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................7
3.1. Evaluation of the planning decisions taken for the design of the brochure.........................7
3.2. Assessment of the suitability of alternatives to a traditional brochure for different types of
tour operators..............................................................................................................................8
3.3. Evaluation of the suitability of different methods of distribution used to sell a holiday for
different types of tour operators..................................................................................................9
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................10
4.1. Strategic Decisions taken by various tour operators..........................................................10
4.2 Tactical decisions that could be taken by Audley in different situations............................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Tour operations management refer to development and execution of activities that are
necessary for package holidays. Tour operators are responsible for handling the operations of
these holidays. They are responsible to provide combined services of tours and travel industry
and amalgamate the same in packages to enhance the experience of customers of tourists
(Hoffman, Padberg and Rinaldi, 2013). The agenda of this management is to give consistent and
outstanding services to customers of this industry and ensure their long term engagement with
the tour companies. The report below is based on Audley Travel, which is one of the most
trusted tours and travel company headquartered in Witney, Oxfordshire. The report covers a brief
understanding of the tour operations industry within the travel and tourism sector along with the
stages involved in creation of holidays. It also covers brochures, distribution methods for selling
holidays and strategic and tactical decision-making for tour operators
TASK 1
1.1. Analysation of the effects of current and recent trends on tourist operations industry
The tour operators industry of the UK is very vast in scale and continuously evolves and
moulds itself according to the trends that are likely to affect its operations (Guo and He, 2012).
Before understanding these trends, it is imperative to gain knowledge about different types of
tour operators within the industry which are mentioned below: Inbound Tour Operators: The other name for these operators are 'ground operators' and
they are local experts in specific location's tourism. They cater for all the inbound tourists
from various other countries to the United Kingdom. Domestic Tour Operators: These operators provide their services to the residents of the
country itself and within the boundaries of the UK. These tours are limited to various
tourist attraction destinations that are present within the country.
 UK Outbound Tour Operators: These are another type of tour operators that are
responsible for taking residents of one country to another for travelling purpose. They
have no boundaries and provide their services all over the world.
There are various current and recent trends that influence the operations of tour
operations industry. These trends are mentioned below:

 Technological Advancements: Tour operators industry in the UK as well as the whole
world have been subjected to various technological advancements recently for instance
Wi-Fi Technology, AI, Internet of Things (IoT), etc. These advancements have
encouraged the industry to modify its functions and operations in providing services
(Gibson, 2012). Responsible Tourism: With rise in environmental awareness and protection of wildlife,
there are new policies and regulations in the industry promoting preservation of flora and
fauna.
 Brexit Effect: One of the most recent and crucial events in the UK is Brexit. It had its
impact on each and every industry in the UK. The reduction in the value of pound is
attracting customers from almost everywhere in the world to visit the country. Post-
Brexit, the industry contributed to a growth of 6.2% in the country's GDP in 2017 (Brexit
news: British travel and tourism industry booming despite doomsayers’ claims, 2018).
Lately, Asia, Africa and areas of South America are being chosen by loads of customers
to take a holiday as these destinations are vast in wildlife, heritage as well as tropical
destinations. With rise in social media and awareness, more individuals as well as travel groups
are opting these destinations as their prime location for holidays.
TASK 2
2.1. Stages and timescales involved in developing holidays
To ensure comfort and enjoyment in the tour packages, it is imperative for tour operators
to prepare itineraries that define the stages involved in development of holidays, along with the
the timescale. As per the scenario, the chosen destination for holiday is South Africa. Below are
the stages for the development of the holiday: Market Research: The first stage of developing a tour package requires extensive
research of the market. This requires the trends, determination of locations with
maximum tourist attraction, most suitable accommodation for customers, etc. This stage
requires 2 months to be effectively executed. Planning and Scheduling: This stage undertakes determination of activities,
accommodation, transportation and timescale for each location. Duration of development
of this stage must be at-least a month.