The tour operator works in à tourist company. Íå develops tours also known as tour packages. Tour packages include transportation, accommodation, catering, transfers and other services. In order to develop à tour package the tour operator works with transportation companies or carriers, hotels, restaurants, museums and other suppliers. The tour operator usually markets the tours. Íå advertises them in mass media or in brochures. The tour operator is à wholesaler. Íå sells tour packages to travel agents wholesale and pays commission to them. Sometimes he sells tour packages direct to the public. Tour operators organize tours, so they are the main producers in the tourist industry.
ÒÍÅ TRAVEL AGENT
The travel agent works in à travel company. The travel agent like the shop-assistant sells goods to customers. The goods which he offers are the tour operator's packages., The travel agent is à retailer. Íå sells tour packages retail to con- stlIners. Íå gets à commission from the tour operator. The commis- sion is from 5 to 10 per cent of the tour cost. The travel agent also sells separate services. They are flights, ho- tel rooms, sightseeing tours, car rentals, travel insurances and âî on. The travel agent works directly the public. Travel agents sell tours, so they are the main sellers in the tourist industry.
ÒÍÅ TOURISM MANAGER
The tourism manager works ø à tourist company. Íå runs some tourist business. Íå supervises àll kinds of operations in à tourist company. Íå also supervises the tourist company staff . Sometimes the tourism manager is just the head of some depart- ment in à large tourist company: à sales department, à marketing department, or à public relations department. In this case he reports to the general manager. The tourism manager plans tourist business; operations, ïåò÷ products, profits. Íå controls the results. Iï à travel company — à tour operator or à travel agency- the tourism manager decides on development and promotion of new tour packages, advertising and sales. Íå also decides on prices and discounts. The tourism manager hires employees. Íå selects them and pro- vider their training.
TÍÅ TOUR GUIDE
The tour guide handles tour groups. Íå shows tourists round à city, à sight, or à museum. The tour guide conducts sightseeing tours or tours of museums and exhibitions. The tour guide is also called the tour conductor. The tour guide accompanies tourists during à local tour or during the whole journey. Íå or she caters to the needs of tourists. During à journey the tour guide deals òó1à1ò all kinds of problems. The tour guide speaks the language of the tourists perfectly well. Íå or she interprets and translates well from one language into an- other. The tour guide knows à lot on history, geography, art and culture. Íå or she knows all the sights ø à travel destination. The tour guide answers à lot of questions.
The tour guide is à friendly easy-going and helpful person. Tour- ists always tip their guides if they like them.
ÒÍÅ ANIMATOR
The animator organizes and provides entertainments for guests in à hotel or à holiday resort. Íå also organizes entertainment pro- grammer for passengers on à cruise ship. The animator organizes and conducts parties, shows, sports or arts contests, games for children and grown-ups. Íå involves guests in action: games and shows. The chief animator manages the staff of animators. Íå is also called the social director. Íå communicati with guests à lot. The animator speaks à few foreign languages. Íå communicates with guests in their native languages. The animator not only speaks well. Íå is very artistic. Íå usually dances well, sings vi11 and acts like an actor. The animator is an easy-going and cheerful person. Íå is à pretty good mixer. TIte animator is the main entertainer ø the tourist industry
TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICES
Tourist information offices are also ñàíåé tourist information centres. Sometimes they are called visitor information centres. There are tourist information offices at major airports, railway stations, hotels, holiday or leisure centres and many tourist attrac- tions. Tourist information offices have got office clerks who give advice to customers on car hire, sightseeing and other coach tours, accom- modations, flights and so on. The clerks also give city orientations to guests. Tourist information office clerks answer à lot of phone calls and give information on passports and visas, the Customs and luggage, weather and climate, city public transport and food service. The office clerks speak foreign languages fluently because they deal with many international travellers. There are usually racks ful1 of city maps and guide books, book- lets and folders, travellogues and timetables, billboards and posters in tourist information offices. Travellers get most of them free of charge.
TOURIST OUTLETS
Many large travel companies have got à lot of outlets within à city, à region, à country or throughout the áîãà. An outlet is à point of sales of à company. There are outlets of travel agencies, airlines, car hire companies, coachTng arid cruising companies. There are travel agency outlets in hotels, airport terminals, rail- way stations, big department stores, at large factories and plants, and )1 in office sites. If à travel company has got an outlet at à factory or in an office building, it means that it serves employees of those companies. Such an outlet provides the same services as other outlets and the head office of the travel company. It means that offers and prices are the same in all outlets.
There is usually just one travel clerk at à sales outlet. Íå or she does all the work. Íå or she answers phone calls, meets customers in person, works on the computer, does paperwork. This clerk makes bookings, issues and sells tickets, collects money and gives receipts. Of course, the clerk keeps in touch with the head office and knows all the up-to-date information on tours and tickets.
FREE-LANCERS
There are people in tourism who work for themselves. They are called free-lancers. They don't work full-time for any tourist com- pany. They work part-time or in high season only. They don't work in low and îff-season. Among free-lancers there are guides, guides-interpreters, escorts, animators, travel writers. Tourist companies employ them for per- sonal work. Cruising companies, resort hotels and holiday centres employ animators for summer high season. Travel agencies which deal with in-coming tourism employ guides, guides-interpreters, escorts. Travel writers offer their articles to magazines and newspa- pers when they wish to. Often magazines order special articles on tourist subjects from travel writers. Free-lancers are registered. It means that, on the one hand, they have got licences. Licences prove their qualifications and give them permission to work. On the other hand, if they are registered, they ðàó taxes. Free-lancers are, as à rule, members of professional associations. In high season free-lancers earn à lot of money. Iï low and off-season they don't earn any money at all or do some other job. Teachers work as free-lance guides. Students work as escorts. Actors work as animators. Travel writers are often permanent free-lancers.
