Main topics of study:

Package and Group Tours:

• Introduction
• Planning A Group Tour

Short Breaks, Special Interest Holidays, Theme Parks, Holiday Centres, Accommodation and Theatre Reservations:

• Short Breaks
• Special Interest Holidays
• Useful Addresses
• National Parks
• Skiing
• Holiday Centres/Hotels
• Accommodation
• Theatre Reservations

Coaching and Incoming Tourism:

• Coaching
• European Coach Holidays
• Making a Reservation
• Incoming Tourism

Cruising:

• Introduction
• Passengers and Passenger Density
• Factors in Cruise Costs
• Some Nautical Terms
• International River Cruise Destinations
• Ocean, River and Canal Cruising
• Client Information on Cruising
• Cruising Areas

Car Rental:

• Benefits of Car Rental
• Growth of Car Rental
• Tariffs
• Car Groups
• Fuel Consumption
• Car Rental Insurance
• Organising Car Rental

Ferry Services and Railways:

• Ferry Services
• Making the Reservation
• Railways

Airlines:

• Introduction
• IATA Traffic and Conference Areas
• Most Logical Routings
• Aircraft Types
• Fear of Flying
• Deep Vein Thrombosis
• Seat Pitch
• Charter Airlines
• Organising an Itinerary
• Time Differences and Elapsed Flying Time
• Passports, Visas and Health Regulations
• Special Services for Passengers
• Airport Information
• Stopover Holidays

Technology:

• Introduction
• Understanding Systems
• Travel Agency Systems
• View Data
• Global Distribution Systems
• GDSs and e-Commerce

The Internet:

• Introduction
• A Brief History
• How the Internet Works
• Getting Online
• Tour Operators and the Internet
• The Internet as a Marketing Tool
• Travel Portals

Insurance:

• Holiday Insurance
• What Is Included in a Travel Insurance Policy
• Exclusions
• Specialist Insurance – Pre-existing Illness, Dangerous Activities
• E111 Coverage
• Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) Code of Conduct
• Terminology Explained
• Making a Claim
• Information Required Before Issuing a Policy
• Insurance Tips for Travel Agents

Finance:

• Introduction
• How Travel Agents Earn Their Income
• Operational Costs of an Independent Travel Agency
• Security
• Legal and Regulatory Requirements
• Handling Cheques and Credit Cards
• Cheques
• Foreign Currency
• Travellers’ Cheques
• The Euro
• Disposable Income

Skills:

• Skills Required to Work in a Travel Agency
• Product Benefits for the Client
• Using the Telephone
• Sales Techniques in the Office
• Identifying the Client’s Needs
• Closing the Sale
• After-sales Service
• Client Relations
• Time Management

Handling Complaints:

• Introduction
• ABTA and Arbitration

Reading List

Main Text:

Manual of Travel Agency Practice (3rd Edition) – Gwenda Syratt and Jane Archer (Elsevier Butterworth Heinemann)