Management and Operations of Tour Operators / Travel Agencies

  • Credits: 4
  • Ending: Examination
  • Range: 2P + 2C
  • Semester: winter
  • Year: 1
  • Faculty of Commerce

Teachers

Included in study programs

Tourism Management

Teaching results

Knowledge
By completing the course, students gain knowledge about the nature and importance of the position of travel agencies in organized tourism. They will get acquainted with the specifics of creating a tour, its calculation and sales. By completing the course, students will gain knowledge about the specifics of tour operator / travel agency operation management in simulated market conditions.
Competencies
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will acquire competencies that will allow him to apply as a manager of a tour operator / travel agency. The graduate will be able to independently and responsibly analyze and solve problems of a strategic and operational nature, organize work procedures for the preparation, organization, financial and technical provision of tours. He can communicate effectively with business partners and with his own staff.
Skills
The graduate of the course will be able to plan the business strategy of a travel agency. They will learn to prepare and process materials for economic planning. They will learn the algorithm of trip preparation, negotiating contractual conditions with business partners for the provision of accommodation and related services. He will gain the skills of calculating tour prices and creating an offer for different clients. He will be able to handle complaints and claims in accordance with applicable legislation.

Indicative content

Tour operators and travel agencies in organized tourism. Creation of a travel agency trip and algorithm of individual stages. Cooperation of travel agencies and travel agencies for the purpose of sale. Online tour sales platforms. Combined travel services. Travel agency activities with emphasis on economic and marketing aspects. Simulations of travel agency activities in specific market conditions.

Support literature

Základná literatúra:
1. Pompurová, Kristína - Bajaník, Tibor. Cestovné kancelárie. Banská Bystrica: Vydavateľstvo Belianum, 2022, 182 s. ISBN 978-80-557-1990-0.
Odporúčaná literatúra:
1. Frasch, Alexander. Špecifiká organizovaného výjazdového cestovného ruchu v podmienkach slovenského trhu v čase koronakrízy: Specifics of Organized Outbound Tourism in the Conditions of the Slovak Market at the Time of the Corona Crisis. Ekonomika cestovného ruchu a podnikanie: vedecký časopis Obchodnej fakulty Ekonomickej univerzity v Bratislave, 2020, 12(2), pp.26-34.
2. Holland, Jacqueline - Leslie, David. Tour Operators and Operations: Development, Management and Responsibility. Oxfordshire: CABI, 2017, 292 s. ISBN 978-1-78064-823-1.
3. Jelínková, Eva - Taušl Procházková, Petra. Podniková ekonomika - klíčové oblasti. Praha: Grada Publishing, 2018, 256 s. ISBN 978-80-271-0689-9.
4. Novacká, Ľudmila. - Frasch, Alexander. Key Changes in Charter Air Transport on Slovak Market. Trends and Challenges in the European Business Environment: Trade, International Business and Tourism: Proceedings of the 6th International Scientific Conference, 2019, pp.332-340.
5. Novacká, Ľudmila. - Frasch, Alexander. Pôsobenie asymetrických informácií pri predaji zájazdu. Ekonomika cestovného ruchu a podnikanie: vedecký časopis Obchodnej fakulty Ekonomickej univerzity v Bratislave, 2018, 10(2), pp.30-39.

Syllabus

1. Tour operators and travel agencies, characteristics, position in organized tourism 2. Development of the organized tourism market in Europe and in the territory of the Slovak Republic. Development of customer care. 3. Activity of Tour operator in organized outgoing and incoming. Product portfolio of the tour operator. Competences of tour operator in terms of its territorial activity 4. Travel agency life cycle. 9 + 1 stage. 5. Outgoing tour operator - tour organizer. Cooperation with a foreign partner 6. Contracting of accommodation and transport services in accordance with the needs of synchronization of contracted capacities in terms of time and number of participants. Payment terms and their implementation by the tour operator. 7. Tour, legal regulation, specifics of the tour from the aspect of organization. 8. Algorithm for creating a standard tour in time intervals. Market research, analysis of internal and external factors, innovation of destinations or products 9. Tour as a package of basic and additional services. Economic and social aspects of package services for tour operator and for the customer. 10. Tour calculation, catalog creation, B2B and B2C communication. Tour programming in accordance with the agreed transport dates. Information sheets for the customer. Travel instructions for customers. 11. Sale of tours. Cooperation of tour operators (TO) and travel agencies (TA) for the sale of tours. Mutual rights and obligations of TO and TA. Specifics of payment terms for TA. Franchising in the activities of TO and TA and other forms of exclusive representation for TA. Online travel sales platforms. 12. Changes in the tour contract. Price change, participant change, destination change, date change. Cancellation of the tour (cancellation) by the tour operator and by the customer. Complaint’s procedure. 13. Combined travel services and their implementation in the activities of a tour operator. Specifics of connected travel services from the aspect of buying / selling individual services and from the aspect of time. Digitization and its impact on the online sale of connected travel services.

Requirements to complete the course

30% continuous dialogical team brainstorming at weekly intervals
10% semester work
60% written exam

Student workload

Total workload: 104 hours
Attendance at lectures: 26 hours
Attendance at seminars: 26 hours
Preparation for seminars: 13 hours
Preparation for the exam: 39 hours

Language whose command is required to complete the course

Slovak, English

Date of approval: 09.02.2023

Date of the latest change: 03.03.2024