Tourism is a business that keeps changing all the time. Tourism has its own rules, and only understanding the type of tourism is not enough; you have to understand how the tourism business works. His unit will help you learn those words and understand what travel agencies do every day.
Tourism Business Class 10 Unit 3 Notes
Travel and Hospitality Terminology
In the tourism business there are many words that help people work better in tourism; these words are short forms (acronyms) or single words used when booking flight tickets, hotel rooms, or tour packages. These words come from tourism or hospitality and are used almost everywhere.
Terminologies Related to Tourists
- Guest: A guest is the person who actually avails all the services provided by a travel agent or hotel.
- Customer: One who pays for all the services availed. For example, a corporation footing the bill for its executives using a hotel or travel agent’s services for travelling on business.
- PAX: Passenger. Usually used as “No. of PAX” to understand the number of passengers travelling together.
- FIT: Free Individual Traveller. This term is used to mention single travellers or, at the most, a couple.
- GIT: Group Inclusive Tour. This term is used to refer to group travellers.
Terminologies to Identify the Type of Rooms to Be Booked
- Single Room: A single bed for one person is available in the room.
- Double Room: Double bed for 2 people. The rooms come with an option of a king-size or a twin bed.
- Twin Bedded Room / Twin Room: Two single beds.
- Cabana Room: A room adjacent to the swimming pool.
- Lanai Room: An outdoor room with an open-air patio, preferably with a hanging garden or garden view.
- Efficiency Room: A room with a kitchen.
- Penthouse: A set of rooms on the terrace or top of the hotel, part of which is open to the sky.
- Suite: A suite is a set of at least two rooms consisting of bedrooms and a living area. Usually suites are known by their décor—Presidential Suite, Mughal Suite, and others.
- Junior Suite: It is usually a long room with a partition, mostly wooden. The room
Terminologies to Identify the Type of Meal Plan along with Room
- European Plan (EP): Only Room Rent.
- Continental Plan (CP): Room Rent + Continental Breakfast.
- American Plan (AP): Room Rent + 3 Meals (Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner).
- Modified American Plan (MAP): Room Rent + Any 2 meals.
- Bermuda Plan (BP): Room Rent + American Breakfast.
- Jungle Plan (JP): Room Rent (usually on AP) + Jungle Safari (popular in India)
A Few More Terminologies
- American Breakfast: Cooked food along with continental breakfast, such as egg and cereal preparation.
- Continental Breakfast: No cooked food is served. Juice is followed by different types of bread slices and preserves such as jelly, jam, butter, and marmalade, along with tea or coffee.
- EMT: Early Morning Tea.
- FOREX: Foreign Exchange.
- Guest Folio: Information/personal details about guests such as their date of birth, anniversary, and so on.
- IBT: Inbound Tours (Department) / Tourists.
- OBT: Outbound Tours (Department) / Tourists.
- Sold Out: No rooms available with a hotel is known as sold out.
- Transfer: The travel by guest from the airport or railway station to the hotel and vice versa.
- VIP Guest: Very Important Guest.
- Vouchers
- Walk-in Guest: A guest walking into a hotel without any reservation and asking for a room.
Activities in a Travel Agency
A travel agency plays a pivotal role of connection between the tourist and other service providers such as hotels, cars for hire, airlines, and so on. The varied functions of the travel agency are taken up by the many departments, which work together and necessitate the travel schedules of a tourist. The various activities taken up in a travel agency are as below:
Information Provider: The travel agency provides the information to tourists; this information can be about the place to visit, flight timing, fun activities at the destination, hotels, and transport options. They provide plans based on the budget, age, or interest. A travel agency helps the people to choose where to go. They also give information when the special requests are there, like weather updates or arranging a twin room instead of a double room.
Ticketing: Ticketing is one of the most important jobs in a travel agency. The travel agent shows the different options, prices, and services offered by airlines and Indian Rail.
Tour Package: A travel agent works as a bridge between the tour operator and the tourist. The people can buy ready-made tour packages from travel agents; these tour packages include airport pick-up and drop-off, sightseeing, hotel stay, travel by bus, etc.
Documentations: The travel documents are required for both domestic and international travel. The travel agent can help the people apply for a passport, visa, health certificate, etc.
Foreign Exchange: The currency of the country of travel is required by a tourist to visit the country. Some travel agents also work as foreign exchange providers, and they have permission from the RBI and issue travel checks and cash as per the requirement and convenience of the customer.
Insurance: A few travel agencies also provide comprehensive policies of insurance in conjunction with listed insurance companies (government or private) to the travellers.
M.I.C.E.: Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Expositions (M.I.C.E.) is one of the prominent activities of a travel agency, as it is a great revenue generator for the company. Travel agents liaise with the hotels & other service providers and arrange for the facilities and services needed to organise large-scale conferences as well as meetings for corporate houses and associations.
Documentation for Travel
When tourists want to visit any destination, then they need certain documents. This document may vary depending on the destination. These documents are required for domestic, inbound, and outbound tourists also. 14 IATA airlines have voluntarily come up with a publication called TIM (Travel Information Manual), which guides the tourist about the documents required to visit a destination. There are two different types of tourist:
- Domestic Tourist: A person travelling within their own country. For example, a family from Maharashtra travelling to Delhi.
- International Tourist: If a person is travelling to another country. This includes:
- Inbound Tourist: If a foreign visitor is coming to our country. For example, Americans visiting India.
- Outbound Tourist: A citizen of India visiting another country. For example, an Indian person visiting America.
Passport, VISA & Travel Permits
When travelling abroad, certain documents are required:
Passport:
- Issued by the government to its citizens.
- Acts as proof of identity and nationality.
- The visa must be valid for both domestic and international travel.
- Has an expiry date, so travellers must check its validity before planning a trip.
VISA:
- Permission from a foreign country to enter its territory.
- Common types include tourist VISA and business VISA.
- Without a valid VISA, entry into another country is not allowed.
Permits for Domestic Travel in India
If you are travelling to some places within India, then you require some special permits. This permit is like the restricted, protected, and inner line permits. For example, if you visit Andaman & Nicobar and you are Indian citizens, then also you require a permit from the Indian authorities.
Importance of the Documentation
When you are travelling to any other country, first check the TIM (Travel Information Manual) for travel rules. Contact the embassy or consulate of the destination country if you are not sure. The travel agent must ensure that the tourist has valid documentation.
Medical Requirements for Travel
Health issues can seriously affect travel plans. For example, outbreaks like Ebola or SARS have caused many travel problems in the past.
- Tourists may need to get vaccines before travelling to certain countries.
- A health certificate from a recognised doctor is often needed when applying for a VISA.
- Example: Some countries in Africa and South America require a yellow fever vaccine, which is valid for 10 years.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance helps protect travellers from unexpected problems during their trip. It covers:
- Medical expenses
- Trip cancellations
- Accidents
- Lost baggage
- Financial issues with travel companies
Travel agents can help tourists get travel insurance and earn a commission from insurance companies. Having travel insurance gives tourists financial support if something goes wrong.
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