Unit 14 Tour Operations Management Assignment Copy

Introduction

In this Unit 14 Tour Operations Management Assignment Copy we will talk about the recent trends, developments and other aspects like finding of new destinations, tour development negotiation, and research in the tourism industry. Different methods of contracting are also needed to discuss with the examples of sale only methods and fixed contracting method. We also need to provide the alternatives for the brochure which will lead the organisation towards success. Other than this the different tactical decisions and strategic decisions also discussed in the tour and travel industry in Zicasso handcrafted travel in UK (Bitsani,&Kavoura, 2014).

Task 1

P 1.1 Analyse the effects of current and recent trends and developments on the tour operators industry.

Tourism is the trips that have involvement of the individuals for the purpose of travelling the different places, to spend the vacations and can be for relaxation and intermission and many others. Tourism plays a vital role in the growth of economy in so many countries. In today’s context tourism industry is blooming faster. In United Kingdom the overall value of tourism industry is 9.0 % in gross domestic product (GDP)the foremost developments and trends in tourism industry are discussed below-

• E-commerce technological development- Recent development in tourism industry is mainly based on the E-commerce development or growth becauseof technology advancement, information can be easily available to the customers that can draw the customers towards tour and tourism(Bitsani,&Kavoura, 2014).Zicasso handcrafted travel in UK has provided the reservations and cancellationfacility online through online booking services from the remote places in travel industry.There has been increase in tour and travel industry in the United Kingdom approximately 14% in between 2008-2013.
• Level of spending power of customer- The level of spending on the travel and tour has been increased that is playing very important role for the whole tourism industry. There is a fair shake in the economy of United Kingdom for the tourism operators because of the profit margin is increasing day by day. Additionally, the local business of the UK is also getting benefitted from the tourism(Hänssler,&K.H., 2011).
• Niche segment of tourism- Niche market in tourism is the particular destination tourism that can usually developed because of the interests of the customers etc. for e.g. - visitors who wants to visit the southern part or northern part of the Ireland because of particular visit like, game of thrones etc. other the this the newly married couples also can be the niche segment for the tour and travel agency. Niche market supported by the Zicasso handcrafted travel that provides more opportunities and growth in tourism sector as well as large spending is done by the customers on the activities of tourists.
• Personalized holiday offers- To fulfil the needs of the customers and visitors personalized or customized holidays packages are offered.Zicasso handcrafted travel is providing flexible packages for the maintenance.Visitors are able to adept the best fit package to get the maximum benefits. Other than this the operators of the tour and tourist are able to take care of their customers and to enhance the level of customer satisfaction(Pahos, et. al., 2010).
• Changing in demographic pattern- For the origin of new tourist destinations the changing demographic pattern is very important. For the Zicasso handcrafted travel it is beneficial in sense of designing new packages which are based on the dynamic demographics.In this case the visitors are like to visit with their family or friends.
• Market research- Market research is done by Zicasso handcrafted travel that is helpful in determining the demands of the customers and to satisfy the level of customers.
• SPELT factors- Tourism industry is mould by the SPELT factors in the economy. The major factors like social, political, economic, legal and technology are also play an important role in affecting the tourism industry of the United Kingdom. Visitors don’t want to invest their money which is not stable in sense of politics and tourists also keep in mind the economic condition of the place like inflation and currency prices etc.Other factors also hamper the tourist choices like social and technology etc.  Social services may include accommodation, amenities and other ancillary services like banking and financing etc.(García, et. al., 2011).
• Focused on customer satisfaction- In tourism industry the customer satisfaction is concentrated to make experience. The major focus of the Zicasso handcrafted travel is to provide services that will capture the customer’s attention and they will be impressed enough to avail the services second time. With the purpose of competitive advantage the major objective of the operators is to increase the customer loyalty by increasing the level of satisfaction. That will be beneficial for tourism operators to retain their visitors in the competitive era or maintain the pie in the market.
• Role of government and other organisations- Government of United Kingdom also help in providing the support and growth of the tourism industry. This support can be in form of relaxation of VISA policy and taxation regulations, subsidies for destination tourism and growth or development as well etc.The other organisation whether they are private or government also deals with the tourism operators to support the local as well people who are residing near tourist places(Qin, et. al., 2011).
• Focus on conservation- With the main purpose of earning profits and increasing revenues of the organisation, tourist operatorsZicasso handcrafted travel also concentrating on the conservation of the places which attracts the tourists most.Non-government as well as government organisations is also coming forward to protect the tourist destinations and places, that will also protect the daily earnings of the local residents of the tourists places.
• Tourism marketing- Tourism marketing enables the visitors to have clear understanding of the particular destinations of tourism. Marketing activities in tourism industry also favours the awareness regarding services and other particular tourists’ destinations among visitors(Dolnicar,&Ring,2014).
• Economy functions- Significance of the economic is enhancing in tourism industry quickly and it also has an important value in GDP of the country.Other than this tourism also provide employment to the local residents of the United Kingdom. Foreign exchange also earned on particular tourists destinations.
• Cultural exchange- Tourism activities also promotes the cultural exchange. People meet who belongs to different culture and behaviour on tours and understand each other’s culture and traditions. In other words, cultural exchange can understandof the way of living of different people from different places(Pahos, et.al., 2010).

So by the above discussed points we can say that it is beneficial for the stakeholders to work with tourism industry, livelihood of locals can be increased and international relations can be build stronger.

Task 2

P 2.3 Calculate the selling price of a holiday from given information.

The current project of Zicasso handcrafted travel will be of ten days package to Manchester depicted below in table-

Sr. No.	Particulars	Price (in pounds)
1	Hotel charges (7 rooms need to be booked for the 15 students. The calculation is as follows:  60*7*4*.78)	1310.4
2	Guide charge	200
3	Transportation Charges	1000
4	Meals (10*15*4+10) 10 Euros  is charged for BB for 4 nights  for 15 students.	475.8
5	Total cost	2986.2
6	Profit margin (10%)	298.62
7	Total selling  price	3284.82

Task 3

P3.1 Evaluate the planning decisions taken for the design of a selected brochure.

In tourism industry the brochure is generally used toimpart knowledge and understanding of packages which the companies are providing. Zicasso handcrafted travelbrochuresare available online as well as offline.In this report theplanning decisions are developed with vast research. The low cost of the brochure with high reach is concerned as the main objective of the Zicasso handcrafted travel in UK.For the recent package, designing and drafting of the project needs; intense planning that may include drafting, cost and quality of the brochure, research that may include the destinations and implementation as well as organisational process(Vogt &Schaefer, 2012).For the current project of Zicasso handcrafted travel the design of the selected brochure can have below planning decisions-

• Recognition of planning issue- In this first step the planning include so many issues like format of the brochure, objective of designing the brochure, target and timescale etc.these issues are needed to be kept in mind because these issues play a vital role in designing the brochure(Mastorakis, et. al., 2014).
• Format- For the impressive purpose the format of the brochure is very essential part. It is also helpful in increasing the customer level and further sales. Tour operators like Zicasso handcrafted travel identify the target segment by matching the pre-decided format of brochure and the actual brochure.
• Target market and finance- If brochure is made for niche market like wedding tours, the target market for the company have to be identified. Financing also is the important issue in tourismcompanies or in the Zicasso handcrafted travel, so the spending willingness of the visitors or customer satisfaction is also needed to identify.
• Time scale and stages involved in brochure design- For designing the brochure the proper time should be mentioned in the planningstage by the management of the Zicasso handcrafted travel.

P3.2 assesses the suitability of alternatives to a traditional brochure for different types of tour operators and recommends the most appropriate for your tour package.

Inpresent task we have so many opportunities to implement the alternatives that are convenient for the visitors or customers. These new E-brochures of Zicasso handcrafted travel and Exodus travel are able to pull the customers towards their packages and also have capacity to retain their customers for a longer time if implemented and managed properly. The traditional brochures are also able to attract the new visitors towards them and make them understand the aspects related to tours and packages, which the travel companies are provided. But with the changing time travel companies or operators are adopting the new methods and implementing them. As everyoneknows that online brochures have much broader approach and easy to reachcapacity to the customers(Ohnishi,2015).So the E-brochure will be beneficial for the two tour operators, Zicasso handcrafted travel and for Exodus travel.That will also provide the facility of cost reduction as well as also provide the competitive advantage to the both tour operators because the costs of E-brochures are very less; comparatively the traditional brochures. Other than this Zicasso handcrafted travel and exodus travel can also use the video based brochures. These video brochures are also able to impress and retain the customers. That is also helpful in increasing the revenue of the tour operators. The other aspects related to the beauty or any other information of the destinations which is helpful in attracting the customers can convey easily by adopting the video brochures. If such brochures are designed and implemented properly the sale of the tour operators can increase. Video brochures can also use as a promotion strategy by the Zicasso handcrafted travel and exodus travel in London as well as across the world. These companies Zicasso handcrafted travel and exodus travel can incorporate with social media and can upload their videos over there. Video brochures are the robust marketing tool for the tour and travel operators. The companies can share new launched schemes to the visitors and can also showcase the other services by video brochures using internet(Laudon, et.al., 2013). As we know that video quality is improving and accessibility too increasing day by day so companies can capture the largest pie by adoption of this model.These brochures can be redesign easily if not successful but in traditional brochures that facility cannot be availed. Once the brochure is failed to attract customers the companies have to design new one that will increase the cost of the organisation. After studying the so many benefits we can say that E- brochures and video brochureswill be beneficial in current scenario for the both Zicasso handcrafted travel and Exodus travel.

P3.3 Evaluate the suitability of different methods of distribution used to sell a holiday for different types of tour operator and recommend the most appropriate for your tour package.

Brochures play a vital role in increasing the sale and attracting the new customers in past as well as in present scenario.Brochures have proved that they have significant role in increasing the sale and revenue of the both Zicasso handcrafted travel and exodus travel. With the changing time the brochure designing and developing methods have changed. As technology is putting step into each sector the brochures also designed in that way(Vogt &Schaefer, 2012). Now a day’s E- brochures are in trend.Zicasso handcrafted travel also can sell their services online like holiday packages can be sell easily through online marketing, direct marketing and via telephonic communication.Direct selling can be done through online rather than adopting the traditional methods of direct marketing these are door to door selling. In online direct marketing theZicasso handcrafted travelcan create the website and can offer their services of holiday packages over there(Reino, et.al., 2016). Additionally, theZicasso handcrafted travel can capture the attention of the visitors by using the online marketing. Video sales promotions can also be done by the tour operator company.Unlike traditional methods of printing the brochures the video brochures can be designed for the purpose of selling the holiday package.By online marketing if videos failed to sell the holiday packages of the Zicasso handcrafted travel the alteration and modification can be done the present video and problems can be overcome as well(Laudon, et.al., 2013). Other than this the promotional activities as well as distribution activities can be alter by using the online direct selling. E- Mail marketing can also be done by the Zicasso handcrafted travel employees that are most suitable for them with the purpose of selling the holiday package. So by reviewing the all alternative methods we can conclude that Zicasso handcrafted travel can use online marketing for selling the holiday package because it is the best option in current scenario.

Task 4

P4.1 Evaluate the strategic decisions made by different types of tour operator.

The flexibility that the tour operators are providing to their customers includes so many elements which are helpful for the tour operators in sense of increasing the sales and revenue as well.For making the packages successful the tour operator company have to take a large number of strategic decisions which describe the direction of the organisation and these are followed to achieve the long term goals of the organisation. Strategic plans which are made by the tour and travel operator organisation includes price efficiency and competitive strategy i.e. it is planning for long term to get the advantage over competitors of the same industry(Ohnishi,2015).In tours and travel operator organisations strategic decisions are also made to target the particular segment of customers. Future course of actions can be decided by the organisation by using the strategic planning. For the tour and travel operators strategic planning is very vital for making the packages successful.Strategic planning of the tours and travel operators can described below-

• Discounted pricing strategy- All the organisations have to make a pricing strategy so that they can evaluate the cost as well as the profit of the organisation.  Pricing strategies includes full pricing strategy, discounting pricing strategy and mix pricing strategy. By providing the discounts to customers the sales and revenues can be increased by the organisation because if services are provided at lower prices customers will get attracted towards the organisation. By adoption of discount pricing competitive advantage over the competitors can be gain by Zicasso handcrafted travel.
• Segmentation and targeting customers- Segmentation of market is basically is done on the basis of customer group. Market segmentation is the first step and then targeting comes into place. It is also a vital issue for the tours and travel operators to targeting their customers after evaluating the competitiveness of the Zicasso handcrafted traveland visitors who are interested in their packages. These strategic decisions are made after the evaluation of the whole market then positioning of the services takes place by brand building in the minds of customer(Hwang, et. al., 2012).
• Seasonal factors- Seasons also play a vital role in strategic decisions for the tour and travel operators. On the basis of seasons the packages are provided for e.g. -peak season or lean season.
• Competitive price strategy- Competition pricing strategy is setting the price according to the competitors.That strategy is generally adopted for the same kind of products and services. This technique can be very beneficial for the tour and travel operators like Zicasso handcrafted travel. Sometimes pricing is the basis for the selection of services so the tour and travel operative organisations need to keep in mind that factor too. If the demand and supply of the particular destinations increases the package pricing can also increase(García, et. al., 2011).
• Promotional strategy- If the creative strategies are to be adopted by the tours and travel organisation like Zicasso handcrafted travel the consumers can be attracted towards the organisation but in this decision strategy the operators of the tour and travel agency have to adopt such methods which they needed. By being creative and innovative the profitability can be increased. Other than this the customers can be retain for longer time with large amount.

P4.2 Compare the tactical decisions that could be taken by a selected tour operator in different situations.

The operator of the tour and travel agency take decisions which are needed for the day to day operations. These decisions can be relating to the drafting of tour packages and how to sell such packages.Tactical decisions are the often made by the lower level managers of the organisation. Tactical planning decisions are related to present scenario of the organisation. Tactical planning in Zicasso handcrafted travel is very important for the efficient running of the business. The other tactical decisions are taken by the Zicasso handcrafted travel’s management can be related to the managing the accommodation for the customers and also they have to take decisions regarding to the other stakeholders which directly or indirectly influencing the business(Evertsz, et.al., 2015). Another tactical decision for the Zicasso handcrafted travel’s management can be tie up with other service providers. For taking such decisions the management of the tour and travel organisation have to adopt so many tools. These tools can be personal selling i.e. conveying the holiday package to the customers and corporate selling tools. In tour and travel organisations it is needed to conduct the meetings with the other service providers so that proper negotiations can be done and the organisation is able to provide high quality services at the lower price.

The feedback related aspects, which tour and travel operators have to take from the customers, are also considered as the tactical decisions.By taking feedbacks from the customers the other tactical decisions can be taken like what new they have to provide their customers for increasing the satisfaction level. Other small business issues that may include; the data related to satisfaction level of the customers are also considered as the tactical issues(Evertsz, et.al., 2015). Other than this how to take feedbacks from their customers also considered as the tactical issue. In this the management of the Zicasso handcrafted travel have to decide that whether they have to take feedback by conducting the phone surveys, or can be in form of filling the questionnairesand person to person survey etc.now a day’s internet surveys can also be done by the tour and travel organizations. All these issues come under the tactical issues which can have a great impact on the efficient and effective running of the business.

Conclusion

By the above Unit 14 Tour Operations Management Assignment Copy we can conclude that in today’s current scenario recent trends and developments have been discussed with the suitable examples. That describes the contribution of tourism in UK.  That include so many aspects which are; E-commerce technology, focus on conservation, economy related aspects and cultural exchange. Niche segment of tourism is also described well which is also a part of recent trends. SPELT is also discussed which also have impact on the tourism industry. Other than this the stages and timescale involved in holiday package is described. Evaluation of suitability of different methods of contracting also discusses with the sale only method and fixed contract method. Selling price of holiday package is also discussed with the table in this report with particular company.Planning decisions taken for designing the brochure is also well described and the other alternatives for the traditional brochures or printed brochures are also mentioned in this report.Strategic decisions which a tour and travel operator has to take also discussed with the examples.

References

Bitsani, E. & Kavoura, A. 2014, "Host Perceptions of Rural Tour Marketing to Sustainable Tourism in Central Eastern Europe. The Case Study of Istria, Croatia",Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 148, pp. 362-369.
Dolnicar, S. & Ring, A. 2014, "Tourism marketing research: Past, present and future", Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 47, pp. 31-47.
Evertsz, R., Thangarajah, J., Yadav, N. & Ly, T. 2015, "A framework for modelling tactical decision-making in autonomous systems", The Journal of Systems and Software, vol. 110, pp. 222.
García, M.D., Pelegrín, B. & Fernández, P. 2011, "Location strategy for a firm under competitive delivered prices", The Annals of Regional Science, vol. 47, no. 1, pp. 1-23.
Hänssler, K.H. 2011, Management in der Hotellerie und Gastronomie : Betriebswirtschaftliche Grundlagen, 8th edn, De Gruyter Oldenbourg, München.
Hwang, J., Choi, Y.G., Lee, J.(. & Park, J. 2012, "Customer Segmentation Based on Dining Preferences in Full-Service Restaurants", Journal of Foodservice Business Research,vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 226.
Mastorakis, G., Trihas, N., Mavromoustakis, C.X., Perakakis, E. & Kopanakis, I. 2014, "A Cloud Computing Model for Efficient Marketing Planning in Tourism",International Journal of Online Marketing, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 14-30.
Ohnishi, K. 2015, Firms' Strategic Decisions : Theoretical and Empirical Findings, Bentham Science Publishers.
Pahos, A., Stamos, A. & Kicosev, S. 2010, "CULTURAL TOURISM IN EUROPE", UTMS Journal of Economics, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 85.
Qin, Q., Wall, G. & Liu, X. 2011, "Government Roles in Stimulating Tourism Development: A Case from Guangxi, China", Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, vol. 16, no. 5, pp. 471-487.

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