A retail travel agency provides necessary travel information to the general public. The intending tourists come to the office of the travel agent and seek information regarding their proposed visit.
1. Travel Information:
A retail travel agency provides necessary travel information to the general public. The intending tourists come to the office of the travel agent and seek information regarding their proposed visit.
The travel agent should be a very knowledgeable man and should supply up to date and concrete information relating to travel.
He must have great communication skill and he should be thorough in the art of catching the potential customers. The knowledge of foreign language is a desirable qualification for those working in a travel agency.
2. Preparation of Itineraries:
A tourist journey involves preparation of different types of itineraries. There are different means of transport with their respective advantages and disadvantages. A travel agent advises the potential tourist to choose the most convenient course.
3. Liaison with Providers of Service:
A travel agent should maintain constant contact with the providers of various services like the transport companies, hotel managers and providers of surface transport like motor cars from airport to hotel and for sightseeing etc
Separate programmes dealing with holiday offers based on specific forms of transportation, e.g., air, rail, road or sea, may also be prepared. Programmes also have to be issued to cover different seasons of the year.
Publicity is an important part of the programme. Having spent considerable time and money on preparing all that goes into the issue of a programme, publicity must feature considerably in the activities of a travel agency and more so if the agency happens to be a large one.
The majority of large travel agencies have their own publicity departments under the management of a publicity expert.
4. Ticketing:
Selling tickets to tourists for different modes of transport like air, rail and sea is a very important function of a travel agent. Ticketing is not an easy job as the range of international air fares is very complex.
