Unit 5. Travel agent.

1. Read and translate the text.

The travel agency business offers many attractions to people with experience in the tourist industry. Unlike most other retail businesses, there is no need for the storage and display of large quantities of merchandise. This means that the initial cost of setting up an agency is low in comparison with other retail businesses.

A good location is an important factor in the success of an agency, and so office space may be expensive. Another factor in success involves establishing a steady clientele. The best customer for a travel agent may be a corporation whose executives make a large number of business trips every year.

The retail travel agent sells all kinds of tourist products – transportation, accommodations, sightseeing and the like to the general public. The term “retail” distinguishes him from the tour operator or packager, who can be considered the manufacturer or wholesaler of the tourist industry.

A typical travel agency has a rack of colourful brochures that illustrate the delights offered by a wide variety of tours. The retail agencies may do some local advertising, although even in this case costs may be shared with tour packagers or transportation companies.

The agent offers the customer one-stop convenience. The traveller can make all the arrangements for his trip without having to go to separate places for his airplane seat, his hotel reservation, his rental car, and whatever else he may want for his trip.

The agent can serve the customer by keeping up with changing fares so that he can offer his customers the best bargains or by helping them to work out complicated fares. The agent must also keep up with changing government regulations for international travel – visa and health regulations, customs information, airport taxes – so that he can give the traveller accurate and reliable information. The agent must even be alert for possible political problems in the tourists destination countries. One of the primary necessities for recreational travellers is personal safety.

2. Look through the text and find the English equivalents for:

розничный товары основать турагентство хорошее расположение офисное пространство постоянная клиентура оптовый поставщик

местная реклама предлагать «пакет услуг» заниматься организацией всего тура быть в курсе всех изменений выгодное приобретение достоверная информация быть настороже

3. Answer the questions to the text.

1. How does retail travel business differ from other kinds of businesses?

2. What factors are important for the success of a travel agency?

3. What kind of services does a travel agency offer?

4. In what way is a travel agent different from a tour operator?

5. What kind of advertising does a travel agency do?

6. What is “one-stop convenience”?

7. What do customers expect from travel agents?

4. Sum up what you have learned about:

a) important factors for success in travel business;

b) the difference between travel agents and tour operators;

c) advertising policy of travel agencies;

d) how travel agents must serve customers.

5. Think and answer:

1. Why is travel agency business attractive to very many people?

2. Are there many people in this business? Why? Or Why not?

3. What qualities are needed for those who want to work as a travel agent?

4. Is travel agent business in Russia similar to that in other countries? Give examples.

5. Is this business well developed in Russia?

6. Does it have good prospects for further development? Give your reasons.

7. Would you like to be a travel agent? Why (not)?

6. Say it in English:

Турагентства являются неотъемлемой частью туристического бизнеса. Это те «розничные точки», где клиенты могут получить все виды туристических услуг в одной месте. Это удобство и определяет популярность этого вида бизнеса. Для успешной работы турагентства существенными являются такие факторы, как его месторасположение, наличие постоянной клиентуры и правильные методы рекламной кампании. Еще одним важным звеном в работе турагентства является их взаимодействие с транспортными компаниями. Особенно авиалиниями.

7. Read and translate the dialogue (a travel agent deals with a telephone enquiry about Florida).

TA Good afternoon, World Breaks, Janet Cookson speaking. How can I help you?

C Hello, a saw your advert in the newspaper for fly-drive holidays in Florida. Does that mean you get flights, accommodation and car hire all included in the price?

TA That’s right, madam.

C And what kind of accommodation is it?

TA Well, there are two options. You can have a self-catering apartment or stay in a hotel?

C We’d prefer an apartment, I think. How much will it cost for two weeks?

TA That all depends on when you travel. When are you thinking of going, madam?

C Well, some time when it’s quieter, the second half of May. It is off-season then?

TA Yes, it is. That’s very good time to go. We have a great offer at the moment: fourteen nights fly-drive with self-catering apartments for £543 per person.

C That sounds good. Could I book it now?

TA Certainly. Let me see, the flights are from London Heathrow on Thursdays, so that’s Thursday 17^th May, returning from Orlando, Florida on the morning of Thursday 31^st May. How does that sound?

C That’s fine.

TA Could I have the names of the people travelling, please?

C There’s me, Jane Wright, my husband Simon and our son Andrew.

TA Could you spell your surname for me Mrs Wright?

C Yes, that’s W-R-I-G-H-T.

TA OK, thank you. Just let me confirm the details. That’s three people, two adults and one child, leaving London Heathrow on Thursday 17^th May, returning on Thursday 31th May.

C Yes, that’s right.

TA Thank you, Mrs Wright. Now how do you wish to pay for your holiday? By credit card?

8. Answer the questions to the dialogue.

1. What three things are included in a fly-drive holiday?

2. What types of accommodation are available?

3. When does the guest want to travel?

4. What do the numbers 14 and 543 refer to?

5. How often are the flights to Florida?

6. Which airport do the flights to Florida go from?

9. Take it in turns to play the roles of a travel agent and a customer who wants to book a holiday to Florida. These are the client’s requirements and details about the tour.

Departure date 23 April From London, Gatwick to Orlando, Florida Arriving there same day   Mr Alan Johnston and Ms Karen O’Neill 31 Westerfield Road Ipswich IP3 25N home phone [phone] office phone [phone] nights accommodation at Suncrest Plaza Hotel, Cocoa Beach One double room with balcony and sea view

10. Find out how good is the service in your local travel agencies? Think of holiday or a journey you would like to go on. Visit a local travel agency and ask for information. During your visit carefully observe

1. the shop window (Attractive? Original? etc.)

2. the interior (Organized? Spacious? etc.)

3. the greeting (Immediate? Warm? etc.)

4. the sales consultant’s manner (Friendly? Attentive? etc.)

5. the result of the visit (As expected? Better than expected?)

11. Write up your experience at the local travel agency as a report. Use the following structure

Title: Travel agency quality assessment

Assessor: Put your name and contact details

Agency: Put the name of the agency you visited

Date of visit: Put the full date of your visit

Address: Put the contact details of your agency

Features: Write one or two sentences describing and evaluating the window.

Do the same for the interior, the travel agent’s greeting, and their manner.

Result: Write one or two sentences describing and evaluating the result.

Grade: Give each feature a mark from 0 (minimum) to 5 (maximum)

Window Interior Greeting

Manner Result

Дата добавления: 2015-08-13