Analysis of Legislation, Ethics, and CSR in Travel and Tourism

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the legal and regulatory framework governing the travel and tourism sector, with specific reference to England and Wales. It examines key legislation including the Tourism Act 1969, Travel Act 1985, and Package Tour Regulations 1992, as well as principles of health, safety, security, and equality. The report evaluates the impact of these principles on a UK tour operator and travel agency (Thomas Cook Retail Limited), analyzes legislation related to equality, and explores ethical dilemmas faced by the sector, such as bribery and corruption. Furthermore, it assesses the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies of International Airlines Group, focusing on environmental protection, charity, and fair practices. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of legal compliance, ethical business practices, and the implementation of CSR programs for achieving maximum competitiveness and enhancing brand reputation within the travel and tourism industry.

Legislation and Ethics in
Travel and Tourism Sector

INTRODUCTION
Legal and regulative framework of travel and tourism contains numerous features
based on the various parties involved in it. It comes under the policy of Tourism Act 1969;
Travel Act 1985 & Package Tour Regulations 1992. Apart from this, there are also influences
of the principles of health, safety and safety laws in the travel and tourism sector. It all comes
under the regulation that associates to sameness and the written agreement legislation in
connection to travel and tourism customers.
Task first of this report will cover a well organised training event for Retail travel
consultant regarding legal and regulatory framework of travel and tourism sector with
reference to England and Wales. Task second will cover the process of preparing training
materials for tour operator’s staff on legislation and regulations relating to health, safety and
security and equality in the travel and tourism sector. In part third, it will demonstrate
contract legislation and consumer protection legislation in relation to travel and tourism
customers. Lastly, it will explain the role of business ethics in the travel and tourism sector
TASK 1
Covered in Leaflet
TASK 2
2.1 Evaluate the impacts of the principles of health, safety and security legislation on the
travel and tourism sector with reference to a UK tour operator and travel agency
Thomas Cook Retail Limited is operated by Thomas Cook Group in England, UK. It
has been observed that many tourists travel from one point to another each year, some travel
overseas for make their time spend with their families. They forever believe that the
destination where they are travelling should be harmless and secure as they have not faced
any form of issue in association to the travel industry and at the tourist place (De Grosbois,
2016).
The main purpose of the lawmakers is to govern the development of tourism by
establishing combined standards of exercises of tourism by defining the rights & duties of the
individual interested in the tourism sector. It has been discovered that, health, safety and
security laws regulate the potential dangers. It is the obligation of the employers and staff to
see if any hazards are there then they are need to be informed in order to reduce the risk of

accidents. It has been revealed that the staff members play an active role in keeping the safety
of the Thomas Cook organization. The main aim of health and safety regulations is to ensure
that the working atmosphere is safe and free from danger. It is the staff’s duty to give for the
guarding of employees from any private hurt.
Need of legislation: laws governed and regulate the travel and tourism sector and
assist in performing the interest of the tourist. The safety and security at the place of work is
also laid down by this law for the workers which are performing under the travel industry. In
this, different authorities and responsibilities of workers exits that they give safe environment
to the consumers. Staff should communicate the seniors about any threats which happens at
the organisation that helps in diminishing the risk of accidents. In UK, health and safety
legislation forced the criminal punishment upon the travel business if any worker experiences
and it is the duty of the employer (Forno and Garibaldi, 2015).
2.2 Analyse legislation that relates to equality with reference to a UK tour operator and travel
agency
Tourism industry must treat all the clients equally as they do not to differentiate their
consumers on the basis of caste, gender, county, disability etc. In addition, discrimination is
that in which persons are not treated in unbiased manner and it has been observed that travel
industry does not gives the same services to all its visitors or provides the low quality product
to them.
 Gender discrimination act 1975: This act is the act of parliament in UK which
banned the judgement on the basis of gender. Usually, gender differences has been
made between men and women. Therefore, this act gives protection to the men and
women. Moreover, this type of insight has been made in the education area, travel
industry and various other places (Recognition of Gender Issues in the Tourism
Industry, 2016).
 Racial discrimination act 1976: Racial discrimination act is the act which was
recognized by the parliament & it is controlled in UK. It assist in protecting the ethnic
differences among the people on the basis of colour, traditional, nationality etc. in the
tourism industry.
 Disability discrimination act 2005: This act forbid the discrimination i.e. made
between the normal human being and disabled person. This act was established to
make easier for the disabled individual that they can lease their property. Any

consumer or staff member will not discriminated in the tourism industry on their
disability.
 Employment protection act 2002: In this, there are various new policies that are
added which are for family-friendly, there are fresh establishment of policies which
assist in solving the arguments between the employees and employers, as workers are
treated equally in the travel industry (Guttentag, 2015).
 Human Rights Act 1998: It has been determined that this act is provided in the UK
court in which they give remedy for breach of rights which are mentioned in the
European Convention. It states that it does not require to go to the European court for
guarding their rights and death punishment has been eliminated in UK (Verhey, Baum
and Hai, 2016).
TASK 3
Covered in Leaflet
TASK 4
4.1 Analyse ethical dilemmas faced by the travel and tourism sector.
The International Airlines Group may have to experiences unethical rivalry i.e. very
low prices. The firm can defeat these problems by making a code of ethics that will allow it
to act in dignity with host nations and attain competitor advantage. The travel and tourism
sector is considered as a tough one to learn as there are numerous components still
developing and unregulated. Sectors like hospitality, administration, provision and employ
relies on different factors self-directed of each other yet are indivisible. Different studies have
underlined the cross-cultural problems. The International Airlines Group must bound by strict
tourism rules that includes lots of documentation & paper work need to be finishing and
submitting in advance of the visit. It is a long process for the allowance of visas and hence,
expensive to a great level.
Research states that the major areas of difficulty that right influence the International
Airlines Group industry are that of corruption, dishonesty, gender and ethnic favoritism,
sexual harassment, hurting natural resources & selling unhealthy food. Bribery is the ill use
of right for a personal motive (Law, Leung and Fong, 2015). It is a criminal activity and
prohibited under the regulation. It includes, corruption, overcharge, proper goods, misuse and
such other financial misbehaviour. The organisation should also effort to allocate holidays in

such a way so as traveller flow would be smooth and the nature will not be further loaded.
The company will, in collaboration with local consultants, take care of health safety and
security of its clients. In addition, the firm will respect the non-physical needs of its
customers and let them to exercise their beliefs.
4.2 Analyse the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy of a specified travel and
tourism business
Corporate Social Responsibility those social strategies that are implemented by the
business organizations to profit their share in the industry. It indicates to activities such as
Ecological protection, equivalent opportunity & working ecological development. For
International Airlines Group to do its corporal social duties that may tie up with the local
communities in order to figure out their necessity & the business’ obligations towards them
(Paraskou and eds., 2017).
Corporate Social Responsibility can be characterised under the following major heads: Environment: The key need for such a functional utility is to protect the environment
in order to enhance the natural views that a city has in order to inspire tourism.
 Charity: Charity is one of the likings of the International Airlines Group towards
satisfying their corporate social responsibility. It assists them to boost their brand
while increasing charity so it contributes to their promotional, therefore, they are
making it the harmless option.
The company recognizes as one of the important feature and wishes to promote
Corporate Social Responsibility every year. The company’s Corporate Social Responsibilities
include:
 preventing rare wildlife
 Stimulating social & cultural values
 Providing fair cost-effective rates to its customers
Corporate Social Responsibility purpose is to use carefully social, cultural and
ecological sources in order to avoid wastage and preserve the bio diversity and traditional
inheritance. It is essential for International Airlines Group to timely exercise their corporate
social responsibility as the background, social and cultural standards are an intrinsic aspect of
tourism. For example, the International Airline Group has been the first one to make the
concept of a set holiday in order to promote social responsibility and they privileged to be as

inspiring today as well (Schuckert, Liu and Law, 2015). the International Airline Group has
established a distinct code of conduct to promote the happenings in order to add towards the
community. The company’s CSR consists of three axes: People, Planet and Profits.
Regarding People, the company believes strongly in its people and encourages diversity in
organisation by retaining people of different ethnic roots as well as women.
CONCLUSION
From the overall report it has been concluded that travel agencies are one of the key
players of the tourism sector. Since the travel organisation is the means for endorsing the trip,
known the fact that if company uses the suitable means, it will direct, lead and help the
traveller to choose the destination depending on customer’s needs and possibilities. It also
concluded that travel agency performs on behalf of its customers and suppliers who form the
trip prior to the visitor arrives. Therefore, every travel agency should aware of the legal
framework regarding tourism since it gives tourism services and it has to follow the law.
However, it has been observed that following the law is not enough for being efficient
nowadays. The company is supposed to be an ethical business and should apply specific CSR
programs to attain maximum competence and improve its brand.

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