Tourism 1

Travel and Tourism Online Course | Industry, Destinations and Travel Planning

• Self-paced course. Start anytime. No cut off date to finish the course.

• Learn about the travel and tourism industry | Destinations | Transport | Accommodation | Package tours | Travel planning | Organising and booking travel | Insurance | Legal requirements | Airline and car hire reservations | Travel agency systems | Health and safety.

• 10 lessons + 10 assignments | Written questions | Practical exercises | Self-assessment tests | Special project on planning a trip from start to finish.

• Feedback from experienced, university educated tutors | No deadlines for assignments.

• Become a tour guide, accommodation manager, attraction operator, tourism agent, cabin crew, airport representative | Work with a wide range of people.

Lessons

There are ten lessons in this module as follows:

1. Travel Industry Overview/Introduction:  Holiday travel, Business travel, Resources, Components of travel (Accommodation, Transport, Food, Luggage/what to take, Health, Money, etc)
2. Destinations: Local, State, Interstate, International; health before departure.
3. Money, Insurance & Legalities: Credit cards, traveller's cheques, exchange rates, international driving, quarantine laws, Islamic law, political concerns, tariffs, duty free, departure taxes etc.  
4. Transport - Airline reservations: International Air Transport Assn, Aircraft types, Flight information, transfers, time zones, passports, visas, baggage, travelling with animals, making a reservation, etc.
5. Transport - Car Rental: Types of hire cars, reading manuals, different road rules, making reservations, cost structures, etc
6. Transport -Other, boat (ferries, cruising), bus, rail etc
7. Accommodation: Camping, Caravans, Tents, B & B's & Guesthouses, Hotels, Youth Hostels, Resorts, etc
8. Package Tours
9. Travel Agency Systems: Ethics, Tourist organisations, Client records and accounts procedures, etc.
10. Special Project -planning a trip 

LESSON AIMS 

• Describe the nature and scope of the tourism industry.
• Recommend tourism destinations relevant to client needs.
• Advise a client on planning for unforeseen circumstances on a trip, such as financial, legal and insurance issues.
• Explain the operation of airlines, including booking procedures.
• Explain the operation of car rental services, including booking procedures.
• Explain the operation of other transport services, including shipping, bus and rail.
• Explain the operation of accommodation options to a client
• Advise a client on package tour options, to satisfy their specified requirements.
• Determine appropriate operational systems for management of a tourism service.
• Consolidate available information and resources to plan a trip.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Scope of Tourism?

Tourists travel to destinations. They need transport systems to get to their destinations and once there, they require accommodation, entertainment (or ‘attractions’) and other amenities (e.g. shops, garages, medical facilities).

The tourism industry is comprised of sectors that deal with the tourist’s needs. Sectors include:

• Marketing specialists – travel agents, tour wholesalers and tourism promotional agencies
• Carrier or transport services – including rail, coach, airlines and shipping services
• Accommodation sector – including hotels, resorts, motels, campgrounds, bed and breakfasts, caravan parks, restaurants and cafes
• Attractions sector – including theme parks and other tourist-oriented entertainment facilities
• Tour operators – tourism guides, tour group leaders, drivers and hosts

Some sectors overlap; others operate independently. For example, a large tourism resort might offer accommodation, attractions, tours and marketing services, while a travel agent is likely to be only involved in the marketing sector.

Broadly there are three types of tourism systems in each country:

1) Local or domestic tourism – residents traveling within their own country, including short-distance day and weekend trips, excursions within the state or region, and interstate or long-distance travel within the country
2) Outbound tourism – residents traveling abroad
3) Inbound tourists – tourists visiting from another country

Many organisations specialise in one or two tourism systems; for example, a government-sponsored tourist authority caters for inbound and domestic tourists, but not outbound tourists.

Who Are Tourists?

It is important for anyone working in the travel industry to understand who their customers are and what they are likely to want and need during their holiday.

In broad terms, tourists can be categorised into the following groups:

• Young adults – these may be groups of friends looking for a holiday, an individual wanting to explore the world or a young couple looking for a holiday to fulfill their interests. 

• Families – holiday itinerary depends on budget and age of children; often favour destinations with theme parks, beaches or ski-fields; holidays coincide with school holidays; some prefer a planned itinerary on a fly-drive package holiday while others prefer a more flexible, independent and less expensive holiday driving their own vehicle.

• Retirees – newly-retired ‘empty nesters’ often have lots of time and money to spend on travel; may travel to both local and overseas destinations; often use a variety of forms of transport including motor homes, cruises and coaches; prefer staying in upmarket hotels and Bed and Breakfasts; often prefer packaged holidays and group tours.

• Special interest groups – sports and hobby clubs, senior associations and many other groups often book holidays that specifically cater to their interests; itinerary is always carefully planned; generally stay in hotels, cabins and lodges; usually travel by coach; often have a guide and/or group leader to organise the activities and oversee the travel arrangements.

Obviously there are many exceptions, but if you are assisting a client with their travel plans or promoting a holiday destination to a specific group, it helps to understand the ‘typical’ features of that person’s demographic group.

What do People Need to Think about when Traveling?

A travel plan should encompass all of those things that need to be dealt with on the trip; its aim is to make the trip as smooth as possible.

Things to consider:

• Accommodation
• Transport
• Travel routes
• Food
• Luggage (what to take; restrictions on number and weight of bags)
• Health (before and during the trip)
• Money (credit cards, travellers cheques or other)

A travel plan is not the same as an itinerary. An itinerary is a document that states the booking arrangements made prior to the trip, including times, dates, destinations, accommodation and transport. As shown above, a travel plan is broader in scope. The travel plan might be formulated by the traveller or a package tour operator.

TAKE THE NEXT STEP, AND ENROL NOW!

You can enrol on the course now, but if you have any questions about the content of the course or studying with ACS, then please get in touch with us today - use our FREE COURSE COUNSELLING SERVICE to get in touch with our expert tutors. They will be pleased to help you!