St. Patrick's College, HND in Hospitality: TOM Assignment Submission

This assignment solution addresses a scenario where the student, acting as an Assistant Tour Organiser at Zenith Travel, develops a new tour package for the UK market. The solution begins by analyzing current tourism trends, identifying the positive and negative impacts of factors like increased disposable income and technological advancements. It then details market research, defining the target demographic and creating a 31-day holiday package in the UK, including itinerary, costing, and pricing calculations. The assignment further explores contract negotiations with Virgin Airlines and ACCOR Hotels Group, evaluating different contract types and their advantages and disadvantages. Finally, it evaluates the stages involved in creating a brochure, explaining each stage and its importance, including design, copywriting, and printing, while also suggesting promotional materials for a chain and an independent tour operator, justifying the choices with their pros and cons. The solution demonstrates a strong understanding of tour operations management principles, including market analysis, package development, contract negotiation, and promotional strategies.

TOM Assignment Submission Form
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This sheet must be submitted with your assignment. Failure to complete, sign and submit this form along
with your work will result in a delay in marking your work. Marking can only be proceeded provided the
evidence of your declaration of originality of your work attached to your coursework.
Student Name
Student ID
Assessors Names Prashidha Pradhan
Qualification Title HND in Hospitality Management
Unit Number & Unit Title Unit 40 – Tour Operations Management
Submission Deadline
Date of Submission
Learner Declaration
By submitting this form and signing below, I declare that:
 I am the author of this assignment and that any assistance I received in its preparation is fully
disclosed and acknowledged in this assignment
 I also certify that this assignment was prepared by me specifically for this course
 I certify that I have taken all reasonable precautions to make sure that my work has not been copied
by other students
 I confirm that I have understood the College’s regulations on plagiarism
 I confirm that research resources are fully acknowledged
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information directly from the Web or books without referencing the material; submitting joint
coursework as an individual effort; copying another student’s coursework; stealing
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Signature: ……………………………………… Date: ………………………………
To be completed by Student
Learning Outcomes
TOM
Assessment
Criteria
(Please tick as
appropriate) 
Task No
Evidence
(Page
Number)
LO1 – Understanding the tour
operators’ industry within the
travel and tourism sector 1.1 ☐
LO2 – Understand the stages
involved in creating holidays
2.1 ☐
2.2 ☐
2.3 ☐
LO3 – Be able to review brochures
and methods of distribution used
to sell holidays
3.1 ☐
3.2 ☐
3.3 ☐
LO4 – Understand strategic and
tactical decision-making for tour
operators
4.1 ☐
4.2 ☐
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Scenario 1
Consider yourself working as an Assistant Tour Organiser at a large UK based tour operator
“Zenith Travel”. You are assigned with the task of identifying and developing a new tour
package for a new breed of customers going to a tropical destination. For this, you are required
to identify the current trends in Tourism industry. After this, you are required to choose a
suitable tropical destination and prepare an itinerary plan to develop a holiday package with
costing and pricing. You need to decide the dates of travel, number of nights to stay, attractions
to visit, and flights, local transport and accommodation arrangements. Once the plan is ready,
you are required to negotiate on the type of contract you want to enter with hotels and airline
companies. After you have done this, you will evaluate different distribution methods and
promotional methods by which you will promote your tour package to the customers.
Task 1 (AC 1.1)
Analyse the effects of current and recent trends and developments on the Tour
Operators industry. (AC 1.1)
Question1: Briefly explain your chosen trend/development.
Question2: Mention at least two (2) positive and two (2) negative impacts of your
chosen trend/development.
Expected word count: approx. 200-300 words
Answer 1: Some of the recent trends and development that has taken place in the tour operations industry
includes increase in the disposable income of the economy and developed technology. According to Baur,
Klein and Steinhardt (2014), these two trends have the potential for changing the dynamics and the manner
in which tour operators can continue to develop in the market. The increase in the disposable income leads
to an increase in the income level which in turn impacts the growth of the industry (Beard, Swarbrooke and
Leckie 2018). At the same time, developed technology helps the tourism organisations to reach out in a
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global level.
Answer 2: The positive impact of the increase in disposable income is that with a high economy people
from a country can afford to take tours on a frequent level (Capsule, Taute and Keller 2015). Another
positive impact of the increase is that tour operators can increase the opportunity of employment and the
revenue of the country. The negative impact is that with the sudden rise people may be willing to spend
quickly on the tours. Another negative impact can be the sudden fall in the income can have a negative
effect as people may not be aware of the sudden changes. The positive impact of technology growth is that
tour operators can grow in the industry. Another positive factor is that tour operators can reach out to the
customers on a global scale. However, Chand and Katou (2018) is of the opinion that the negtaive impact of
the development of technology is that people recruited my not be aware of the use of the technology.
Another negative impact is that maintaining such technologies can be costly.
Task 2
Step1: Market Research Planner (AC 2.1)
You need to describe your target market. Fill the table with
sufficient information.
Country of origin United Kingdom
Age group (Family
life-cycle)
People above the 19 with a steady income
Customers
availability (season
or month)
Peak season can be considered from June to August due to the English summer
and again during December-January for Christmas and New Year
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For what duration
are they intending
to travel?
The people can travel for long or short duration depending upon the schedule that
they can accommodate for the tour
What are their
favourite activities
on holiday?
The favourite activities during the holidays can be skiing, interacting with
celebrities, horse riding, rock climbing and so on
What would they
like to be included
in their package?
They would like to include proper guidance and the privilege to view some sports
activities during the summer season such as Wimbledon and cricket
Other information
on the customers
you are targeting…
The customers need to be energetic and ensure that they are willing to travel from
one place to another without much hesitation and in a prompt manner
Step2: Creation of Holiday Package schedule and costing (AC 2.2)
Based on that target market, create your package holiday.
Destination: United Kingdom
Duration: 31 days (13th June to 13th July)
Brief Itinerary description: Interested people joining the tour will be accommodated in different high class
hotels during the tour. The scheduled tour will be provided by guiding the tourists to various tourism
destinations across the United Kingdom. Historical and famous landmark tours will be provided like that of the
Buckingham Palace or the Lord’s cricket ground or Wimbledon tennis ground. Opportunities for interaction
with celebrities will be provided. The customers will be given their own time to view the country side as long
as they abide by the rules developed by the guide. At the end every tourist will be escorted back to the airport
COMPONENTS (Provide a clear and detailed
breakdown)
COST PER PERSON
Providing guidance to the tourists £ 500
Escorting the tourists from the airport to various hotels £ 1500
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Providing them with a guide book £ 500
Ensuring meals are provided on time £ 2000
Required tickets to be gained for entry £ 2500
Ensuring that the tourists are provided with additional facility £ 2000
Escort the tourists back to the airport £ 1500
TOTAL COST £ 105,000
Step3: Package holiday total cost, mark-up and pricing
Now that you have your Total Cost, calculate your final price.
Total cost (calculated
previously)
105,000 £ 105,000
Your Mark-up (%) 5% £ 5250
FINAL PRICING (without
VAT)
£,110250
Any additional comment to be provided here:
Every tourist will need to take responsibility of the belongings that they possess. It is advisable to leave
valuable items at the hotel rooms for safety purposes
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Task 3 (AC 2.3)
NEGOTIATING AND SIGNING A CONTRACT
For this task, you are required to do a role play, in which you will act as a representative of
Zenith Travel (for which you are working) and the tutor will act as a hotel and airline
representative. Your task is to carry out a contract negotiation.
For each scenario (Virgin Airlines and ACCOR Hotels Group), provide an account of the contract
negotiating by stating the following:
-Type of contract you agreed on.
-Reason why you chose/opted for that contract.
-Advantages and disadvantages of each contract type.
Zenith Travel (Yourself) and Virgin Airlines
The type of contract that has been agreed upon between Virgin Airlines and Zenith Travel is that of distributive.
The reason for selecting this particular type of contract is that previous negotiations between the two companies
had not taken place. According to Evans, Stonehouse and Campbell (2015) the goal in this particular contract
type is to maintain a long term relationship and ensure that financial competence of the organisations are
maintained. The advantage of this type of contract is that the buyer can provide low amount until satisfied with
the services. In the case of Zenith Travels, the organisation can buy the services of the airline at a low cost.
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However, Falzon (2016) is of the opinion that the disdavantage of this type of contract is that little or no
information is exchanged between the parties and thus, chances of fraud may increase. In a tourism sector this
can be a huge negative impact as it may undermine the development of the tourist facilities in the country.
Zenith Travel (Yourself) and ACCOR Hotels Group
The contract between Zenith and ACCOR Hotels Group is that it will provide rooms at a substantial rate to the
tourists. This type of negotiation is considered as the integrative negotiation in which both parties win
something or the other. The joining of the travel company and the hotel group can provide assurance to the
tourists about the safety that can be attained. The reason for the selection of this particular type of contract is
the fact that value concessions can be maintained between the two parties. According to Gurcaylilar-
Yenidogan, Yenidogan and Windspergerc (2015), the advantage of the contract is that both the parties can
adopt a skilful approach to mitigate any type of problems. However, the disadvantage is that tourists may feel
exploit as the opportunity for gaining profit of the tourists can be less.
Task 4 (AC 3.1)
3.1 Evaluate the planning decisions taken for the design of a selected brochure.
Your task consists of evaluating the stages for creating a brochure. To evaluate, you are
required to mention the following:
- What are the various stages involved?
- What happens in each stage? Explain in detail.
Expected word count – Minimum 250 to 300 words
Follow the instructions given below step by step.
Step 1
Look around the room. There are various stages of creating a brochure stuck on the walls. Pick
all the stages that you think are right and arrange them in the right order.
Hint: remember your Week5 lecture slides – putting the stages in the right order is very
important to complete this task.
St. Patrick’s College 8 Standard AB Template V1DNL2016

Given time: 15 minutes
Step 2
Once you have decided on the stages and put them in the right order, you are now expected to
describe what happens in each stage in few lines, using the template provided.
Hint: You can reference any handout that was given to you on this topic and/or reference
appropriate academic sources to complete this step.
Given time: 30 minutes
Step 3
Now, in a line or two, highlight the importance of each stage for creating a brochure. You
may also mention the advantages and disadvantages of each stage.
By writing the above underlined part, you can achieve D1 criteria, if you have provided a
justification through a good evaluation.
Given time: 30 minutes.
Step 4
Now, combine your answers and provide in the space below:
Provide here the different stages of brochure creation including the information
requested in the steps above.
Stage 1: Sit down and formulate a plan- A plan is made about the manner in which the brochure can be made
by choosing the content, colour, background and so on.
Stage 2: Decide on the size of the page and the quantity- The size required and the quantity of resources such
as colour and paper required are decided and made into a budget
Stage 3: Gather required information- Research and gain required information such as content to be included
and the target market that needs to be addressed
Stage 4: Start designing the layout- The layout is started keeping in mind the already specified instructions
Stage 5: Proof the final brochure- Recheck the brochure for any type of errors
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Stage 6: Make a proper finish- Finish the brochure in a proper manner
Stage 7: Print the brochure- The brochure is printed and put out to the public
The importance of each stage is that it helps in maintaining a steady schedule while creating the brochure. The
advantage is that it can help in the development of a proper brochure without many flaws. The disadvantage is
that it is time consuming
Task 5 (AC 3.2)
3.2 Assess the suitability of alternatives to a traditional brochure for different types
of tour operators
Follow the instructions given below step by step.
Step 1
Choose two different Tour operators: One must be a chain; another must be an independent tour
operator
Step 2
For each of them, suggest a promotional material (OTHER THAN BROCHURES) AND provide
justified recommendations using your knowledge on the advantages and disadvantages.
Expected word count – Minimum 400 words
Suggest here a promotional material for the Chain Tour Operator and provide justified
recommendations.
NAME of your CHAIN Tour Operator here: Thomas Cook
Promotional material:
Advertising via television or via social media. The reason behind this is that in the modern world, every person
is involved in social media platform so that they can remain ahead in the business. Advertising via these media
can help in the development of the company and assist it in continuing with gaining regular customers in the
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organisation.
Advantages:
The advantage of advertising via television or social media is that organisations can get to reach various people
within less time. A company like Thomas Cook can use the method to ensure that it remains ahead of the
competitors so that it can gain advantage in the business. According to Lee, Chang and Chen (2018),
advertising need to be made attractive so that customers can remain interested in availing the service
Disadvantages:
The disadvantage is that people may not be inclined to view advertisement as the time may be provided to
continue in spending time in indulging in other activities in social media. Apart from this, the advertising may
have a bad influence among children in case any type of inappropriate contents which are not intended are
viewed by them. People also tend to ignore viewing television in the modern world.
NOTE THAT YOU NEED TO SUGGEST DIFFERENT PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS FOR EACH TOUR
OPERATOR, NOT THE SAME.
Suggest here a promotional material for the Independent Tour Operator and provide
justified recommendations.
NAME of your INDEPENDENT Tour Operator here: Cox and Kings Travel
Promotional material:
The promotional material that is used by Cox and Kings Travel is direct promotion of the company. This
approach involves approaching the customers directly so that they can be provided with knowledgeable
resources about the company. This method can be considered as direct marketing which involves gaining the
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customers to know more about the company in detail.
Advantages:
The advantage of this type of promotional activity is that it can help in the development of the company and
ensure that a personal effort is provided to gain the attention of the customers. Every customer can be
approached so that they can understand the type of services that is provided by the company. Hence, this can be
considered as an advantage for the company.
Disadvantages:
The disadvantage is that customers may tend to ignore the approaches made by the company. This can have a
bad influence mainly because it degrades the reputation of the company. At the same time, this type of
promotional strategy can be time consuming mainly because the company need to identify the customers from
various areas of the country.
Task 6 (AC 3.3)
AC 3.3
3.3 Evaluate the suitability of different methods of distribution used to sell a holiday
for different types of tour operators
Follow the instructions given below step by step.
Step 1
Choose two different Tour operators: One must be a Chain, another must be an independent tour
operator
Step 2
For each of them, suggest a distribution method AND provide their advantages and
disadvantages.
USE THE TABLES PROVIDED IN THE ANSWER SHEET GIVEN ON THE MOODLE.
Expected word count – Minimum 400 words
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