Legislation and Ethics in Travel and Tourism Sector: A UK Focus

Desklib provides past papers and solved assignments for students. This report examines UK travel and tourism law and ethics.

Legislation and ethics in travel and
tourism sector

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................2
1.1 Explain the legal and regulatory framework of the travel and tourism sector with reference
to England and Wales..................................................................................................................2
1.2 Discuss surface, sea and air transport law in relation to the carriage of passengers within
the legal and regulatory framework of United Kingdom.............................................................4
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................6
2.1 Evaluate the impacts of the principles of health, safety and security legislation on the
travel and tourism sector with reference to Thomas Cook..........................................................6
2.2 Analyse legislation that relates to equality with reference to a UK tour operator and travel
agency..........................................................................................................................................9
Task3..............................................................................................................................................12
3.1 Explain contract legislation in relation to travel and tourism customers.............................12
3.2 Explain consumer protection legislation in relation to travel and tourism customers.........14
Task4..............................................................................................................................................16
4.1 Analyse ethical dilemmas faced by the travel and tourism sector.......................................16
4.2 Analyse the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy of a specified travel and tourism
business......................................................................................................................................18
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................20
References......................................................................................................................................21

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Race discrimination........................................................................................................10
Figure 2: Legislation related to equality........................................................................................11
Figure 3: CSR................................................................................................................................18

Introduction
Currently, the report will show about the regulatory and legal framework understanding along
with safety, security, health and the business ethics in tourism and travel sector in the UK. The
report will also focus on developing the understanding of air, surface and sea transports law
related to passenger luggage and carriage in the UK. The Thomas Cook case study is taken in the
report which is the largest travel organization and leading tour operator in the UK. The report
also highlighted the impact of security, safety and health legislation on the tourism industry. The
consumer protection legislation and contract legislation will also be highlighted in the report
related to tourism and travel customer. At last section of the report, it analyzes the ethical
dilemmas and CSR policies faced by tourism and travel sector.
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Task 1
1.1 Explain the legal and regulatory framework of the travel and tourism sector with reference to
England and Wales
The sustainable development and growth of tourism and travel industry are possible only if there
are effective regulations and laws which ensures smooth functioning and operating of the
tourism activities as well as other aspects too. This effective regulatory framework in the UK
protects the employees, travel and tourism organization and customer interest and rights.
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Legal and regulatory framework of the travel and tourism sector
Health and Safety Commission (HSC): This act takes care of
the workers or employees health and safety facilities at the
workplace which is associated with the tourism industry in
Wales and England. It is a commission which regulates the
safe environment of working in tourism and travel
organization which ensures safety to the health of employees
or worker (De Grosbois, 2016). Also, this authority guides the
travel and tourism organization by providing the training to an
employee of using the security and safety equipment
carefully.
Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA): It is a big
association of tour operators and travel agents in the UK
which guide and leads travel industry in term of providing the
higher standard services to the passengers during tour and
travel. This association is regulating the procedure and
process of the travel services which is provided by travel
agencies as well as provides the good experiences of
travelling to the passengers.
International Air Transport Association (IATA): It is an
association of global trade for all airlines in the world, and it
is association which areas mainly created for the main purpose
of supporting an area in the aviation industry as well as also
formulated the regulations and rules to handle and govern the
aviation issues (Guttentag, 2015).
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA): This
authority is mainly responsible for the
regulation of all civil aviation aspects in the
UK. CAA regulates the several issues and
aspects in an aviation industry like
equipment testing, organizing the other
inspections and managing the pilot licenses
issues. This authority also regulates the
facilities and services which airline
organization is providing to their customers.
Air Travel Operators’ Licensing (ATOL):
This scheme has been designed by CAA in
the UK in terms of providing the financial
protections to a passenger who is purchasing
the ticket of flights and tour package form
several kinds of operators (Solomon, 2017).
Civil law: It is a law which is being
formulated of regulating the dealing between
other associated parties and different tourism
and travel industry as well as also protects
the civil rights of the customer or tourists.
Criminal law: It is a law which is related to
crime, and this law is created for protecting
the safety, morale welfare and health of an
individual who is associated with tourism
and travel industry.

1.2 Discuss surface, sea and air transport law in relation to the carriage of passengers within the
legal and regulatory framework of United Kingdom.
This is important for the tourism industry in the UK which provides the security and safety to the
life, health, belonging and luggage of the passengers in terms of providing the best experiences
and travelling to the travellers. There are also several types of sea, air and surface transport law
regarding the carriage of the passenger’s which protect the life, luggage, health and rights of the
passengers (Schiller and Kenworthy, 2017).
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Surface, sea and air transport law in relation to the carriage
of passengers
Surface Law: It involves the legislation to manage and regulates the services of surface
transportation which is conducted through rail and road transportation means. According
to Carriage of Passenger by Road Act 1974, each contract for passenger luggage and
carriage in a vehicle is being regulated under this act (Bartsch, 2016). It is the act which
regulates and governs the several claims that are provided to passengers like mental
disorders, damage to passenger luggage, and physical damage during the travelling in
vehicles by the road.
Sea Law: It includes the regulatory and legal framework which regulates the several
issues and aspects that is associated with sea transportation. The legislation and laws
involved in sea regulatory and legal framework which handles and regulates the several
issues and aspects such as security and safety to the belonging and health of the
passengers. The international maritime organization is mainly responsible for regulating
the several activities and aspect in shipping such as security and safety of customers and
crew members.
Air Law: This includes all regulations and a law which is created for managing and
handling of several issues and aspect that is associated within the aviation industry
(Andrades and Dimanche, 2017). In all these, the Warsaw Convention is an international
convention that regulates the liability for an international person carriage and luggage
which is performed by an aircraft to get the desired reward and these all regulates under
this Warsaw Convention of 1929.

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 Thomas Cook.
The tour and travel sector is grown and developed by providing efficient and fast services to the
customers, and also there is need of protecting their facilities towards health and safety during
the trip. Also, there are several kinds of regulations and laws which are being created for a
purpose in terms of providing the god experiences and travelling facilities to the tourist or
customers (LaVanchy et al., 2017). Currently, in Thomas Cook case study, there is need of
preparing the materials of training for the staff members on regulations and legislation related to
safety, health, equality and security in the tourism sector of the UK.
Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974: It is an act which is being created for regulating the issues
and aspect related to workers health and safety at a workplace. The travel and tourism
organization such as Thomas Cook followed several regulations and rules related to the safety
and health of an employee which ensure the effective development and growth of tourism and
travel organization. Also, this is important for an employee who is associated with this industry
should have appropriate knowledge of the regulations and learning related to the security, safety
and health as well as equality at a workplace (Horner and Swarbrooke, 2016). If employees are
well awards of all these factors, then they can easily protect themselves towards any health and
safety related issues.
Data Protection Act, 1988: It is an act which is crested for mainly protecting the customer and
employees data in an organization. During joining of the job, employees give all their
confidential information and personal details to perform their responsibilities and rules, so this is
important for tourism organization like Thomas Cook to have this act and make sure that no
misuse of the data should happen in the organization. The customers further will also provide the
personal details of their as credit/debit card while booking of the holiday package and tickets.
However, the tourism and travel organization or tour operator must be needed to protect the
confidential customer data of getting to be misused which will also help in enhancing the good
images in the market and also enhance the good brand values of an organization. Also,
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employees in the organization should have appropriate knowledge of the system of data
protection tool in terms of protecting the customer and organization data before any miss
happening (Penz et al., 2017). If an organization has proper knowledge of data protection,
effective data protection system and appropriate understanding for the legislation, then the
organization did not face with ant legal issues.
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2.2 Analyse legislation that relates to equality with reference to a UK tour operator and travel
agency.
In an organization, equality at the workplace is creating trough providing equal growth
opportunities and benefits to employees. The equality will able the tourism organization such as
Thomas Cook in the context of enhancing their employee's performances and efficiency which
will lead to improving the productivity and performance of an organization. Different types of
the equality legislation and laws are there in the UK which is associated with a tour operator and
travel agency like Thomas Cook provides the equality in the employees based on their
remuneration, training, salary as well as other benefits too (Elbaz et al., 2018).
Employment protection act: It is an act which is created for regulating the different conditions
and terms that is related to an employment contract among employees and employers. In an
organization, each employee expects to get that job where there are all facilities of health and
safety at the workplace. The tour and travel organization like Thomas Cook provide the
employment protection act to employees to retain them for a longer duration.
Race Relations Act, 1976: It is an act which is responsible for prohibiting and regulating the
inequality and discrimination based on race at a workplace in an organization. The employees in
every organization are the most valuable assets because they contribute the time and efforts in
terms of providing better services to consumers (Vellas, 2016). For Thomas Cook, this is
important to protect the employees against inequality based on race which enhance the
employee’s performances, efficiency and morale and impact directly on their performances.
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Figure 1: Race discrimination
(Source: civil.laws.com, 2018)
Disability Discrimination Act, 1955: It is an act which is created for the purpose of prohibiting
the inequality between people at a workplace based on disability. Many organizations generally
hire some of the disabled people of performing different responsibilities and roles. Thomas Cook
is equally treating their employees who are able or disable in term of creating the health
environment of working and also enhancing organizational productivity and performances.
Sex Discrimination Act: This act is created mainly of creating equality at a workplace based on
gender or sex. Based on the data, this has been analyzed that many organization conduct
discrimination in their employees based on gender or sex which decreases their efficiency and
morale. The tour operator such as Thomas Cook needed of providing the equal benefits and
opportunities to women and men employees’ to create an equal working environment as well as
also enhance their efficiency and morale (Del Baldo, 2016).
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